Esports online crypto betting platform Thunderpick and esports organisation HEROIC have announced the Path to Pros Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) tournament.
The event gives amateur CS2 players the chance to compete with professional athletes and win a share of its $17,500 (~£13,721) total prize pool.
Path to Pros will be divided into two leagues: one for amateurs (FACEIT levels 1-7) and one for experienced players (FACEIT levels 8-10). Running from July 6th until October, the leagues will see bi-weekly matches on Saturdays with 16 qualifiers. Throughout this time, Thunderpick and HEROIC will offer giveaways, including a $550 skin.
In addition to the prize money, players may win the opportunity to participate in a show match against HEROIC’s CS2 roster.
The tournament will culminate in the main event, for which players can qualify by winning their league. The main event will be a professionally produced online tournament at the end of the year, featuring 16 teams. Members of Thunderpick’s influencer roster, such as Jake Lucky and FlickFlops, will also form a team to join the event.
Founded in 2013, Scandinavian esports organisation HEROIC competes in CS2, VALORANT, Dota 2, PUBG Mobile and Fortnite. Its partners include cryptocurrency platform Polkadot, sportswear brand Joma and sim racing hardware brand VRS.
In March, HEROIC exited the Louvre Agreement, the deal which allows organisations to compete in ESL events as partner teams. However, the HEROIC could still participate in IEM Chengdu and the 2024 ESL Pro League seasons.
Esports crypto betting company Thunderpick has worked on several tournaments this year, including the $1m (~£784,044) Thunderpick World Championship CS2 event. Moreover, the platform teamed up with women-focused esports community the*gameHERs to host a range of competitions.
The Path to Pros tournament is not the first time Thunderpick and HEROIC have collaborated. In March, the two organisations signed a multi-year partnership, making Thunderpick the Exclusive Global Betting Sponsor of all HEROIC rosters.
Kelly Sanders, Head of Strategy at Thunderpick, commented on the upcoming CS2 tournament: “We are excited to collaborate with our partners at HEROIC to bring the Thunderpick Path to the Pros tournament to the broader gaming community.
“This event offers an incredible opportunity for CS2 players of all skill levels to compete and have a chance to face off against top-tier teams.”
