Right now, the twenty-first Counter-Strike Major is taking place in Shanghai. Since 2013, we have regularly witnessed the battle of the best of the best, whether in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive or CS2. Today, the CS.MONEY Blog recalls all the winners of these prestigious Valve tournaments.
We have an event where you can get free skins! Go to the Battle Pass page, complete tasks, play CS2, and upgrade your inventory!
Fnatic — Champions of DreamHack Winter 2013, ESL One Katowice 2015, ESL One Cologne 2015
Currently, Fnatic’s 0-3 exit in the Shanghai Major Opening Stage is met with disbelief and headshakes. Ten years ago, the Swedish roster was a formidable opponent that set records. Flusha, JW, and Pronax became the first three-time Major champions in history, winning two consecutively.
Interestingly, the current Fnatic player KRIMZ participated in both of the last two championships. The Swedish player has 17 Major appearances, ranking 5-7th among all players.
Back then, the format and frequency of Majors were slightly different, and this helped keep Fnatic in top form, though their opponents were also highly competitive.
Virtus.pro — Champions of ESL One Katowice 2014
Ten years later, we mostly talk about the stickers from this tournament, but it was a long-awaited triumph for the Polish team on their home soil. PashaBiceps and his teammates played almost flawlessly, dropping only one map. By the way, like KRIMZ, one of the players from that championship roster made it to Shanghai: G2 Esports continue the fight with Snax.
Ninjas in Pyjamas — Champions of ESL One Cologne 2014
Looking back a decade later, it feels almost criminal that the Ninjas in Pyjamas only won one Major. From the very release of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, they were a dominant force, and it was unfortunate that Valve was a bit late with the idea of major tournaments. Two players from that roster are in the HLTV Hall of Fame, and Xizt, who became NiP’s coach, was closest to the Shanghai tournament, though the team failed to qualify through the RMR.
Team LDLC — Champions of DreamHack Winter 2014
In the mid-2010s, the centers of Counter-Strike were not only Sweden and Poland, but also France. ZywOo was still too young, but the first major wave of French CS had already begun. The tournament in Jönköping was no easy ride, and LDLC could have been knocked out in the quarterfinals due to the infamous Olofboost. However, LDLC seized the opportunity, and the final against Ninjas in Pyjamas was memorable for the overtime on the third, deciding map.
Team EnVyUs — Champions of DreamHack Cluj-Napoca 2015
After two successful tournaments for Fnatic, when they made a double comeback on Overpass, it was time for France again. Three players from Team LDLC (Happy, NBK, kioShiMa) joined a new club but managed to secure another win. The core of the squad was completed with kennyS with his Magic Stick and… apEX, the current captain of Team Vitality, who is aiming for his third Major title in Shanghai!
The tournament itself was memorable for the sniper duel between kennyS and GuardiaN. Both led their teams forward, but in the grand final, luck and skill were on the side of the Frenchman.
Luminosity/SK Gaming — Champions of MLG Columbus 2016 and ESL One Cologne 2016
Two different tags but the same five players. 2016 was the year of Brazil, as we witnessed the phenomenal play of Coldzera, who was simply unstoppable. It was in Columbus that Coldzera made his legendary highlight on Mirage, which became graffiti on the map.
Not many people remember, but with one bullet, the Brazilian killed EliGE and s1mple — a legendary combination of players! In Cologne, only Virtus.pro managed to win one map against SK Gaming, as the Brazilians were far superior.
Astralis — Champions of ELEAGUE Major Atlanta 2017, FaceIT Major London 2018, IEM Katowice 2019, and Starladder Berlin Major 2019
Now, we move on to the greatest team in Counter-Strike history. Although Astralis now appear as a mere shadow of their former glory, the Danes once instilled fear in the entire scene for several years. Three consecutive Major wins, victory at the Intel Grand Slam, and an unreachable peak of gameplay — all of this can be attributed to Astralis.
Four players achieved all these victories: Device, xyp9x, Glaive, and Dupreeh, who became a sort of Tom Brady in the Counter-Strike world — he has more Major wins than any club in history.
There could be an entire book written about this team and their innovations, so let’s move on to the next champions, as the stories are equally incredible.
