Valve confirm move to 32-team Majors

3-1-2025 23:46

A change to the Major rulebook has confirmed the expansion of the Major format.

The BLAST.tv Austin Major will be the first 32-team Major

A recent change to Valve's CS Major Supplemental Rulebook has confirmed HLTV's earlier report that Counter-Strike 2 Majors are set to expand from 24 teams to 32.

The Major expansion represents the addition of a third Swiss stage alongside the pre-existing Opening and Elimination stages. This means that Majors will last longer, by about four days, to create space for the additional stage.

Alongside the tournament expansion, Valve have also adjusted the slot distribution and announced new qualifying events, the Major Regional Qualifiers (MRQ).

The MRQ events will feature 16 teams in the Americas and Europe and eight in Asia. The events are set to act as a replacement for the RMR, but a key change is that they "may be held online." If they are, the regions can be further split evenly between sub-regions (such as NA/SA) to eliminate significant ping differences.

The Americas and Europe MRQs will feed six spots each into the Major's first stage, while Asia's MRQ will award four.

Eight qualified Stage 1 teams will then join eight directly invited rosters in Stage 2, where one invite is assigned to a region for every team of that region that reached Stage 3 of the previous Major (the top 16).

The same goes for Stage 3, where one invite is assigned to a region for every team of that region that reached the playoffs of the previous Major (the top 8).

This means that the BLAST.tv Austin Major, the first with the new format, will see six European teams invited to Stage 3 after six European teams (Spirit, G2, Vitality, MOUZ, FaZe, HEROIC) made it to the playoffs, while Americas and Asia will get one each after Liquid and The MongolZ reached the top eight in Shanghai.

The BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025 slot distribution, based on the teams' VRS rankings, will look as follows:

Europe VRS ranking
1st-6th to Stage 3
7th-10th to Stage 2
11th-26th to MRQ (6 spots in Stage 1)

Americas VRS ranking
1st to Stage 3
2nd-5th to Stage 2
6th-21st to MRQ (6 spots in Stage 1)

Asia VRS ranking
1st to Stage 3
0 to Stage 2
2nd-9th to MRQ (4 spots in Stage 1)

INSANE

2025-01-03 23:46

178

8 replies

W valve

2025-01-03 23:50

127

4 replies

Stage 1 EU-6; Americas-6; Rest-4 - 'Contenders' 16 teams total, top 8 go to Stage 2. Stage 2 EU-4; Americas-4; Rest-0 - 'Challengers' 8 teams already placed here+8 from Stage 1, top 8 goes Stage 3. Stage 3 EU-6 teams; Americas-1 team; Rest-1 team - 'Legends' 8 teams already placed here+8 from Stage 2, top 8 goes to playoffs. Playoffs last stage of the major. I would just prefer 2 groups of 16 teams merging into 1 group after a Stage1. This way all teams get similar play time and spotlight time. I don't see a reason for teams to skip stages. So Stage 1 Group A-16 teams top8 goes to stage 2. Group-B-16 teams top8 goes to stage 2. Each Group has 1 stream. No double games per group. Longer group stage but more time to prepare for teams between matches. Stage 2 16 teams total, top8 goes to playoffs. Back to current streaming format so utilizing 2 streams for 1 group. Playoffs Double elimination bracket. Upper final, lower final and grand final BO5 if not at least upper final. Alternative playoffs. Current format +BO3 third place decider before final and final BO5. NO BO1 games at all.

2025-01-04 01:46

3 replies

All I ask is for them not to use swiss for MRQ as it is tragically bad when it's giving less than 7 spots and for the finals be BO5, other than that the new format seems pretty good already.

2025-01-04 16:42

2 replies

Triple elimination bracket instead xd?

2025-01-04 17:39

1 reply

even double elimination with extra games to decide the last spots would be fine

2025-01-04 17:56

99 swiss stage matches before playoffs lmfao

2025-01-04 04:12

RMR is basically the same shit

2025-01-04 10:16

Another Swiss stage? LET'S GOOOOOOOO!1

2025-01-04 11:06

awesome

great

2025-01-03 23:47

nice

No more RMR

2025-01-03 23:48

read

2025-01-04 00:00

No more rmr

2025-01-04 10:28

where is rmr

I heard that reading helps. But in short: MRQs is the new qualifiers and can be held online, which should bring MRQs for subregions specifically, as far as I understood, so instead of "Americas RMR" there now can be "US West MRQ", "US East MRQ", "Canada MRQ", "LATAM MRQ", etc.

2025-01-04 05:56

Vitality vs Navi final

Sheesh

2025-01-03 23:49

please no 3 swiss'es, at this point just change the format PLEASE

Anyone commenting where rmr is braindead, everyone knew they were getting rid of the RMRs, but now we know that the teams who are on the brink still have to play in the MRQ to qualify which is better than it being all decided by VRS

2025-01-03 23:51

11 replies

yeah, but the scary part is that the rulebook says that the mrq can be held online, we don't want that

2025-01-03 23:54

AKUMA flashbacks

2025-01-04 06:12

Except it's not completely open as far as I understand, you still have to be like top 50 or so in VRS to be invited to that (the ranking here is regional, but approximation for eu is close enough)

2025-01-04 08:19

Rulebook said the same about RMRs and it never happened

2025-01-04 12:17

Yeah now only way to get even the chance to play the mrq will be to grind all the tier 3 online cups brainless ly and hope it's enough. Doesn't feel like a good system to me

6 replies

While not exactly the same process, it's similar to TI qualification no? Online qualifiers based on region and then placed into first stage. The system seems fine and the fact they added another stage to the major means they are also acknowledging the fact that momentum teams like BIG can't just skip a stage breaking the placement rankings while still also giving underdog teams a chance at glory.

