ELEAGUE‬, ‪Major‬, ‪Counter-Strike: Global Offensive‬, ‪Virtus.pro‬‬

The Top 10 'Counter-Strike: Global Offensive' Esports Teams Won A Total Of $7.7 Million In 2016

Luminosity entered the year ready to prove themselves to CS:GO’s titans and did so in only half a year. The all-Brazilian squad won 98% of the organization’s total prize money before departing for SK Gaming in July. Half-a-million came from the team’s first Major title at MLG Major Championship: Columbus. $983,573.97

The Polish fan-favorites took home the top prize of $400,000 in Turner’s inaugural season of ELEAGUE. Despite losing to Team EnVyUs during Group Stages, Virtus.pro managed to climb back into contention through the Last Chance Bracket. The team dominated from then on, sweeping all three rounds of the playoffs. $928,900.

Luminosity’s Brazilian squad joined SK Gaming in July and picked up where they left off, taking the top prize of $500,000 in their debut at ESL One: Cologne. Though unable to win another title, a few top four finishes helped them close out the year with $1.8 million in total winnings between Luminosity and SK. $928,000

The former Team SoloMid roster formed the player-owned Astralis in 2016. It struggled early, but after adding Lukas “gla1ve” Rossander, the team found its way in December with a runner-up performance at ELEAGUE Season 2 and a $250,000 first place finish at the Esports Championship Series Season 2 Finals. $797,868.42.

Known for its legendary Call of Duty team, OpTic took the plunge intoCS:GO in 2016 by signing the former Conquest roster. The North American club spent the year pruning its starting lineup, finally making waves in December by winning the top prize of $400,000 at ELEAGUE Season 2 and second at ECS Season 2. $789,500.

In August, Natus Vincere added one of CS:GO’s brightest stars in Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev. Despite a spotty fall, Na’Vi managed to finish first at ESL One: New York in October. Their single biggest prize of $150,000 came earlier in the year with a second place finish at MLG Major Championship: Columbus. $721,500.

The veteran Swedes with stand-in Mikail “Maikelele” Bill took home $130,000 in September at StarLadder i-League StarSeries Season 2, but for $2,000 less and with the injured Jacob “pyth” Mourujärvi back in the lineup, NiP’s most momentous win came in November, taking out SK Gaming at Intel Extreme Masters XI. $688,250.

Closing out its dominant 2015 without Markus “pronax” Wallsten, Fnatic played through 2016 with an erratic roster – Olof “olofmeister” Kajbjer out with an injury, players leaving for pronax’s GODSENT. Still, it managed to nab $140,000 for second at ELEAGUE Season 1 and took first at Intel Extreme Masters X. $656,530.04.

Putting together respectable performances throughout 2016, Dignitas shocked Moscow in October by thrashing Virtus.pro in the EPICENTER finals, taking home $250,000. Following its purchase by the Philadelphia 76ers, Dignitas released its Danish squad, who quickly signed with the F.C. Copenhagen-owned, North. $654,293.39.

G2 Esports opened the year by selling its roster to FaZe Clan and signing a new squad featuring Richard “shox” Papillon and Adil “ScreaM” Benrlitom. The move paid off in June with a first place prize of $250,000 at Esports Championship Series Season 1 in June, but the back half of the year was less stellar. $588,962.20.