PGL Stockholm Major 2021 Format: What is the new Swiss System seen first in ESL?

 As knockout stages close in, 8 teams left out of 24 vie for the ultimate glory in CS: GO at PGL Stockholm Major 2021. Do the big names and community expectations matter?

Counter strike majors have been the ultimate dream for many a pro player. Even mechanical Gods like s1mple have been unable to clinch a single Major to date. Mechanical God or not, skill and teammates play a big role.

Stockholm Major 2021 is organised by PGL under the strict scrutiny of Valve. Counter-Strike Global Offensive Majors are organised only once a year. This year the event takes place at Avicii Arena, Stockholm.

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Last year, ESL One: Rio 2020 was cancelled due to pandemic concerns. Astralis, the four-time major winners, are out in group stages and everyone was raring for the most important CSGO event of the year.

⭐️Ready, set, GO!

🏆24 teams, 1 dream.

📆Save the date: October 26#PGLMAJOR pic.twitter.com/CYPivGNfQR

— PGL (@pglesports) October 11, 2021

Stockholm Major 2021 Swiss Format Explained.

• The New Challengers Stage: October 26th – 29th, 2021
  • 16 Team Swiss System Format
    • Elimination and Advancement matches are BO3
    • All other matches are BO1
    • The Buchholz system is used to seed matches from Round 3 to 5
  • The top 8 Teams proceed to The New Legends Stage
  • The bottom 8 Teams are eliminated

• The New Legends Stage: October 30th – November 2nd, 2021
  • 16 Team Swiss System Format
    • Elimination and Advancement matches are BO3
    • All other matches are Bo1
    • The Buchholz system is used to seed matches from Round 3 to 5
  • The top 8 Teams proceed to The New Champions Stage
  • The bottom 8 Teams are eliminated

• The New Champions Stage: November 4th – 7th, 2021
  • Single-Elimination bracket
  • All matches are BO3

📅PGL Major Stockholm 2021 – Playoffs Bracket#PGLMAJOR pic.twitter.com/d2YvyOTzev

— PGL (@pglesports) November 2, 2021

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How the seeding process works in Stockholm Major (the next step is applied on tie).

• Challenger Stage

  1. Challenger teams are seeded higher than Contender teams
  2. Teams are ordered by their overall placement from their respective Regional Major Rankings (1st place in a region higher than the 2nd placed teams from all other regions)
  3. Teams are ordered by the strength of their Region
     1. European teams are seeded higher than North American teams
     2. North American teams are seeded higher than CIS teams
     3. CIS teams are seeded higher than teams from South America, Asia and Oceania
     4. Teams from South America, Asia and Oceania are randomly ordered

🌟16-13 for @NIP on Inferno and everything will be concluded on Ancient!

✅@NIP – @CPHFlames 1-1#PGLMAJOR pic.twitter.com/Bki62oV3lk

— PGL (@pglesports) November 2, 2021

• Legends Stage

  1. Legend teams are seeded higher than teams from the Challenger Stage
  • Legend teams
    1. Teams are ordered by their overall placement from their respective Regional Major Rankings (1st place in a region higher than the 2nd placed teams from all other regions)
    2. Teams are ordered by the strength of their Region
       1. European teams are seeded higher than North American teams
       2. North American teams are seeded higher than CIS teams
  • Teams from the Challenger Stage
    1. Teams with a better record in the Challenger Stage are seeded higher (3-0 higher than 3-1)
    2. A team with a higher Buchholz score from the Challenger Stage is seeded higher
    3. A team with a higher seed from the Challenger Stage is seeded higher (Seed #1 from the Challenger Stage higher than Seed #2)

• Champions Stage

  • 1. Teams with a better record in the Legends Stage are seeded higher (3-0 higher than 3-1)
    2. A team with a higher Buchholz score from the Legends Stage is seeded higher
    3. A team with a higher seed from the Legends Stage is seeded higher (Seed #1 from the Legends Stage higher than Seed #2)

Your voices have been heard.
The PGL CSGO Major Stockholm 2021 talent team will be with you inside Avicii Arena.

— Silviu Stroie (@ssilviu) October 8, 2021

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The remaining matches in Stockholm Major.

Knockouts Day 9 (Thursday, November 4)

Knockouts Day 10 (Friday, November 5)

Knockouts Day 11 (Saturday, November 6)

Grand Finals Day 12 (Sunday, November 7)

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Prize pool distribution and tournament circuit points.

The current total prize pool sits at $2 million. Prize money for teams falling in places from 9th to 16th is awarded $17,500. The bottom 8 receive nothing at all.

Tournament circuit points distribution is much harsher. Only the top 8 teams receive any semblance of points for Blast premier. The bottom 16 only receive participation points for Pro Tour.

Prize Pool

You can watch the PGL Stockholm Major 2021 here on Twitch.

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