The MERKUR MASTERS® are the largest national tournament of the well-known e-sports title "Counter-Strike: Global Offensive" (CS: GO) with a total prize money of 100,000 euros in the first year. The first season started at the beginning of the year and ended after the qualifying games with an exciting final in May, in which the top favorite and world number one "BIG" ultimately prevailed as the strongest German team 2-0 against Alternate aTTaX. Well deserved, they took the German CS: GO crown home with them and secured € 20,000 in prize money for first place. The runner-up Alternate aTTaX defeated another German top team with Sprout in the semifinals.

"Together with our partner Skillshot from Osnabrück, the Gauselmann Group has succeeded in introducing a new, groundbreaking CS: GO tournament format that sets new standards. The open qualification system in particular enables young talents aged 18 and up to compete against the largest German teams. After the success of the first season, we have further optimized our concept and are looking forward to the international Warmup Cups and the second season of MERKUR MASTERS®,” says Nils Rullkötter, Senior Manager at the Board of Management for Marketing, Communication and Politics of the Gauselmann Group.

Since the first season already attracted international attention via streamers, there will be two international cups before the actual start of the second season of MERKUR MASTERS® as a warm-up on Sunday, July 19 and 26, 2020. The prize money of 1,000 euros will be divided between the four best teams after the two cups. For the first time we are going on international territory with the Merkur Masters, we are excited to see how it will be received by the players, ”concluded Rullkötter.

The second season of MERKUR MASTERS® starts with a kickoff event on Sunday, August 2nd, 2020. The first qualification rounds will follow on August 9th, 2020. Again, the winners of the tournament series are waving the German CS: GO crown and around 50,000 euros in prize money.