Counter-Strike 2 tournament organiser Fragadelphia has announced that it will stream its upcoming LAN competition exclusively on KICK.
Fans can tune in to the event in Philadelphia, Fragadelphia x The Block 2, through the streaming platform from October 2nd to 5th, 2025.
The tournament will feature 48 teams, an expansion from the previously set 32 teams, after team tickets sold out in under three minutes. Teams will not only be competing for a lion’s share of its $10,000 (~£7,371) prize pool, but valuable VRS points ahead of the Budapest Major.
The exclusivity does mean that the event will not be broadcast on YouTube or Twitch, as it has been for previous years, which has invited criticism from fans online.
The Importance of Fragadelphia
Despite being a tier-two event, Fragadelphia has attracted a lot of attention due to its place within the Counter-Strike 2 calendar this year. The offline event is notably taking place just a few days before the cut-off point for the StarLadder Budapest Major in November.
Various teams have eyed Fragadelphia x The Block 2 as the last opportunity to further climb the Valve Regional Standings (VRS) and place within the top 32 to qualify for the Major. This is because of the ‘LAN factor’, increasing the value of victories during offline matches.
As a result, a lot of European teams, like Ninjas in Pyjamas, are willing to journey across the Atlantic Ocean to North America to secure the extra VRS points. The abundance of European teams and a perceived lack of North American representation are what spurred Fragadelphia to expand its number of competitors from 32 to 48 teams.
For many teams, Fragadelphia x The Block 2 is a last-ditch effort to secure a place in the November Budapest Major, an event which boasts a $1.25m (~£924,062) prize pool.
