Valve has yet again shocked the Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) esports scene by making a massive change to the Valve Regional Standings (VRS) system. In June 2025, there are only going to be multi-regional teams that are constituted by players of other regions, compared to being able to represent players of other regions. The change will facilitate the qualification process for the tournaments and reduce uncertainty until the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025, which will be held between November 24 and December 14, 2025.
Impact on Rankings and CSGO Betting
It can be noted that this adaptation of the VRS model is the aspect that is highly consequential in terms of both the rankings and the invitations of the teams in question, as well as the whole ecosystem at large, such as CSGO betting. As teams have now been connected to one region or the other, both fans and bettors can now expect a better view of the team’s performance through regional strength.
Otherwise, in the past, multi-regional teams would lack uniformity in matchups and seeding in tournaments because they could be in several rankings. This contradiction occasionally affected the betting quotes and predictions, especially in cases where the regional dominance did not correspond to the real team composition. With a clearer structure, the betting markets are now in a better position to appreciate the level of competitiveness.
In situations where a team already contains equal numbers of players representing different regions, the team will automatically be placed in a stronger region. A good example is Team Liquid, a European team that will now be formally counted in the European standings. On the same note, Wildcard, which has two North American and two European players, will now be listed under the European category because it has demonstrated a greater regional presence in recent world performances.
A Shift in Regional Identity
Teams with fewer players from one region than another have previously been permitted to select their regional representation until this point. This flexibility was frequently followed by strategic choice as teams would choose to play in less competitive qualifiers. In having this option taken away, teams now have to play with a brand new ”less friendly” rule whereby one is automatically placed in only one of the regions. Apart from adding the element of fairness, the aspect of competition is also heightened in such a region as Europe, which is very strong and has powerful teams in the mix.
Such a change is also accompanied by transformations in the Valve Major supplemental Rulebook, which was recently revised to better define the process of teams getting into the Major. In that case, teams will be ranked based on their region of assignment and be invited to the qualifiers accordingly, unlike what currently happens, where teams get invited based on arbitrary regional preferences.
Budapest Major: A New Format
This will be the first Major using the new VRS rules in the CS2 StarLadder Budapest Major. On June 12, 2025, Valve revealed that it was canceling the Major Regional Qualifiers(MRQs), which were going to be held to determine Major slots. Rather, they will use the Valve Regional Standings as the only means of choosing the 32 competing ones. This is a radical decision that eliminates more qualifications and puts more stress on maintaining the level of performance throughout the seasons.
This change implies that the stable and high-rated position of VRS will be of the essence to all superior teams. High placements in the Valve-sanctioned tournaments and regular competition will now count more than ever.
