All Major Championship winners in CS2 and CS:GO

In Counter-Strike, few achievements carry the same weight as winning a Major Championship. These Valve-sponsored tournaments represent the absolute peak of play, capable of defining a player’s career and cementing an organization’s place in the esports history books.

Since the inaugural CS:GO Major at DreamHack Winter 2013, the series has produced dominant dynasties, incredible underdog runs, and mind-blowing grand finals. Legendary teams like Fnatic and Astralis have lifted multiple trophies, while unexpected champions have proven that reputations count for little once the action begins.

With the competitive scene transitioning to Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) in 2023, a new generation of players and teams has started building its own legacy. Let’s celebrate thousands of heads getting clicked in the name of glory and esports immortality by revisiting all the CS2 and CS:GO Major winners.

On Sept. 27, 2023, Valve launched CS2, and the esports scene officially transitioned to the new title. Roughly half a year later, fans were treated to the first CS2 Major Championship, the PGL Major Copenhagen 2024.

Over time, the Major format has changed significantly. The field expanded from 24 to 32 teams for the BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025, with three Swiss stages followed by an eight-team playoff bracket. Beginning with the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025, the grand final also changed from a best-of-three to a best-of-five.

Importantly, not everyone makes the cut, as teams are typically invited based on their positions in the Valve Regional Standings (VRS), ensuring that only the best of the best have a shot at glory.

You’ll find all the CS2 Major winners, runners-up, grand final scores, and more outlined in the informative table below.

Note: We’ll update this list after every CS2 Major Championship.

Natus Vincere (NAVI) claimed the first-ever CS2 Major Championship trophy on Mar. 31, 2024. Powered by the game sense of IGL Aleksi ‘Aleksib‘ Virolainen and the firepower of Lithuanian rifler Justinas ‘jL‘ Lekavicius, they rose above the noise to silence any doubters.

The NAVI roster proved that they could lift trophies despite the GOAT of CS:GO, Oleksandr ‘s1mple’ Kostyliev, stepping down in Oct. 2023.

In the quarterfinals of the playoffs, NAVI defeated Eternal Fire 2–0 and sent G2 Esports packing with a 2–1 win in the semifinals. After that, a 2–1 win over FaZe Clan in the grand final resulted in NAVI lifting the PGL Copenhagen Major 2024 trophy.

Roster:

At the Shanghai Oriental Sports Center, Team Spirit beat Team Liquid with a 2–0 score in the quarterfinals, and reverse-swept MOUZ in a dramatic 2–1 semifinal clash. 

Team Spirit later crushed the hopes of FaZe Clan in the grand final with a 2–1 score to lift the Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024 trophy.

The unstoppable entry fragger, Danil ‘donk‘ Kryshkovets, was Team Spirit’s spearhead of attack. He was later named HLTV’s 2024 Player of the Year and set a Major performance record with a 1.45 HLTV rating.

Roster:

Following the addition of Estonian rifler Robin ‘ropz‘ Kool, the Team Vitality era was well and truly underway, with Dan ‘apEX’ Madesclaire’s men lifting the BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025 trophy.

In front of a passionate crowd at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas, Team Vitality showcased resilience under pressure and incredible teamwork. They first sent NAVI packing with a relatively clean 2–0 quarterfinal win, and eliminated MOUZ after a 2–1 slugfest in the semifinals. 

In the grand final, The MongolZ drew first blood—but Team Vitality bounced back with vigor in the next two maps, securing a 2–1 victory.

Roster:

When the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 kicked off, Team Vitality were the clear favorites. At the tip of their mighty spear was, once again, the legendary French AWPer, Mathieu ‘ZywOo’ Herbaut.

In front of a huge crowd at the packed MVM Dome in Budapest, apEX’s men decimated The MongolZ in the quarterfinals with a very clean 2–0 score. They went on to defeat Team Spirit 2–0 in the semifinals.

In the grand final, FaZe Clan got on the board first. Just like in Austin, Team Vitality rose to the occasion to win the next three in a row, thereby securing the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 trophy with a 3–1 score.

With the win, Team Vitality became one of only three organizations in history to win back-to-back Majors. 

Roster:

Team Falcons bolstered their superteam roster ahead of IEM Cologne Major 2026 by signing legendary Danish IGL Finn ‘karrigan’ Andersen.

At the Cathedral of Counter-Strike, Team Falcons soared above the rest, eliminating defending Major champions Team Vitality 2–1 in the quarterfinals.

In the semifinals, Team Falcons secured a hard-earned 2–1 win over Team Spirit. Facing FURIA in the grand final, karrigan’s men proved unstoppable, winning 3–0 with all three maps ending in 13–8 scorelines.

While Ilya ‘m0NESY‘ Osipov was named the MVP, attention also fell on Nikola ‘NiKo‘ Kovač, who had long been considered the best rifler never to have won a Major.

Roster:

In total, 19 CS:GO Major Championships were held. That number would have reached 20 had ESL One Rio 2020 not been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Valve first introduced the CS:GO Major Championship tournaments at DreamHack Winter 2013, held Nov. 28–30, 2013, in Jönköping, Sweden. These Valve-sponsored events, in collaboration with top tournament organizers, started with $250,000 prize pools, later increasing to $1 million, peaking at $2 million, and eventually settling on $1.25 million.

To fully understand the scope of CS:GO Majors, let’s take a quick history lesson by learning about the winners, runners-up, grand final scores, and prize pools of each event.

Want to show your friend you’ve got your finger on the pulse of Counter-Strike esports? We’ve got some quickfire facts to share that will make anyone sound like an expert!

From Fnatic winning the inaugural CS:GO Major to Team Falcons lifting the trophy in Cologne, Major Championships have produced some of the most memorable moments in Counter-Strike history.

CS2 has already begun creating new champions, records, and rivalries of its own. As the competitive scene continues to evolve, every upcoming Major will provide another opportunity for players and organizations to achieve esports immortality.