On November 11, 2026, when the world’s best CS:GO teams meet at the IEM Cologne Major, viewers will witness something that seemed like science fiction just a couple of years ago. In the third stage of the tournament, for the first time in history, the shooter will completely abandon short best-of-one (BO1) series, replacing them with full-length best-of-three (BO3) series, requiring an entire day to be added to the schedule. This significant format change was necessary to implement cutting-edge AI-powered real-time analysis systems that scan every player’s movement, from camera rotation speed to the cost-effectiveness of every weapon purchase. Competitions are transformed into high-tech detective work, where a strategist spots an opponent’s mistake even before the player realizes their own.
Artificial intelligence has long been more than just a mentor for newcomers, but a fully-fledged member of the coaching staff. The specialized GameSkill platform, developed in collaboration with Intel, can analyze screen video feeds in real time, identify weak points in positioning, and provide voice prompts to players. Research conducted in 2025 shows that teams actively using such modules increase their win rates by an average of eight percent per season, which is a colossal advantage at the competitive level. Coaches no longer spend hours manually reviewing footage—the algorithm automatically highlights critical errors and suggests countermeasures based on a global database of millions of matches played.
Alongside the development of analytics, VR and AR are rapidly expanding. Traditional games are finding it increasingly difficult to impress audiences, and mixed reality competitions are entering the arena. In 2025, the organizers of the VALORANT Champions Tour pioneered augmented reality onstage at the Vietnamese tournament, projecting 3D maps and real-world statistics directly in front of spectators and players. The developers of EVA (Esports Virtual Arenas) took things even further, partnering with PICO XR to create free-roaming battle arenas. Now, spectators can put on a headset and virtually stand right over their idol’s shoulder, watching the match from the same vantage point as the athlete. This completely bridges the gap between online and offline viewing.
