Esports lovers gather: Budapest to host Counter-Strike Major in billion-forint esports surge

Esports tournament organiser StarLadder will host a Counter-Strike 2 Major in Budapest, officials announced in the capital on Wednesday.

Zsolt Nyitrai, an adviser to the prime minister, said the announcement of the major, to culminate in a four-day playoff stage inside Budapest’s MVM Dome, was “a big step forward” for Hungary in the area of esports and a “fantastic opportunity” to raise the country’s global profile.

The event, with a USD 1.25 million prize pool, will run from 24 November to 14 December, finishing at MVM Dome on 11-14 December. It is expected to draw around 40,000 tourists who will spend between EUR 65 and EUR 220 a day in Budapest.

Dániel Hodozsán, in charge of operations at Esport1, StarLadder‘s Hungarian partner, said annual spending on esports in Hungary was rising “dynamically” and stood at HUF 70bn at present.