Gambit — Champions of PGL Krakow 2017
The Major in Poland gave us perhaps the craziest scenario possible. For a long time, Zeus was unable to win with Natus Vincere. The legendary Ukrainian captain came close several times but was eventually removed from the team. Gambit Esports, a team with talented players who always seemed to be missing something, took a risk and brought Zeus in shortly before the tournament.
What followed was incredible: a brilliant grenade from Dosia and the cry: “OLOFMEISTER, I LOVE YOU!” Gambit’s story in Krakow is a Cinderella tale that got its shining moment.
Cloud9 — Champions of ELEAGUE Major Boston 2018
Another tournament with a remarkable story. North America had long struggled to secure a victory despite having strong players. The situation changed in Boston. With the support of the home crowd, Cloud9 delivered an epic tournament, and their grand final against FaZe Clan became one of the greatest matches of all time. The third map must be watched in full!
Natus Vincere — Champions of PGL Stockholm Major 2021
After the pandemic hit and LAN tournaments in Counter-Strike were paused for two years, Astralis had finally disbanded, and a new, bright team emerged. Natus Vincere found the winning formula, and in Sweden, the historical injustice was rectified when the club, which had attended every Major in history, finally claimed their own trophy.
FaZe Clan — Champions of PGL Antwerp Major 2022
Another team that was long overdue for a prestigious trophy was FaZe Clan. For a while, they assembled superteams that always seemed to lack something (often just a couple of rounds) from achieving victory. In Belgium, Karrigan and his loyal teammates managed to win the tournament, and the Danish veteran added his name to the conversation about the greatest IGLs of all time.
Outsiders — Champions of IEM Rio Major 2022
We could have included Outsiders in the section about Virtus.pro and ESL One Katowice 2014, but that wouldn’t be accurate. The rosters of the two teams were entirely different. Outsiders were formed from the runners-up of the Berlin Major, AVANGAR, and since then, the roster has seen some changes, but Jame, as the core and captain, has remained constant. It could be said that the team was lucky in Brazil (as all the favorites faltered), but that would undermine the hard work of the players. The tournament also had enough highlights:
Team Vitality — Champions of BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023
The first tournament from BLAST and the final CS:GO Major took place in Paris, the homeland of ZywOo, the Chosen One. It was very symbolic that the last Major was won by a team with one of the top two players in the world over the last five years. The rivalry between ZywOo and s1mple has always been intriguing, but in 2023, it was the Frenchman who emerged victorious.
Both players understand the importance of individuality and style. Here’s a Battle Pass code to bring you closer to a cool skin: HS5ZQW3A
Natus Vincere — Champions of PGL Major Copenhagen 2024
Finally, let’s look at the first Major in CS2 history. Natus Vincere decided not to rely on s1mple’s individual mastery, as he temporarily went inactive, and completely revamped their roster, making it international. Few believed in Natus Vincere in Copenhagen, but they managed to win the tournament, and several players from the roster have now attained superstar status.
List of All CS Major Champions from the Earliest to the Latest
- DreamHack Winter 2013 – Fnatic
- ESL Major Series One Katowice 2014 – Virtus.pro
- ESL One: Cologne 2014 – Ninjas in Pyjamas
- DreamHack Winter 2014 – Team LDLC.com
- ESL One: Katowice 2015 – Fnatic
- ESL One: Cologne 2015 – Fnatic
- DreamHack Open Cluj-Napoca 2015 – Team EnVyUs
- MLG Major Championship: Columbus 2016 – Luminosity Gaming
- ESL One: Cologne 2016 – SK Gaming
- ELEAGUE Major Atlanta 2017 – Astralis
- PGL Major Kraków 2017 – Gambit Esports
- ELEAGUE Major Boston 2018 – Cloud9
- FACEIT Major: London 2018 – Astralis
- Intel Extreme Masters XIII – Katowice Major 2019 – Astralis
- StarLadder Berlin Major 2019 – Astralis
- PGL Major Stockholm 2021 – Natus Vincere
- PGL Major Antwerp 2022 – FaZe Clan
- Intel Extreme Masters Rio Major 2022 – Outsiders
- BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023 – Team Vitality
- PGL Major Copenhagen 2024 – Natus Vincere
Very soon, another team will be added to this list. The Shanghai Major champion will be crowned on December 15, 2024.
