Highs and Lows of CSGO in 2020

2020 was nothing less than a roller-coaster trip for the fans of CSGO. Add a bunch of drama, mix it with the ESIC bans, sprinkle a lot of transfer money, and you’ve got the 2020 CSGO sports community in a nutshell. A lot has happened, in simpler terms. Here’s your last CSGO rundown for the year 2020, in case anything escapes your mind.

DIGNITAS RE-ENTERS ARENA CSGO

The year 2020 commenced with the valiant entrance of Dignitas into the CSGO arena by forming a roster that has made many highlights through the years. The sports company turned into a giant by recruiting the likes of Adam “friberg” Friberg, Richard “Xizt” Landstrom, Christopher “GeT RiGhT” Alesund, Patrik “f0rest” Lindberg on its payroll.

The quadruple, which is still treasured for its unforgettable appearance at the ESL Cologne 2014 in Ninjas in the Pyjamas jersey, joined the legendary coach Robin “Fifflaren” Johansson in Dignitas. This was an extraordinary moment for the fans of the CSGO, as the iconic squad would finally grace the tournaments after a long stretch of seven years in NiP.

SUMMIT1G WINS THE AWARD OF ‘WORST PLAY OF THE DECADE’

The popular streamer Jaryd “summit1g” Lazar won an unofficial title for the “worst play of the decade” on Twitter by the ESL production staff member Don Constantin for all the correct reasons. It’s not every day that you see a player losing a round, and finally a tournament dying from his own incendiary grenade.

Summit1g may not have a turbulent history in CSGO as a professional player, but has managed to leave a legacy to the players, now known as 1G. In 2016, his notorious clutch failed against Splyce Esports in DreamHack Austin still haunts the CSGO Train map. Summit may have shifted away from his pro career, but 1G continues to carry on with his legacy.

BAN ON LAN AMID THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC – CSGO

The defining case in 2020 was most definitely COVID-19 and its consequences. The world went online, so did the CSGO tournaments. The hustle and bustle of glamorous tournaments was silenced in the midst of travel restrictions due to global health issues.

The impacts of COVID-19 began to surface when the Polish Government banned on-site participation in the IEM XIV Katowice World Championship. This was a historic occurrence for the fans of CSGO as IEM Katowice.

The switch to the online format was initiated by ESL in April when the LAN Finals of the Pro League Season 11 were cancelled. All the teams played from the comfort of their gaming chairs, with no audience at all. 

Other online competitions included ESL One Cologne, Dreamhack, Flashpoint Season 2, and BLAST Premier Fall Series. The condition of CSGO sports has gone from poor to worse, as no Major has taken place in the year. ESL One: The path to Rio Major fell to the Claws of COVID-19, which was a huge one.

Teams and events were divided into regions to incorporate the online format effectively. The winners were chosen from each region and the finals of the tournaments were held separately in Europe, North America, Asia and Oceania.

VALVE BRINGS IN THE MAJOR REGIONAL RANKING

Esports fans expected the pandemic to culminate by the end of 2020. That is why the preparations for the ESL Rio Major were brewed in full force. One of the major improvements that Valve has made to its key is the modification of the system that the team invites. The developer canceled the invitations and replaced them with the Regional Major Ranking. Teams that score more points in the related activities will play ESL One Rio Major. However, The plans did not carry out too quite well as the 2020 Major was scrapped as COVID-19 gained traction.