CSGO Stockholm Major production is a major problem

The biggest prize pool in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive history is no guarantee for smooth production.

The first day of the Stockholm Major should be remembered for its multiple clutch upsets won over Astralis. But for many fans, the opening round of the Challengers stage was difficult to even watch. The best-of-ones were constantly marked by production issues including audio cuts, sudden delays, and even disconnects. In the most extreme cases, entire pistol rounds were cut from the broadcast. What’s behind all this troubles?

PGL has not issued any statements regarding the stream mishaps, but there are probably multiple contributing factors. In some cases, the observer PC would suddenly disconnect from the LAN server. This could be due to a GOTV bug or network instability. In other case, the game would freeze at the buy round for no apparent reason. These could be technical pauses initiated by either the teams or by the production staff. No reasons have been given.

Stockholm Major production stream freezing, cutting audio 

The most common issues across the first day of the Stockholm CSGO major were audio cuts and disconnects. Either the commentary booth and game audio would suddenly disappear, or the observing computer would disconnect from the server entirely. This resulted in entire rounds being played off stream.

Sudden match delays have also become a regular part of PGL Major Stockholm. The countdown timers will suddenly be replaced with longer wait times with no explanation given. The return to in-person events can make it difficult to time things just right, especially when health concerns are involved. Still, it’s frustrating for fans to deal with.

In some cases, the commentary desk bears the brunt of unexpected delays. Several casters have had to switch from commentating an exciting CSGO match to suddenly filling for time. It’s not their fault, but they’re doing their best to keep the crowd entertained.

Other small touches have also harmed the viewing experience. Every player’s profile picture has been replaced with the PGL logo, which makes it more difficult to see the situation at a glance. Not a smart move for a tournament with nearly every recognizable CSGO player in the world.

PGL will continue to make improvements to the Stockholm Major production as the event goes on. Hopefully, that includes normal profile pictures.