CSPPA makes new deal with TOs around 2020 CSGO player break

The Counter-Strike Professional Player’s Association has rescheduled the 2020 player break, according to a tweet from the association’s official Twitter account. 

The change comes after many tournaments have either been moved from LAN to online, rescheduled completely, or canceled as travel between countries has become increasingly difficult. The player break was first introduced in 2016 to combat the increasing number of Counter-Strike tournaments. Teams and players complained that the non-stop schedule left them with little time to rest or improve, with worldwide travel common.

While the player break has traditionally run from the end of July through the end of August, the CSPPA has negotiated with several of the largest tournament organizers in the space, including ESL, FLASHPOINT, DreamHack, StarLadder, and even Valve itself to reschedule this year’s hiatus. 

2020’s player break will now start on July 6 and run until August 6, effectively moving the period’s normal time forward a month. The most newsworthy aspect of the switch is not that the break was moved, but that it was the tournament organizers who came to the CSPPA to request the change. The CSPPA declined to go into details as to why organizers made the request, but Valve’s new requirement connected to this year’s Major was likely a factor. The CSPPA also said that the player board was instrumental in making the decision.

After the ESL One Rio Major was moved from May to November, Valve announced that teams would have to earn a spot in the competition through Regional Major Rankings. Regional tournaments would be held, with teams awarded points for their placements. These points decide ESL One Rio’s attending teams. Valve additionally announced that it would sponsor the three RMR tournaments to be held in the spring, summer, and fall seasons. Spring’s RMR is already in full swing, but the details around the other two tournaments remain a mystery. 

The change allows for an even distance between all three tournaments, something that wouldn’t have been possible if the player break has kept its annual schedule. The change has also affected the annual winter break, which will move forward several weeks now starting on December 21 and running until January 17, 2021.

Interested in learning more about Valve’s new Regional Major rankings and its tournaments? Read our full breakdown by clicking on the image below.