MLG Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Major Championship: Columbus, also referred to as MLG Columbus 2016, was the eighth Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Major Championship held by Major League Gaming (MLG) throughout March 29 to April 3, 2016, in the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, United States. It was the first CS:GO Major in North America as well as the first run by Major League Gaming, who previously ran an exhibition CS:GO tournament at X Games Aspen 2015. It was also the very first CS:GO major in which ESL or DreamHack was not the organizer. It was announced on February 23, 2016, that MLG Columbus 2016 would be the first Counter-Strike tournament with a $1,000,000 prize pool.
The playoffs had eight teams. Astralis, Fnatic, Luminosity Gaming, Natus Vincere, Ninjas in Pyjamas, and Virtus.pro were returning Legends. Counter Logic Gaming and Team Liquid were new Legends as FaZe Clan and Team EnVyUs had their Legends status taken away after failing to make the top eight. In the grand finals, Luminosity Gaming, which defeated Virtus.pro and Team Liquid, faced off against Natus Vincere, which defeated Ninjas in Pyjamas and Astralis. Luminosity Gaming won 2–0 as the underdog for its first major title and fifty percent of the $1,000,000 prize pool; in addition, it became the first non-European team to win a major title.
Format The top eight finishers at DreamHack Open Cluj-Napoca 2015 ("Legends") received direct invitations to Columbus. In addition, eight other teams ("Challengers") emerged from the MLG Columbus 2016 Main Qualifier.
Teams were split up into four groups, and all group matches were best-of-ones with the exception of the final decider match, deciding the last playoff spot. The highest seed would play the lowest seed in each group and the second and third seeds would play against each other. The winner of those two matches would play each other to determine which team moved on to the playoff stage, while the losers of the first round of matches also played. The loser of the lower match was then eliminated from the tournament. With one team advanced and one eliminated, the two remaining teams would play a best-of-three elimination match for the second playoff spot. This format is known as the GSL format, named for the Global StarCraft II League.
The playoffs bracket consisted of eight teams, two from each group. All of these matches were best-of-three, single elimination. Teams advanced in the bracket until a winner was decided.
Map pool The seven-map pool did not change from Cluj-Napoca 2015. Before each best-of-one match in the group stage, teams alternated banning maps until five maps had been banned. One of the two remaining maps was randomly selected, and the team that that did not get a third ban then selected which side it wanted to start on. In all best-of-three series, each team first banned a map, leaving a five-map pool. Each team then chose a map, with the opposing team selecting which side they wanted to start on for their opponent's map choice. The two map picks were the first two maps in the best-of-three. If the series were to require a third map, the map was randomly selected from the three remaining maps.
Maps
Cache Cobblestone Dust II Inferno Mirage Overpass Train
Main Qualifier Regional qualifiers There were four regional qualifiers and two last chance qualifiers. The top four teams from each qualifier are shown.
The top team from the Americas, Europe, and CIS qualifiers advanced to the main qualifier and the second to fourth place teams played in their respective Last Chance Qualifiers. The top two Asian teams, which played and Intel Extreme Masters Season X Taipei, advanced to the main qualifier. One team from the Americas Last Chance and two teams from the Europe Last Chance will move on to the main qualifier. There was no Last Chance Qualifier for the Asia region.
The main regional qualifiers were played on LAN while the last chance qualifiers were played online.
Americas Minor Two teams were invited while another six qualified in the North American qualifier. However, compLexity Gaming could not get a full roster in time, so the team was forced to drop out and the event ran with seven teams. The winner of the Americas Minor would earn a spot in the major qualifier while the three teams that made the bracket stage earned spots in the Americas Last Chance qualifier.
Teams
compLexity Gaming (Invited) OpTic Gaming (Invited) Enemy (NA Qualifier) EZG eSports (NA Qualifier) Leader-1 eSports (NA Qualifier) Obey Alliance (NA Qualifier) Splyce (NA Qualifier) Winterfox (NA Qualifier)
Asia Minor The Asia qualifier took place at Intel Extreme Masters Season X – Taipei in Taiwan. Two teams were invited and six other teams qualified from their respective regions. TyLoo was disqualified from the event just hours before the tournament was about to start as one of its players, Quanqing "qz" Wu, was found to have been banned for cheating three years prior, which induces an automatic and permanent ban from all Valve-sponsored events. Two teams would earn spots in the major qualifier.
