Ultimate Gaming Championships launches $1m global CS2 esports tournament

The Ultimate Gaming Championships (UGC) and Global Domination Events (GDE) have unveiled a global Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) esports tournament.

Known as Global Domination: Invasion, the event, open to players across the world, will feature a $1m (~£749,650) prize pool at its LAN finals in August.

According to a release, Global Domination: Invasion is open to ‘individual players and teams of any skill level’. In addition to amateur teams and players being eligible to compete, the event is also open to professional rosters.

Starting June 17th, the event consists of several stages, beginning with online regional matches taking place across the Americas, Europe, and Asia. The best teams from each region will advance to the Territory Finals taking place in July, with $100,000 (~£74,973) up for grabs for each region.

Top teams from each region will earn a paid trip to the Live Championships, taking place at Oklahoma City’s Paycom Center from August 29th to 31st. The season-ending event will see teams from across the world compete for the $1m prize pool.

Interestingly, the grand finals of the event will occur during the BLAST Open Fall 2025, taking place Aug 27th – September 7th.

Aiming to become an esports spectacle, the three-day live finals at the Paycom Center will feature hardware provided by AMD and performances from bands booked by event producer Mammoth Live.

“To all the CS2 players and teams out there who know they have the skills to compete at the highest level, now’s your chance to prove it,” said Matt Jackson, Founder and CEO of UGC.

“To all fans of live esports, come to Paycom Center this August to experience all the excitement and unforgettable moments of competitive gaming at its best, along with three days of amazing live entertainment. It’s going to be absolutely epic.”