MLG's first Counter-Strike: Global Offensive tournament set for X Games Aspen

MLG has announced that its first Counter-Strike: Global Offensive tournament will take place at X Games Aspen, which will also mark the first appearance of videogames at the event. The top eight CS:GO teams from North America and Europe, determined through online qualifiers, will compete in the tournament, which will be broadcast online on MLG.tv, with highlights aired during X Games television broadcasts on ESPN and ABC.

"2014 was a breakout year for eSports with the first ever MLG tournament at X Games Austin, millions watching competition on MLG.tv, and more than 71 million people competing in or watching eSports events around the globe," MLG co-founder and CEO Sundance DiGiovanni said in a statement. "Our X Games debut was such a success we knew we had to continue the tradition. The MLG X Games Aspen Invitational will further elevate eSports placing our top competitors amongst the best winter athletes in the world."

MLG's X Games Aspen Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Invitational will begin on January 23 and run through to its gold medal finale on January 25. X Games attendees who want to watch the action live will require a "premium pass," purchasable from the MLG Store for $100, which includes reserved seating, a behind-the-scenes tour, a gift bag of MLG merchandise, and more.

Preceding MLG's event is the Dreamhack Winter 2014 event, which kicks off on November 27.

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.