Teams
CyberZen (Invited) Renegades (Invited) Chiefs eSports Club (Oceania) Eat You Alive (Taiwan) MVP Karnal (Southeast Asia) Risky Gaming (India+West Asia) The MongolZ (East Asia) TyLoo (China)
CIS Minor The CIS qualifier had three teams invited, four teams from a closed qualifier, and one team from a Last Chance qualifier. One team would earn a spot in the major qualifier while the other three teams that made the bracket stage would earn spots in the CIS and Europe Last Chance qualifier.
Teams
Arcade eSports (Invited) Method (Invited) Rebels (Invited) Binary Dragons (Closed Qualifier) eXplosive (Closed Qualifier) Gambit Gaming (Closed Qualifier) FLuffy Gangsters (Closed Qualifier) Team Quest (Last Chance)
Europe Minor The European qualifier eight teams. Four qualifiers to the European qualifier were held and two teams from each qualified for a chance at the major. One team would earn a spot in the major qualifier while the other three teams that made the bracket stage would earn spots in the CIS and Europe Last Chance qualifier.
Teams
Cringe Gods (Qualifier #1) Team LDLC.com White (Qualifier #1) E-Frag.net Esports Club (Qualifier #2) PENTA Sports (Qualifier #2) DenDD (Qualifier #3) Lemondogs (Qualifier #3) HellRaisers (Qualifier #4) PixelFire Gaming (Qualifier #4)
Americas Last Chance Qualifier In this Last Chance Qualifier, four teams were invited and the three runners-up from the American qualifier were invited. Only one team would earn a spot in the major qualifier.
Teams
Games Academy (Invited) NRG eSports (Invited) Team SoloMid (Invited) Torqued (Invited) Splyce (Americas #2) OpTic Gaming (Americas #3–4) Winterfox (Americas #3–4)
Europe and CIS Last Chance Qualifier Five teams were invited to the Europe and CIS Last Chance Qualifier and the three runners-up from both the Europe and CIS qualifiers were invited. Two teams would earn spots in the major qualifier.
Teams
ENCE eSports (Invited) Lounge Gaming (Invited) SK Gaming (Invited) Team Ancient (Invited) Team YP (Invited) E-Frag.net Esports Club (Europe #2) PENTA Sports (Europe #3–4) PixelFire Gaming (Europe 3–4) Team Empire (CIS #2) Arcade eSports (CIS #3–4) Method (CIS 3–4)
Major qualifier Like the previous majors, there will be a major qualifier and regional qualifiers. The bottom eight teams from DreamHack Open Cluj-Napoca 2015 received automatic bids to the main qualifier. The other eight teams came from various qualifiers.
Teams were divided into four groups and the top two from each group made it to the major.
DH Cluj-Napoca 2015 Bottom 8
Cloud9 mousesports G2 Esports Counter Logic Gaming Vexed Gaming FlipSid3 Tactics Team Liquid Team Dignitas Regional Qualifiers
Selfless Gaming (Americas Minor #1) Splyce (Americas Minor #2) Gambit Gaming (CIS Minor #1) Renegades (IEM Tapei #2) HellRaisers (Europe Minor #1) Tempo Storm (Americas Last Chance) Team YP (Europe Last Chance) SK Gaming (Europe Last Chance)
Qualifier results Group A PosTeamWLRFRARDPts 1 G2 Esports 2 0 32 27 +5 6 2 FlipSid3 Tactics 2 1 62 39 +23 6 3 Tempo Storm 1 2 39 52 −13 3 4 Selfless Gaming 0 2 17 32 −15 0
Group A Results FlipSid3 Tactics 16 13 Selfless Gaming G2 Esports 16 13 Tempo Storm Selfless Gaming 4 16 Tempo Storm FlipSid3 Tactics 14 16 G2 Esports FlipSid3 Tactics 2 0 Tempo Storm
