We Need a New ‘American Open’ Counter-Strike Tournament
When esports observers are seeking to bask in the glory of the scene’s success, many point back to the basement of the Hyatt in Dallas, Texas. What does a hotel basement have to do with the history of esports? Well, quite a bit actually. The ballroom in the Hyatt basement was where the CPL (“Cyberathlete Professional League”) held ground breaking events which virtually gave birth to esports in the Western world. The tournaments paled in comparison to the massive stadium events of today. Spectators stood behind flimsy rope barriers and peered over shoulders to catch a glimpse of CRT greatness. Tiny sponsor booths dotted the periphery and huge “BYOC” areas were full of sweaty gamers living on Jolt and nicotine. The only live coverage was online radio “shoutcasting” from the Team Sportscast Network (“TsN”). The day Counter-Strike hit 30,000 concurrent viewers in HLTV (the in-game spectator client) we were sure we had arrived. Eventually, as esports continued to grow, we left behind the Hyatt basement for bigger and better things. It’s hard to argue that we’ve not gone the right direction. Everything is improved. There’s no reason to go back.
Or is there? I’d like to argue that we should go back; at least in some ways. I strongly believe there is room in today’s busy CS:GO world for an open LAN tournament in America. Yes, I’m aware CS:GO is the most over saturated game in the history of esports. It’s so over saturated it’s nearly losing its soul. That’s exactly why I think we need to make room for an open tournament. In the CPL style of open tournament, top teams are seeded and don’t play until the higher seeds and open qualifiers are sorted out. Any team, regardless of skill, reputation or fan base, can enter the open tournament and take their shot at esports fame and glory. These events have a BYOC where average gamers can show up and connect to the network for a small fee. The CPL style is not only the root of Western FPS, but I believe it’s something we’re sorely lacking today. Below are just a few reasons why.
Aspirational Gaming & The Underdog
One of the beautiful things about esports is you don’t have to be 6’7” tall or 260lbs to be the best. Unlike traditional analogue sports, our new digital version is highly aspirational. Work hard enough and you never know. Many legendary tales of esports lore arose when completely unknown underdogs were given the chance to play against the odds. Unheard of champions clawed their way to greatness. Gaming kingdoms were toppled and you just never knew what “nobody” would shock the world out of the open bracket. A little organization named compLexity rose to prominence because of this format. Would we have seen “compLexity: Redemption” in today’s Counter-Strike format? I don’t think so. The American Open would draw hungry gamers from around the world. We’d discover new stars and make new memories. We’d put some soul back into our beloved game.
Community
To many gamers, the greatest part of an open tournament with a BYOC is the real community it fosters. The world’s top pro players mingle with the kid next door. You don’t watch them from row 46 of a stadium. They’re walking the floor and giving fans high fives. German stars share coffee with Canadian journalists. Swedish players meet Bubba from Pensacola. Americans lament over the iBP bans. People you only know by their gamer handles become “IRL” friends and you get to enjoy the scene you love with hoards of diehards who feel the same way. The BYOC area is buzzing with every kind of game and nerd culture rules as the neon monster machines buzz into the early hours. Stadium finals are fantastic, but bringing your high school buddies to challenge other teams face-to-face creates a community that is the heart of what we’re all doing here. The CPL style open event is a mixture of esports tournament and gaming festival. Dreamhack Sweden is the closest thing we have left of that culture. The U.S. needs a gaming ‘Woodstock’ to revitalize and strengthen the Counter-Strike community. America needs its own Open.
Fresh Faces and New Story Lines
The current tournament format does a good job of showcasing premier teams, but generally speaking we’re watching the same ~ 50 gamers every event. The American Open would expose many more players to the scene. Fresh faces are sure to emerge and this is important to a healthy ecosystem. Not only is an open event aspirational (as previously discussed) but it pumps new life into a scene that can become stale. Focusing on superstar stories is a proven formula for professional sports, but those sports typically have better feeder systems than we do (colleges, minor league teams, etc). An event that delivers new story lines and fresh faces would only be beneficial to the lifespan of CS:GO. I promise you there are some superstar players that haven’t had the chance to prove it yet. The American Open would be that chance.
Healthy Sponsor Ecosystem
Another perk of having a large CPL style event is the fact you can allow multiple sponsors to rent booths, even if they are promoting competing products. At large stadium events only the richest companies can buy booth and banner space. There are dozens of really interesting small companies who cater to our space but they simply get drowned out in today’s event structure. At the American Open, there could potentially be dozens of sponsor booths where upstart brands can connect directly with our demographic. This, in turn, spurns competition and drives innovation, once again keeping the CS:GO community fresh and interesting.
I know today’s esports scene is bigger and better. I wouldn’t go back to the Hyatt basement for every type of event. I appreciate the stadiums and the professionalism. I love the fact NBA teams are now employing professional gamers. It’s not that I want to go backwards. Perhaps I’m just a sentimental old fool, but I think having an American Open event is important. I believe it’s a battle for the soul of Counter-Strike and to me that’s a battle worth waging. Thanks for reading.
