Top 10 Largest Prize Pools in CS:GO and CS2 History

Counter-Strike has already deserved to be a competitive discipline of its own, with dozens of regular tournaments, wide media coverage, and stable money-earning for holders and pro players alike. While the Esports community still thinks that the top biggest CS:GO/CS2 prize pools cede to events like The International, the latest report shows that CS Majors can deliver more than $100 million in earnings. Officially, the biggest CS:GO and CS2 prize pools are still around $1 million, and we’ll rely on the confirmed information in our rating.

Another element to mention is the game's purse evolution through versions. Thus, the biggest CS 1.6 tournaments offered only up to $100,000, while the biggest prize pools of CS:GO/CS2 esports tournaments are 10 times bigger. At the same time, the biggest prize pools of CS:GO tournaments are still leading the charts, but its younger successor, CS2, has all the chances to beat these records.

Here is the combined rating of the largest prize pools for Counter-Strike 2 and Global Offensive game versions, actual for early 2024. As the highest CS2 prize pools didn’t make it to the top, as the main upcoming cs2 tournaments are just ahead, we’ll first review what we had during the times of the previous version.

PGL MAJOR STOCKHOLM 2021 — $2,000,000

From October 26th to November 7th, 2021, Stockholm, Sweden became the epicenter of the esports world with the PGL Major Stockholm 2021. It was touted as the biggest prize pool for CS:GO and boasted a massive prize pool of $2,000,000, divided among 16 elite teams. Natus Vincere emerged as the champion, pocketing $1,000,000, while G2 Esports secured second place, taking home $300,000.

This one of the ​​highest CS:GO and CS2 prize pools was especially notable as it marked the triumphant return of Major CS:GO tournaments in the post-COVID era, setting new benchmarks for prize money. Valve doubled the usual prize since only one Major was scheduled for 2021.

However, what truly stood out in this Swedish event was the unparalleled performance of Natus Vincere. They clinched the title for the first time in Major history without conceding a single map, showcasing their dominance.

WORLD ELECTRONIC SPORTS GAMES 2016 — $1,500,000

From January 12th to 15th, 2017, Changzhou, China hosted the World Electronic Sports Games 2016, marking it as one of the largest CS:GO tournament prizes of its time. A whopping $1,500,000 was up for grabs, distributed among eight competing teams. Team EnVyUs emerged as the champions, bagging the lion's share of $800,000. Following them, Poland's Team Kinguin secured the second spot and took home $400,000, half of what EnVyUs earned. Virtus.pro clinched the third place, rounding up the top three, winning $200,000, a quarter of the champion's prize.

Despite being called WESG 2016, the event occurred in January 2017, with the location being Changzhou.

WORLD ELECTRONIC SPORTS GAMES 2017 — $1,500,000

From March 13-18, 2018, Haikou, China hosted the World Electronic Sports Games 2017. With one of the biggest CS:GO prize pools of $1,500,000, Fnatic emerged as champions, followed by Space Soldiers and Russia in second and third places. The respective prizes for these teams were adjusted to $300,000 and $150,000.

Fnatic's Freddy "KRIMZ" Johansson was the standout player, earning the MVP award for the WESG 2017 World Finals by HLTV and Betway. The 23-year-old Swede demonstrated remarkable consistency, with a 1.30 average rating, particularly standing out on the Inferno map. Statistically, KRIMZ dominated the scene, featuring seven categories, including a +102 Kill-Death Differential and 57 opening kills.

ELEAGUE SEASON 1 — $1,410,000

In 2016, in the USA, Atlanta, Virtus.pro clinched the championship title of the ELEAGUE Season 1, securing $400,000 of the total $1,410,000 winnings. Meanwhile, fnatic and mousesports claimed second and third places, taking home $140,000 and $70,000, respectively.

The event was monumental in scale: 106 matches, equivalent to 144 maps, were played out in Atlanta. This scale positions ELEAGUE Season 1 among the top prize pools for CS:GO LAN tournaments in the game's history.

With a flawless bracket stage, dropping no maps and averaging fewer than nine rounds lost per map, Virtus.pro showcased one of the most dominant performances at major events. Their grand final was filled with strategic brilliance, including memorable moments like a double-fake on Mirage, Snax's audacious 1v4 attempt, and a targeted nade-stack on Jesper "⁠JW⁠" Wecksell in Cobblestone's dropzone. Instrumental to this victory was Snax, who delivered a remarkable 1.45 rating, consistently shining against top teams like Ninjas in Pyjamas, MOUZ, and fnatic.

IEM RIO MAJOR 2022 — $1,250,000

Brazil has always been one of the best places to bring a Counter-Strike event, and IEM Rio Major 2022 just confirmed the fact. Quite predictably, Valve and organizers couldn’t save the raised $2 million prize pool from Copenhagen 2021 to the Major in Brazil, but the event received a 25% boost to distinguish it from traditional IEMs and BLASTs. Thus, the event was after all with one of the largest Counter-Strike 2 prize pools — $1,250,000.

Despite the crazy support of the local crowd for Brazilian teams, the only local team, FURIA Esports, was able to grab a playoff spot, losing to Heroic in the semifinals. The latter were favorites in the final against team Outsiders (former Virtus.pro) but couldn’t keep with their nerves and lost it 2-0 without any chances for comeback, receiving $170,000 instead of $500,000 grabbed by the victorious Outsiders. It was quite an unpredictable tournament, with hegemons like Team Vitality and FaZe Clan's departure before playoffs, while G2 and Astralis didn’t even fly to South America after losing in qualifications.