Group B PosTeamWLRFRARDPts 1 mousesports 2 0 35 16 +19 6 2 Team Liquid 2 1 75 58 +17 6 3 HellRaisers 1 2 71 78 −7 3 4 Team YP 0 2 3 32 −29 0
Group B Results Team Liquid 20 22 HellRaisers mousesports 16 1 Team YP Team Liquid 16 2 Team YP mousesports 19 15 HellRaisers HellRaisers 1 2 Team Liquid
Group C PosTeamWLRFRARDPts 1 Splyce 2 0 32 21 +11 6 2 Counter Logic Gaming 2 1 65 71 −6 6 3 Vexed Gaming 1 2 65 61 +4 3 4 SK Gaming 0 2 23 32 −9 0
Group C Results Vexed Gaming 16 10 SK Gaming Counter Logic Gaming 14 16 Splyce Counter Logic Gaming 16 13 SK Gaming Vexed Gaming 7 16 Splyce Vexed Gaming 1 2 Counter Logic Gaming
Group D PosTeamWLRFRARDPts 1 Gambit Gaming 2 0 32 20 +12 6 2 Cloud9 2 1 60 59 +1 6 3 Renegades 1 2 57 60 −3 3 4 Team Dignitas 0 2 22 32 −10 0
Group D Results Team Dignitas 9 16 Renegades Cloud9 9 16 Gambit Gaming Cloud9 16 13 Team Dignitas Gambit Gaming 16 11 Renegades Renegades 0 2 Cloud9
Broadcast talent Stage Hosts Paul "ReDeYe" Chaloner
Desk Host Scott "SirScoots" Smith
Interviewer Chris Puckett
Analysts Robin "Fifflaren" Johansson Richard Lewis Jason "moses" O'Toole Janko "YNk" Paunović Duncan "Thorin" Shields
Commentators James Bardolph Anders Blume Henry "HenryG" Greer Daniel "ddk" Kapadia Auguste "Semmler" Massonnat Matthew "Sadokist" Trivett Björn "THREAT" Pers (Guest Commentator for Team Liquid vs Luminosity Gaming)
Observers Heather "sapphiRe" Garozzo Kevin "kVIN_S" Swift
Broadcasts All streams were broadcast on Twitch in various languages.
MLG 99Damage Alien-h Casting BRMA TV CNONE GEC TV GPlayTV HitpointCZ Hungarian Esport TV IzakOOO OGamingTV Starladder striimIT TGPL
Teams Legends
Team EnVyUs Natus Vincere FaZe Clan Ninjas in Pyjamas Astralis Virtus.pro Fnatic Luminosity GamingQualifiers
Counter Logic Gaming mousesports Cloud9 Splyce FlipSid3 Tactics Team Liquid Gambit Gaming G2 Esports
Pre-Major ranking The HLTV.org March 28, 2016 ranking, the final one released before MLG Columbus 2016, is displayed below.
World Ranking Place Team Points Move† 1 Fnatic 1000 2 Natus Vincere 667 3 Astralis 640 4 Luminosity Gaming 517 5 Team EnVyUs 339 6 Virtus.pro 259 8 G2 Esports 207 9 Ninjas in Pyjamas 196 1 10 mousesports 183 1 11 FaZe Clan 154 12 Cloud9 139 1 14 Counter Logic Gaming 124 16 FlipSid3 Tactics 93 1 18 Team Liquid 86 2 22 Gambit Gaming 59 1 27 Splyce 45 1 †Change since March 21, 2016 ranking
Group stage The four groups were announced through MLG's social media accounts on March 10–11, 2016. Each group was seeded to contain a team who placed 1st–4th at DreamHack Open Cluj-Napoca 2015, a team who placed 5–8th at DreamHack Open Cluj–Napoca 2015, a team who went undefeated in the offline qualifiers, and a team who won one of the final decider matches in the offline qualifiers.
Group A PosTeamWLRFRARDPts 1 Luminosity Gaming 2 0 32 18 +14 2 2 Ninjas in Pyjamas 2 1 68 83 +5 2 3 mousesports 1 2 74 88 −14 1 4 FlipSid3 Tactics 0 2 45 50 −5 0
Group A matches Ninjas in Pyjamas 1 0 FlipSid3 Tactics Luminosity Gaming 1 0 mousesports mousesports 1 0 FlipSid3 Tactics Ninjas in Pyjamas 0 1 Luminosity Gaming Ninjas in Pyjamas 2 1 mousesports