Major League Gaming (MLG) today announced the MLG Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Major Championship: Columbus to be held at the MLG Arena and Nationwide Arena from March 29 – April 3, 2016 with a $250,000 prize pool.
The first-ever Major to be held in North America will kick off Tuesday, March 29 at the MLG Arena with 16 of the best Counter-Strike: Global Offensive teams from around the world battling it out over 3 days in front of a live audience for the Group Stage Matches and Quarterfinals. In addition to the live event, fans will also be able to attend a one-of-a-kind viewing party hosted by MLG in the nearby Arena District.
On April 2, the action will shift to the state-of-the-art Nationwide Arena, home of the National Hockey League’s Columbus Blue Jackets. Over 2 days, the remaining teams will compete in front of thousands of fans during the Semifinals on Saturday, with the Grand Finals and All-Star Match taking place on Sunday.
“For our first CS:GO event we brought the competition to the Aspen X Games,” said Adam Apicella, MLG. “We wanted to bring the game back to North American fans in a big way, and hosting a Major in front of thousands of spectators at Nationwide Arena is an exciting way to do that.”
The CS:GO competitive scene has dominated the eSports landscape in 2015, with over 8.6 million unique players logging on to play last month and record-setting attendance and viewership at live events throughout the year. The upcoming Major, the first-ever in North America, will provide an opportunity for thousands of fans to celebrate their favorite players. The Major event will also be streamed live to millions of fans at home on multiple streaming platforms, featuring commentary and analysis from the top talent in the CS:GO community.
Tickets will go on sale through Ticketmaster on December 3, 2015.