Austin’s Moody Center has positioned itself as the next big thing in arena entertainment — not just in Austin, but in the country. In 2022, it was the highest-grossing arena of its size, according to Billboard; In 2023, the Academy of Country Music named it the Arena of the Year; In 2024, it is Pollstar Arena of the Year. It’s adding another feather to its cap with the arrival of one of the world’s biggest esports event next summer.

Moody Center is hosting Blast.tv Counter-Strike Major 2025 next June. The event is predicted to bring in $40 million, with 50,000 fans expected to attend. Players on teams and participating individually will competing for a $125 million prize pool. This event is the first Counter-Strike Major in seven years, since it was held in Boston.

Although esports — competitive video game-playing, with in-person and streaming audiences depending on the event — are still a relatively niche event category, they are on the rise and represent huge opportunities for catching audience attention. Fans are expected to tune into Counter-Strike 2025 from more than 150 territories, watching in 28 languages.

Even if players are not “athletes” in the traditional sense, they work with complex strategy, quick reaction times, and even physical discipline — how long can the average person sit and focus completely? Austin, famously an F1 city, seems to be getting deeper into fringe kinds of athleticism.

The relatively new Moody Center, opened in April 2022, is still light on popular traditional sports. The calendar does have some interesting departures from the football-basketball-soccer-hockey norm, like bull riding and WWE wrestling.

“We are incredibly excited to bring the BLAST.tv Major to Austin, Texas,” said Blast CEO Robbie Douek in a press release. “The city’s dynamic atmosphere, the cutting-edge Moody Center, and track record of hosting world-leading events provide the perfect setting for what promises to be an unforgettable event. We look forward to showcasing the best of esports to a global audience and making a positive impact on the local community.”

Austin’s prevalence as a growing tech city also makes it an ideal place to show off the event’s tech capabilities, or even just appeal to tech-informed people who are likely to be interested in gaming.

“Austin is the perfect place to showcase the esports industry and the technology at the heart of the competition,” said Mayor Kirk Watson in the release. “We look forward to welcoming teams and fans from all across the globe to Austin.”

The release also shared a quote from Drew Hays, executive director at the Austin Sports Commission, although it did not name the commission’s involvement in bringing the event to fruition: “We’re excited to host Blast.tv Austin Major, Austin’s first arena-based esports competition, which we estimate will bring 10,000+ fans to Moody Center each day. For our city to have such a thriving technology sector and avid esports fanbase, an event like this is long overdue and we’re looking forward to an exciting competition next June.”

More information about the Blast.tv Austin Major, including tickets and dates updates, will be available over time at blast.tv.

AUSTIN, Texas – The U.S. Supreme Court lifted the ban on bump stocks following a case filed by an Austin man.

“It’s amazing to have a case that actually makes it all the way up to the highest court of the land with your name on it, and to come out on top and actually win,” said Michael Cargill, owner of Central Texas Gun Works.

MORE: Austin gun store owner fights Supreme Court over bump stocks

Cargill filed this case after a ban on bump stocks was put in place. A bump stock is a gun accessory that was banned as a result of the 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas. The shooter used the attachment, firing more than 1,000 rounds into the crowd in 11 minutes, killing 60 people.

Cargill made it clear he was sympathetic. However, he says he filed the case after feeling the ban did not follow federal law.

MORE: Supreme Court strikes down Trump-era ban on bump stocks

“My hearts and prayers go out to all the people that lost their lives in Las Vegas, but this is not about that. This is about the fact that, you know, an agency within the federal government, if you want to ban something, didn’t do it the right way,” he said.

Five years of fighting later, the U.S. Supreme Court lifted the ban by a vote of 6 to 3. 

“We know how a bill becomes law. Someone writes a bill; it goes to both houses of Congress, they pass it, the president, you know, signs it and it becomes law. If you want something to become law, you want to change the wording of something, then do it the right way,” he said.

Cargill says he hopes this prevents or deters anything similar from happening again.

Esports are about to hit Austin in a big way.

The University of Texas’ Moody Center is set to host next year’s Blast.TV Counter-Strike Major in June 2025. One of the biggest esports events of the year, teams from around the world will be competing for glory, pride and a $1.25 million prize pool.

“We are incredibly excited to bring the BLAST.tv Major to Austin, Texas. The city’s dynamic atmosphere, the cutting-edge Moody Center and track record of hosting world-leading events provide the perfect setting for what promises to be an unforgettable event,” BLAST CEO Robbie Douek said in a press release. “We look forward to showcasing the best of esports to a global audience and making a positive impact on the local community.”

It’s been seven years since the United States hosted the Counter-Strike Major Championships, with the last one being in Boston. The event is broadcast worldwide, drawing in 50,000+ fans and millions more tuning in from 150+ territories and broadcast in 28 languages. 

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What is Counter-Strike: Global Offensive?

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is a multiplayer first-person shooter video game developed by Hidden Path Entertainment and Valve, and is the fourth game in the Counter-Strike series. The first Major sponsored by Valve was held back in 2013 in Sweden. While there are other tournaments for the game, the Major is considered the most prestigious among esports fans.

“We are thrilled that Austin has been selected to host the BLAST.tv Austin Major, one of the biggest esports events in the world. Austin is the perfect place to showcase the esports industry and the technology at the heart of the competition,” Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said in a press release.