- The PGL Major in Stockholm was in real danger of relocating to a different venue
- That was because of Sweden’s strict anti-COVID-19 measures that prevented the event
- Now Sweden announced an upcoming relief in the COVID restrictions, sparking hope for the PGL event
The PGL Major may take place in Stockholm after all as Sweden vows to lift its restriction on gatherings.
The Hurdles the Major had Faced
Good news for the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive PGL Stockholm Major: Sweden announced its plans to remove the COVID-19 restrictions by late September, meaning the tournament will probably play out as planned.
Sweden is quite an appealing destination for hosting professional esports events. However, the country’s cautious policies on COVID-19 had made it quite difficult for a major esports event to take place in the country. Because of the international nature of competitive video gaming, many people would have had difficulties in getting through the customs.
Thus the PGL Stockholm Major was in danger of getting relocated – something that had already happened with its Dota 2 counterpart, The International 10. There were quite some negotiations taking place as the organizers of the two events tried to set everything in place. In the end, Valve decided to change The International 10’s location to Romania.
Yet, even though PGL also started looking up potential alternatives, it persisted and its persistence may pay off.
Sweden Removes Its Event Restrictions
On September 29 Sweden will be finally entering a post-quarantine stage as most of the remaining COVID protocols will be lifted. People will no longer be encouraged to work from home, public and private gatherings of groups will once again be allowed etc.
Additionally, in mid-August Sweden finally decided to give esports athletes the same travel exemptions as sports athletes – something that wasn’t that way previously and was the first thing that caused The International 10 problems.
Thanks to Sweden toning down the anti-COVID measures, the CS:GO Major has serious prospects of taking place in the country after all. It will now probably move according to plan and will commence on October 23 in the Avicii arena.
Both PGL and Valve were truly keen on finding a way to achieve this because of Sweden’s importance in Counter-Strike history. Now this will be possible to the delight of all Counter-Strike fans worldwide.
