Valve, the creator of the popular FPS game franchise Counter-Strike, has announced a comprehensive set of new rules for hosting competitive CS2 events, set to take effect in 2025. These changes aim to streamline the CS2 esports ecosystem and ensure a fair and open competitive environment.

 

Key Changes in the New Rulebook

Team Invitations and Event Announcements

The new rules introduce significant changes in the number of teams directly invited to events and enforce strict deadlines for tournament organizers to announce their events. These adjustments are designed to provide more transparency and structure within the CS2 competitive scene.

Ranked vs. Unranked Events

Valve has clarified that all CS2 events will be categorized as either ranked or unranked:

  • Ranked Events: These contribute to Valve’s official rankings, which lead to Major invitations.
  • Unranked Events: These have a prize pool cap, with total compensation not exceeding $100,000 per event and $250,000 per year for multiple events hosted by the same company.

 

Official Tier Definitions

For the first time, Valve has formally defined event tiers, which categorize tournaments based on their prize pools and size:

  • Tier 1 Events: Must invite teams from the top rankings of the Valve Regional Standings, ensuring at least 16 teams compete, with eight advancing to the main event. Additionally, organizers must invite 1.5 times the number of teams that will participate in the main event.
  • Wildcard Invitations: Organizers can invite two wildcard teams for tournaments with eight or more rosters at the main event, and an additional two teams for every subsequent eight teams. Wildcard teams cannot directly join the main event.

 

Wildcard Events

Organizers can host one wildcard event for every three Tier 1 events they create. These wildcard events can feature an unlimited number of wildcard invitations and do not have a minimum number of rosters required for the main event.

 

Event Announcement Deadlines

To ensure a stable event calendar and minimize ad hoc events, Valve has set strict deadlines for event announcements:

  • For 2025 Events: Announcements must be made by September 1, 2024.
  • For 2026 Events: Announcements must be made by January 1, 2025.
  • For 2027 Events and Beyond: Announcements must be made two years ahead of the event.

 

Goals of the New Rules

In a blog post titled "Open Season," Valve explained that the primary goal of these new rules is to maintain an open competitive environment where teams are limited only by their abilities. This expansion follows previous changes announced in 2023, including the end of exclusivity deals like the Louvre Agreement.

 

Conclusion

Valve's new tournament rulebook for CS2 esports, set to take effect in 2025, introduces significant changes aimed at enhancing the competitive integrity and organization of the scene. With clearly defined tiers, strict event announcement deadlines, and detailed guidelines for team invitations, Valve is setting the stage for a more structured and fair competitive landscape.