BLAST has announced Monterrey, Mexico as the host for the inaugural BLAST Premier Rivals event, the first tier-one Counter-Strike 2 tournament in Mexico since 2017. Scheduled from April 30 to May 4, 2025, this significant event is expected to boost the local economy by $12.5 million and will feature top global teams competing for a $1 million prize pool.

IEM Katowice 2025 launches on January 29, featuring top Counter-Strike teams vying for a $400,000 prize at Spodek Arena. The event includes a play-in stage and group matches, with finals streamed online.

MOUZ has signed Lotan "Spinx" Giladi, following the unexpected benching of Kamil "siuhy" Szkaradek, but Spinx won't play until after the IEM Katowice due to roster lock rules. In the interim, MOUZ will field 16-year-old Adrian "xelex" Vincze as a stand-in for the tournament beginning January 29, 2025.

The ESL Intel Extreme Masters 2025 will debut in Melbourne from April 21-27, marking a first for the city's fans of Counter-Strike 2. Sixteen teams will vie for $300,000 and BLAST Austin Major points.

Imperial Fe is set to make history as the first women's team to qualify for IEM Katowice, despite a recent loss to NAVI in the BLAST Bounty Spring 2025 Closed Qualifier. Their match achieved record viewership for a female Counter-Strike team, highlighting their rising prominence.

BLAST Premier Bounty Season 1 2025 launched on January 14, attracting record viewership with its new re-seeding format. The Fnatic vs. Team Spirit match drew 271,500 viewers, highlighting the tournament's appeal.

James Banks and Jonatan "Devilwalk" Lundberg have debuted a new podcast, All About Counter-Strike, exploring stories and insights from the CS2 gaming world. The first episode, now on YouTube, delves into the Evelone Cup and new CS2 tech, promising a mix of entertainment and expertise for listeners.

The Falcons triumphed over ENCE with a 2-0 win in the BLAST Bounty Season 1 CS2 tournament opener. Despite standout plays from TeSeS on Train and NiKo on Dust 2, concerns linger over their consistency against top-tier teams.

The Counter-Strike tournament calendar for January 2027 is set for a clash, with both BLAST and PGL scheduling overlapping events. This marks a shift from past cooperative scheduling, signaling a crowded competitive landscape.

Cloud9's Counter-Strike 2 team faces upheaval as all active players have departed, leaving only coach groove and benched player Perfecto. Speculation mounts on potential new signings, but the organization remains silent on its future plans, with a critical five-month window to rebuild before the BLAST Austin Major.

Esports in 2025 is set to shatter records with an increase in million-dollar prize pool tournaments, expanding from six in 2024 to at least 11. Major changes include franchise league eliminations, a new Major format by Valve, and the return of the iconic Train map.

PGL has unveiled its 2025 and 2026 event schedule, beginning with the Cluj-Napoca tournament from February 14-23, offering a $1.25 million prize pool. Plans are also underway for 2027, with the first event set for January 13-25.

ESL Pro League Season 21 will be held in Sweden from March 1-16, 2025, featuring a $400,000 prize pool and 24 teams. FaZe Clan's absence opens doors for competitors like GamerLegion, with matches streamed live on Twitch.

PARIVISION revamps its CS2 lineup for 2025 by adding Dzhami 'Jame' Ali, Aleksandr 'TRAVIS' Timkiv, and Emil 'nota' Moskvitin, with Jame stepping in as the sniper. The team's dynamics shift as they prepare for Jame's debut on January 16, while former teammates and coach reunite from their successful IEM Rio Major 2022 run.

Valve has unexpectedly retired the "Classic Offensive" mod for "Counter-Strike: Global Offensive" from Steam after eight years of development. The team is hopeful this decision could be reversed, as other mods faced similar situations that were resolved positively.

Valve has blocked the Steam release of Counter-Strike: Classic Offensive, a mod to replicate CS 1.6's aesthetics, leaving its developers frustrated and without explanation. Despite passing Steam Greenlight in 2017, the mod's future is uncertain, prompting concerns about Valve's stance on modding projects.

Valve has blocked the release of the Classic Offensive mod for CS:GO on Steam, frustrating developers after eight years of work. Despite initial approval and guidance from Valve, the team faces a communication breakdown and must now seek further clarification.

Counter-Strike 2, using the Source 2 engine, is revitalizing the classic FPS genre with improved graphics and gameplay, becoming a top title on Steam since its 2023 release. Valve's recent update on January 10, 2025, fixed a humorous ragdoll glitch and reintroduced the classic map Train, emphasizing their commitment to community feedback and competitive gaming.

Team Spirit triumphs at the Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024, but NAVI leads the year in viewership with 64.85 million hours watched. G2 Esports follows closely, leveraging a diverse roster and social media.