The Major of CounterStrike is expected because it is a classic of video games, the first versions of this shooter date back over 20 years ago. Then, these Major competitions in e-sport are a bit the equivalent of those of the Grand Slam in tennis: this is where the best teams meet. And after a year and a half of Covid restrictions, back in public from October 26 to November 7 at the Avicii Arena in Stockholm.
>> PODCAST. Major of Counterstrike: the big meeting is finally back
Fans who can meet at Infernoonline in central Stockholm. It is quite simply one of the largest rooms in the world dedicated to gaming, with 350 PCs. Finding a place like this in Sweden is no coincidence. “Sweden has had a very strong community of gamers for a long time, because very early on we had computers in the homes, and fast internet access., explains Enrik Johansson, CEO Infernoonline. The other explanation is’ shitty weather. In winter there is little daylight, you stay at home. All this means that you start to play, but also that there is a demand to play in a group. Video games are a lot more social than you might think. ” Infernoonline is open every day, even on weekends, and sometimes even all night.
“When we play online we are actually playing with other people. Here we do, but on top of that they are next door, you can clap their hand. We are social creatures and when we are play we want to play together whether it’s football, for a game of chess, or for a video game. “
Enrik Johansson, CEO of Infernoonlineto franceinfo
For Major Counterstrike, the teams will compete in several rounds, and the game is broadcast on a giant screen, which allows fans to follow all the adventures. For Anton, the atmosphere of these major competitions is incomparable: “Football is a great sport – I grew up with it – but in football you sometimes have to wait 20 to 40 minutes, or even a whole game for a goal to be scored. With Counterstrike it’s pure action to all. rounds, and each round is two minutes long. People are screaming like crazy for those two minutes, you have a short break, and it goes. “
This impatience is also motivated by the considerable budgets found behind video games. It is an industry that has not known the crisis and the best in Stockholm will be able to share an endowment of two million dollars.