BLAST.TV PARIS MAJOR 2023 — $1,250,000

The last Counter-Strike Major in CS:GO was held in Paris in May 2023, confirming the tendency that the biggest prize pools in CS2 will start from the $1,250,000 point now. BLAST became the main organizer of the event for the first time, while the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, helped to bring the competition to his country.

With all top teams showing quite shaky results before the BLAST Paris Major 2023, the French-based team Vitality stepped up, especially their main star — Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut. It looked like the “Chosen One” (he was born the same day as the first Counter-Strike release — exactly on 9th November 2000) had to win at least one CS:GO Major, and his team dominated the event. ZywOo himself made the biggest impact, delivering the best numbers in Rating 2.0 (1.39), KPR (0.89), and KAST (78%), while his teammates also played some great CS. Traditionally to the latest Majors, Vitaly as a winner took $500k, while the unexpected finalists, GamerLegion, grabbed $170,000.

PGL CS2 MAJOR COPENHAGEN 2024 — $1,250,000

While we don’t know what the biggest CS2 prize pools will be in a year or two, we can surely name the most valuable upcoming Counter-Strike 2 events. The PGL CS2 Major in Copenhagen was announced months ago, and it will continue the latest trend in Majors with the prize pool set at $1,250,000. The winner will take $500,000, while the finalist will get $170,000.

Of course, participants of the final stages will also earn from selling their stickers, which can exceed even the earnings from lifting the trophy. It’s hard to predict who will win the event with a few months left until it starts, but we can surely say it will be a huge event with massive money at stake. No doubt, all the teams will try to show their best in this race for one of the largest CS2 prize pools known at the moment.

This event is anticipated by everyone, but if you're unable to attend, detailed information about upcoming and finished cs2 matches can help you discover the results that interest you.

ELEAGUE SEASON 2 — $1,100,000

With one of the biggest CS:GO tournament prizes of $1,100,000, the second season of ELEAGUE slightly decreased from the prior season's fund and, as it seems, the future ones, too. OpTic Gaming emerged as champions, securing $400,000, followed by Astralis in second place with $140,000. FaZe Clan clinched the third spot, bagging $60,000.

OpTic secured a surprising triumph in ELEAGUE Season 2, prevailing 2-1 over Astralis. The match started on Astralis's pick, Train, where they rapidly took the lead 9-0 before OpTic mustered a response. Although OpTic managed a few rounds, Astralis finished strong, winning 16-9.

However, the tables turned on Cobblestone, with OpTic gaining momentum from the outset. Despite Nicolai "⁠device⁠" Reedtz's 1v3 clutch, OpTic's firm grasp on the game allowed them to clinch the map at 16-6. The decider, Overpass, saw both teams battling fiercely, trading round wins. However, OpTic's consistency shone through, sealing the map at 16-11 and, thus, the series.

ELEAGUE CS:GO PREMIER 2017 — $1,000,000

The ELEAGUE CS:GO Premier 2017, hosted in Atlanta, boasted one of the first and still biggest prize pools in CS2 and CS:GO tournaments of $1,000,000, which was divided amongst sixteen participating teams. FaZe Clan emerged victorious, claiming half the pool, while Astralis secured the runner-up spot with $150,000. Cloud9 rounded off the top three, pocketing $70,000.

Håvard "rain" Nygaard of FaZe Clan has been named MVP for ELEAGUE Premier 2017. Before the final, the Norwegian was already a frontrunner, and he only solidified his status with a 1.39 team-leading Rating and 94.7 ADR in their 2-0 win over Astralis. Despite coming close at ESL One New York, this is rain's first MVP award, with teammate Nikola "⁠NiKo⁠" Kovač previously clinching it after an outstanding final performance.

ELEAGUE CS:GO PREMIER 2018 — $1,000,000

In the mid-summer of 2018, the ELEAGUE CS:GO Premier 2018 event was held in Atlanta, with one of the largest CS:GO Esports prize pools. Astralis emerged as champions, pocketing $500,000, while Team Liquid secured the second spot and $200,000. Mousesports rounded out the top three, earning $80,000.

Nicolai "⁠device⁠" Reedtz of Astralis clinched the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award for ELEAGUE Premier. The 22-year-old showed an impressive 1.57 rating in the final, guiding Astralis to a swift 2-0 victory over Liquid. Achieving his best rating of 1.44 at a significant event, device dominated the rating charts and led in seven statistical categories. Notably, he excelled in opening duels with a 73.8% success rate, significantly ahead of Nikola "⁠NiKo⁠" Kovač's 58.5%.

FAQ

Which team received the largest prize in the history of CS:GO and CS2 tournaments?

The pause caused by COVID-19 led to the cancellation of a few Counter-Strike Majors, which forced Valve and organizers to present the leader in the list of the biggest prize pools in CS:GO. Thus, the PGL Major Stockholm 2021 got the biggest-ever purse of 2 million dollars, and Natus Vincere won this jackpot and secured the biggest prize in the history of CS:GO — $1,000,000.

Which team has won the most prize money in the history of CS2 and CS:GO tournaments?

During their history, Astralis collected the largest amount of prize money from tournaments — $9.5 million.

What is the biggest CS2 tournament?

As of early 2024, the two biggest CS2 tournaments in terms of prize funds will be upcoming Majors: PGL Copenhagen Major 2024 (March) and Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024 (December). Both have confirmed dates and presented traditional prize pools of $1,250,000.