The European Regional Major Ranking (RMR) B tournament for the Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024 made history by achieving the highest viewership ever recorded in an RMR event. This milestone is particularly significant as it’s likely the final chapter of the RMR format, which is expected to be discontinued after 2024.
The tournament brought several exciting narratives to the forefront. 3DMAX, a team absent from major tournaments since 2015, secured a spot in the Shanghai Major. Similarly, the Ukrainian squad Passion UA qualified for its first-ever Valve major, adding to the event’s compelling storylines.
Viewership peaked
Viewership peaked at an impressive 531,900 concurrent viewers, driven by high-stakes matches like Eternal Fire versus Astralis and G2 Esports versus Team Spirit. The G2 vs. Team Spirit match became particularly notable, ranking fourth in overall RMR tournament match popularity.
Language-specific broadcasts saw significant engagement. Russian-language streams experienced a 26.5% increase in viewership compared to the previous European RMR A, while English-language streams grew by 18.7%. The English-speaking audience was especially active during G2 Esports matches, amid rumors of potential roster changes.
The tournament underscored Europe’s continued dominance in professional Counter-Strike, with consistently strong audience numbers. In contrast, viewership in American and Asian regions remains more unpredictable, often dependent on specific team matchups or player popularity.
Looking back at the RMR format’s history, the 2022 Road to Rio tournaments represent a peak, accumulating over 4.2 million watch hours. The series preceding the BLAST.tv Paris Major and PGL Major Copenhagen were also remarkably successful, each generating around 22.3 million watch hours.
Natus Vincere emerged as the most popular team, averaging 164,700 viewers and accounting for approximately 10% of total RMR tournament viewership. The tournament also highlighted the growing importance of community casters, with channels like ohnePixel seeing a significant surge in viewership—from 5-6K average viewers in 2022 to 30K in 2024.
As the RMR format potentially approaches its conclusion, this tournament serves as a testament to the evolving landscape of competitive Counter-Strike esports, showcasing the passionate global audience and the dynamic nature of professional gaming.
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