At last, we’ve reached the end of 2023, marking one of the biggest years in Counter-Strike history. In terms of both the game itself and its professional scene, we’ve seen a remarkable amount of growth, and the future looks brighter than ever.

But what made 2023 such a great year for Counter-Strike? Let’s take a closer look.

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The launch of Counter-Strike 2

In 2023, there was no one moment as impactful as the launch of Counter-Strike 2. Announced with a Limited Test in March, the game replaced CS:GO with a full release in September.

The announcement of the game initially came as a huge surprise. CS:GO was ticking along just fine, and a sequel was certainly a risky move. Throughout the year, we saw CS:GO break numerous player records, as gamers flocked to prepare for the new release. Hype for Counter-Strike had never been bigger.

Post-launch, the numbers naturally dipped a little heading into the end of the year. CS2 isn’t quite as feature-complete as CS:GO yet, but it’s getting there. Once it’s up to scratch, we expect to see Counter-Strike 2 shatter those records even more throughout 2024.

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Announcements for the future

Valve made a few announcements for the future of Counter-Strike esports in 2023. The most important was the confirmation that partner leagues would be banned from 2025, meaning BLAST and ESL would have to re-evaluate their business models going forward.

While the changes won’t take effect for a few years, there’s no doubt that it’ll prove to be a monumental moment in the future of Counter-Strike esports, and it was announced in 2023.

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The Winners of 2023

Across the Counter-Strike tournaments in 2023, we’ve seen a variety of winners. Some teams have found greater consistency than others, with some finding the highest of highs, followed by the lowest of lows.

We wanted to take a look at the major tournament winners of 2023, and review how they fared throughout the year overall.

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The first winner of 2023 came in the form of G2 Esports. At the beginning of 2023, the team looked near-unbeatable, and looked set to make this year, their year. However, after IEM Katowice 2023, the team struggled for consistency, and it wasn’t until Cologne that they emerged on top again. For most teams, Katowice and Cologne in the same year is a fantastic haul. But given how G2 looked early in the year, they’ll still see this as a disappointment compared to what might’ve been.

We’re going to throw Heroic, ENCE, and MOUZ into the same category here, with one win each in 2023. Heroic fell apart as the year passed, while ENCE struggled to get over the line in Grand Finals. Both these teams are now home to completely different rosters to their winning lineups, so it’s hard to say how they’ll perform in 2024. For MOUZ, the future is a little brighter. Their ESL Pro League Season 18 win was a pleasant surprise, and can be a great building block for the young roster.

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ESL:

• IEM Katowice 2023: G2 Esports
• ESL Pro League Season 17: FaZe Clan
• Intel Grand Slam Season 4: FaZe Clan
• IEM Rio 2023: Team Vitality
• IEM Dallas 2023: ENCE
• IEM Cologne 2023: G2 Esports
• ESL Pro League Season 18: MOUZ
• IEM Sydney 2023: FaZe Clan

BLAST:

• BLAST Premier Spring Final 2023: Heroic
• BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023: Team Vitality
• BLAST Premier Fall Final 2023: Team Vitality
• BLAST Premier World Final 2023: Team Vitality

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Then, there’s FaZe Clan. After a storming 2022, many expected them to dominate throughout 2023. An early ESL Pro League Season 17 win was promising, and allowed them to see out the Intel Grand Slam. However, their form slumped mid-year, and it wasn’t until Counter-Strike 2 was released that FaZe Clan regained their mojo. Early in the new game, they looked on top again, mastering CS2 in a way that others struggled. Watch out for FaZe in 2024.

Last, but certainly not least, is Team Vitality. We’re calling them our big winners of 2023 overall. Their victory at the BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023 was historic, becoming the final CS:GO Major winners. They were consistently near the top of the pack, despite losing all of dupreeh, zonic, and Magisk at separate points in time. The consistency to be able to change the roster so often, yet not lose a step was amazing to watch. By the end of the year, Vitality were dominant once more, winning out over FaZe Clan in two Grand Finals. No doubt, Team Vitality is heading into 2024 as the team to beat.

The GOAT takes a break

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Oh – one last thing. The greatest CS:GO player of all time, s1mple, has taken a break from competitive play in the latter stages of 2023.

He has had such an impact over the years, and it’s strange to see him out of the server. Let’s hope he can come back better than ever in 2024!