We have bid farewell to 2023, and the last major Counter-Strike 2 tournaments mark the end of an eventful year for the gaming community. It’s time to sum up the results of such an unusual season, divided into two parts by the release of a big update.
In this article, you will learn about the biggest cash prizes that teams have earned at the CS:GO and CS2 championships over the past 12 months.
A Brief Overview of CS:GO Tournaments
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) tournaments serve as the ultimate battleground where teams compete for both glory and financial rewards. These tournaments, organized by various eSports leagues and event organizers, attract millions of viewers from around the world, making them a prime opportunity for teams to showcase their skills and earn substantial prize money.
Profilerr CS, a source that publishes CS2 and esports guides, says that CS:GO tournaments continued to be a driving force behind the financial success of top eSports organizations in 2023. The allure of competing on the big stage, coupled with the potential for lucrative winnings and exposure, motivated teams to train rigorously and strategize meticulously for each event.
But how much do winning teams actually earn, and which Counter-Strike teams earned the most in 2023? Let’s dive in.
Highest-Earning Counter-Strike Teams of 2023
1st place - FaZe Clan ($2.37 million)
- Victories at CS Asia Championships 2023, ESL Pro League S17, Thunderpick World Championship 2023, IEM Sydney 2023
- 2nd places at BLAST Premier: Fall Final 2023 and BLAST Premier: World Final 2023
- 3rd place at IEM Dallas 2023
The European team demonstrated its abilities well this year and also received a million dollars in gold bars for winning the Intel Grand Slam series. FaZe adapted to Counter-Strike 2 better and faster than others – the team won two autumn events and played at the other two in the finals.
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2nd place - Team Vitality ($2.02 million)
- Victories at IEM Rio 2023, Gamers8 2023, BLAST Premier: Fall Final 2023, BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023 and BLAST Premier: World Final 2023
- 2nd place at BLAST Premier: Spring Final 2023
- 3rd place at IEM Cologne 2023
The French club has won five titles this year, including the main one – a triumph at the only major in 2023. After the release of Counter-Strike 2, it seemed that ZyWoo had slowed down a bit, but by BLAST the team had returned to its ultimate form and left even FaZe Clan behind.
3rd place - G2 Esports ($1.10 million)
- Victories at IEM Cologne 2023 and IEM Katowice 2023
- 3 places at Gamers8 2023 and IEM Sydney 2023
Ilya m0NESY Osipov’s team is very far behind the two leaders. This year G2 has only two victories at the Intel Extreme Masters [1], but at other tournaments, the team could not even enter the top 3. The situation has only gotten worse with the release of Counter-Strike 2, so G2 Esports has a lot of work to do before the new season.
4th place - Heroic ($777 thousand)
- Victory at BLAST Premier: Spring Final 2023
- 2nd places at IEM Rio 2023 and IEM Katowice 2023
- 3rd places at BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023, IEM Dallas 2023 and Gamers8 2023
The Danish team started the season very well: the semi-final of the major, won the spring final of BLAST and high places in other events. What else is needed for happiness? However, by the fall, Heroic fell apart from the inside: the departure of captain CadiaN, and intrigues from young players who secretly dreamed of joining Astralis, had a detrimental effect on the team’s play.
5th place - Virtus.pro ($762 thousand)
- Victories at DreamHack Atlanta 2023, CCT Online Finals #2, ESL Challenger Katowice 2023, FiReLEAGUE Battle 2023, and, Roobet Cup 2023
- 2nd places at Dunav Party LAN, Thunderpick World Championship 2023, and BetBoom Dacha
- 3rd place at DreamHack Winter 2023
The best of the Russian teams won five tournaments in a year, but these were far from the most important events with relatively small prize money. However, it is worth paying respect to the hard work of Jame and his partners: they play a lot and at the dawn of CS2 they showed good results, so next year they can fight for trophies at super-tournaments.
6th place - ENCE ($717 thousand)
- Victory at IEM Dallas 2023
- 2nd places at IEM Cologne 2023, ESL Challenger Katowice 2023, and Gamers8 2023
- 3rd places at ESL Pro League S17, ESL Pro League S18, CS Asia Championships 2023 and Elisa Masters Espoo 2023
The European team could have been much higher but realized only one opportunity to win the tournament. This year the team was more only in secondary places. Perhaps for this reason, at the end of the year, ENCE decided to part with the previous roster in the hope that the Polish quartet and the experienced gla1ve would do better.
7th place - Cloud9 ($677 thousand)
- Wins on BetBoom Playlist. Urbanistic and Brazy Party
- 2nd place at ESL Pro League S17
- 3 places at IEM Rio 2023, Thunderpick World Championship 2023, and BLAST Premier: Fall Final 2023
8th place - MOUZ ($586 thousand)
- Victory at ESL Pro League S18
- 2 places at IEM Dallas 2023 and CS Asia Championships 2023
- 3 places on BetBoom Playlist. Urbanistic, Elisa Invitational Spring 2023, IEM Sydney 2023, and BLAST Premier: World Final 2023"
MOUZ in 2023 remained an unnoticed team that can occasionally compete for top places. But more often it remains behind. At the same time, the team wanted to avoid competing in online tournaments and tier-2 championships, so they were only able to earn a modest half a million dollars per season.
9th place - Natus Vincere ($464 thousand)
- 2nd place at ESL Pro League S18
- 3 places at ESL Pro League S17, IEM Rio 2023, BLAST Premier: World Final 2023, and IEM Katowice 2023.
The most unsuccessful season in the history of the Ukrainian club. During the year, the team was unable to win a single tournament and even reached the finals only once.
10th place - Monte ($436 thousand)
- Victories at DreamHack Winter 2023, CCT West Europe Series #2 and #3, CCT Central Europe Series #5
- 2nd places at CCT North Europe Series #7, CCT Central Europe Series #6 and Roobet Cup 2023
- 3rd place at DreamHack Atlanta 2023, ESL Pro League S18, Pinnacle Cup V, Thunderpick World Championship 2023.
The young Ukrainian team looks great against the backdrop of NAVI. Having many times fewer resources, Monte earned almost the same amount.
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Final Thoughts
As of December 2023, Counter-Strike remains hugely popular, with over 750,000 players logging in each month. This is a clear sign of the game’s enduring appeal and bright future. For those looking to reach the heights of the top pro players, the key lies in consistent training and a deep understanding of the game’s mechanics.
Whether you’re aiming to join the ranks of the best teams or simply improve your skills, dedication is key. Spend time honing your abilities, understanding the game’s settings, and working on teamwork. So, keep practicing, keep learning, and who knows? You might just find yourself among the ranks of the game’s elite players someday.