For over a decade, CS fans have been asking for Counter-Strike 2. Finally, their wish has been granted.
CS2 is officially just a couple of months away. When it releases, CS2 will be a summer smash-hit while also sending a wave of excitement through the eSports world.
At the moment, most people in the CS community are interested to see what the impact of CS2’s release will be in regard to eSports sponsorships and brand partnerships. Will everything stay the same? Or will CS2 attract lots of new sponsorship deals and take the player experience to new heights? The answer is most probably the latter. CS2 is guaranteed to modernize the Counter-Strike brand, attract new players, and ultimately land some big sponsorship deals. Let’s take a closer look at what’s in store.
CS2 Predicted Player Count
When CS2 launches in summer 2023, it’s expected that most of the existing CS: GO players will migrate over. In addition to this, there will also be tons of new players joining at the same time. There’s a lot of hype around CS2 — and many beginners will see it as the perfect stepping stone for them to enter the Counter-Strike world without feeling like they’re way behind all the other players.
Michael “Shroud” Grzesiek – a very popular streamer and former CS: GO pro – sees a very bright future for CS2 after it releases:
“CS2 is in the spot where it could literally take over everything and everyone. It could probably have 5 million players on average.”
5 million might be a little ambitious to start with, as CS: GO currently experiences around 1.5 million players during peak hours. However, if CS2 hits the ball out of the park with its new features and updated maps, there’s no telling how successful the game could truly be. It’s entirely possible that CS2 could capture the imagination of a completely new generation of players and become the Fortnite of the tactical first-person shooter world. One thing is for certain: CS2 will certainly crack 1 million players within the first month. This is great news for the Counter-Strike brand and Valve, as it means the current Counter-Strike eSports scene will grow even bigger.
CS2 and eSports: What Will Happen?
When it comes to eSports, CS: GO is already exceptionally popular.
For example, you have the fan-favorite ESL Pro League. In this league, the best CS teams that money can buy, such as FaZe Clan and Fnatic, compete every season. It’s a lot of fun to watch the ESL matches, and thousands of fans tune in to stream the action on Twitch and YouTube whenever there’s an event being held.
In response to the release of CS2, it’s expected that the ESL Pro League will fully migrate to CS2 and wave bye-bye to CS: GO. At the same time, it’s likely that all Counter-Strike Majors will be CS2-exclusive moving forward. On top of this, there will also probably be the introduction of brand-new CS tournaments and even leagues for some of the best teams to join.
At first, it’ll take a few months for everyone – even the best pro teams – to get used to CS2. This is because there’s new gameplay, in-game features, map updates, and more that’ll need to be adapted to. For sure, the CS eSports circuit will be very interesting as a result of this — and you might even see some shocking results at tournaments as underdog teams beat some of the favorites.
If you want to bet on future CS2 Majors and tournaments, you can. The best way to do this is by creating an account with Thunderpick (an eSports betting site built for gamers by gamers) and follow all of the latest CS2 betting odds. Whenever you want to bet on a CS2 match, you’ll be able to do it within a matter of seconds.
CS2 Sponsorships and Brand Partnerships Possibilities
The potential for new sponsorships and brand partnerships will be endless once CS2 is released.
At this moment in time, the ESL Pro League is currently sponsored by:
- Intel
- DHL
- GamingMalta
- Monster Energy
- U.S. Air Force
There are some big names here — and the names could be about to get a whole lot bigger.
If the reception towards CS2 is one of positivity and excitement, then the hype around the game will be extremely high. As a result, potential new sponsors and brand partners will be clamoring to work with tournament hosts and get their names attached to CS2. This is a win-win for everyone: the more money gets pumped into Counter-Strike leagues, the better the experience for fans.
Let’s not forget that future CS2 Major tournaments – such as PGL CS2 Major Copenhagen 2024, which will be the first-ever CS2 Major – will likely have some big sponsors behind them, too. It’s very easy to see the potential that CS2 has. It could be the catalyst that takes Counter-Strike from a well-known game to a global force, which is why these are such exciting times for CS fans.
A year before the announcement of CS2, league and tournament operator ESL put pen to paper with 14 of the biggest Counter-Strike eSports teams, including Team Vitality, Fnatic, and Astralis. As part of the extended Louvre Agreement, these teams will continue to take part in future CS2 ESL Pro Tour tournaments and receive revenue shares from the events as a result. This provides the CS eSports industry with strong stability moving forward. It’ll also make it much easier to attract future big-name teams to participate in the ESL and its tournaments.
Final Thoughts
In response to the release of CS2, don’t be surprised to see some of the world’s biggest brands throw their hats in the Counter-Strike eSports circle by the end of 2023 if CS2 is a success. Providing that CS2 has a smooth launch, history could be about to take place in the Counter-Strike community as some huge brands and sponsors join the party.
We know you cannot wait for CS2 match betting to be a thing, and we assure you Thunderpick will be there with our signature great odds as soon as the first CS2 tournaments start.
