It appears that the era of sanctioned CS:GO competitive events has officially come to an end.
Earlier this March, Valve fully reintroduced Counter-Strike: Global Offensive to the Steam platform. While users previously had to navigate through the “properties” menu of Counter-Strike 2 to access the legacy client, the game has now been granted its own dedicated store page.
Despite the enduring popularity of this iteration, Valve has reportedly drawn a hard line regarding its professional circuit. When Dust2 inquired about the possibility of hosting future CS:GO tournaments, the company confirmed it would no longer grant the necessary licenses. This decision is particularly striking given that Valve continues to authorize competitive play for even older titles, such as CS 1.6 and Counter-Strike: Source.
Valve declined to offer an official comment to Dust2 regarding the specific motives behind blocking tournament organizers from utilizing the Global Offensive client.
Journalists and industry observers speculate that the move is likely intended to prevent “diluting” the active player base, ensuring that the community remains focused on the growth of Counter-Strike 2.
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Source: iXBT.games