ELEAGUE Major 2017

The tenth CS:GO Major and the first with a Swiss-system group stage, won by Astralis.

The ELEAGUE Major 2017, also called ELEAGUE Major: Atlanta 2017, was the tenth Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Major Championship, held in Atlanta from January 22 to 29, 2017, with a $1,000,000 prize pool. Astralis beat Virtus.pro in a three-map final for its first Major title.

Quick Facts

Sport: Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
Location: Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Start date: January 22, 2017
End date: January 29, 2017
Administrator: Valve; ELEAGUE
Venue: Fox Theatre
Teams: 16 teams
Purse: $1,000,000 USD

Facts from the source article.

Background

Eight Legends from ESL One Cologne 2016 were joined by eight Challengers from the ELEAGUE offline qualifier, a sixteen-team Swiss tournament of best-of-ones in which teams played until they had three wins or three losses. Two-time defending champion SK Gaming, winners of MLG Columbus 2016 as Luminosity and of Cologne 2016, was chasing an unprecedented third straight title, while Fnatic held the record with three Majors. Unlike previous Majors, which used the GSL format for their group stages, this Major was the first to use the Swiss system for its group stage, with the top eight teams advancing to the playoffs.

Astralis, Fnatic, Gambit, Natus Vincere, SK Gaming and Virtus.pro kept Legends status and FaZe Clan and North joined them, replacing FlipSid3 Tactics and Team Liquid. North was the former Team Dignitas roster, which had parted ways with Dignitas and the Philadelphia 76ers after the qualifier and been signed by the football club F.C. Copenhagen and Nordisk Film. Astralis reached its first final after nine playoff appearances by beating Natus Vincere and Fnatic; Virtus.pro, Major winners at EMS One Katowice 2014, beat North and SK.

Virtus.pro took Nuke 16-12, Astralis won the last three rounds of Overpass to take it 16-14, and on Train, long one of the Polish side's best maps, Astralis came from behind to win 16-14 in the final round of regulation. Kjaerbye had 29 kills on the decider and became the youngest Major MVP. ELEAGUE staged a televised Clash for Cash rematch on June 16, 2017, which Astralis also won.

Did You Know?

Atlanta 2017 was the first Major to use a Swiss-system group stage.
Astralis had been knocked out in five quarterfinals and four semifinals before reaching its first Major final here.