2025-01-04 02:19

always the t1 org fans who haven't seen the 2025 calendar saying the same thing, have you even seen how many LANs there will be?

2025-01-04 03:58

The point is, previously the system offered a chance for a random upcoming team to break through and if they peaked in the qualifiers, they could have gotten to the RMR without previous lan experience. I'm not saying it was happening often, but there are examples of unproved lan teams getting to the RMR and potentionally major. Yes, you can go to open qualifiers and LANs now, but the point remains, as a new team you will have to grind A LOT in order to get even to the MRQ. I liked the fact that teams were assembling just for the qualifiers and taking their shot. Obviously just about perspective, I can understand if you like the grindy approach more.

2025-01-04 09:07

it was kinda annoying to watch these teams peak at the major and then go back to tier3 level or just straight up disband. fun, yeah, i agree, but still annoying

2025-01-04 10:26

I didnt mind it, it didn't happen too often and made up for some good storylines

2025-01-04 12:33

If they're from the EU, they only need to do well in maybe one qualifier and play some LAN tournament, given that the 22nd spot gets a chance at the RMQ. If it was today NAVI Javelins and Imperial fe would be invited to it, ignoring NAVI not being able to field two teams.

2025-01-04 16:25

Crowd at all stages pls

now can Astralis play the Major again? let's see

Maybe we can get Astralis and Nip Stickers afterall.. JKJKJK

sadly Bo1 is still present and still no bo5 final..

2025-01-03 23:52

Good. They should also stream the games in a vertical format and partner with Subway Surfers to stream a run on the bottom side of the screen

2025-01-03 23:55

that's next level thinking

2025-01-04 08:16

"may be held online" at first glance, a huge L but considering how sucky this game is online, maybe this will make Valve actually try to improve this lag compensation/subtick bulshit

So more bo1s? Really?

L if true - bo1s are true . 1 map, win or fuck off. no best of 3 excuses , chances to come back. Here's a map, win or fuck off

2025-01-04 11:34

MRQ is nice but if they can be only its gonna be a real mess for asia. Welcome change tho

2025-01-03 23:56

Odd that Asia gets 1 team to stage 3 and the rest to MRQ… but GG Mongolz deserve it

2025-01-03 23:57

The direct invites are based on the regions placements on the Elimination and Champions stage at last major. Asia/Oceania had just one team on the Elimination stage and then Champions stage. While Americas had 5 teams on Elimination stage and one got in the Champions stage.

2025-01-04 00:06

its beacuse mongolz reached the playoffs and no other asian teams reached the legend stage in shanghai

2025-01-04 00:07

What is this ? MRQ? Weren't we supposed to get rid of RMR's ??

2025-01-04 00:01

Astralis can still miss the major. I used to pray for times like this.

2025-01-04 00:20

german cs lmao

2025-01-04 01:58

Big 1 shanghai majora astralis 0 shanghai majora

2025-01-04 13:13

majors will be turned into pro leagues for the most part top teams that are in great form will be cooled off waiting for the Tier 3 competition to end. previous storylines that developed earlier in the season will not be followed up by the major playoff games, since top teams will be fighting to be the one least rusty instead horrible all in all

2025-01-04 00:11

i don’t think you’d be deserving of the title “top team” if you’re going to cool off that fast. one of the things that separates t1 from t2/t3 is consistency. so i don’t expect the t1 guys to “cool off” that easily and that fast.

2025-01-04 04:11

what i meant by "cool off" is when a top team drops off from their absolute peak form, not just their usual T1 form. for example, we saw how insane vitality was in their peak form in cologne, or G2 at their peak during blast world finals, or how tactically brilliant NAVI was during the first half of the year. watching these teams play at their exceptional good level, was absolute cinema. but when the major group stage takes way too long to advance, all the top teams cool off from their insane level, instead they just perform kinda average, which is what we witnessed this major cycle. making the major a whole ass festival, does not brew intense matches.

2025-01-04 06:10

well, all the teams mentioned were kind of ridiculed as chokers so idk how i should feel. i think G2 and Vitality definitely and 100% choked, because other than the play-offs stage, Vitality went 3-0 in the elimination stage and G2 went 3-1, beating FaZe 2-0 in one of those matchups not to mention. same goes to Vita, they had no issues throughout the elimination stage and then decided to start choking after map1 against FaZe. on the other hand i do agree NaVi have cooled off, but i think that’s not because of the long major wait. they were already kinda falling off even before the major, back in blast world premier. so i would say “choking” better describes those teams rather than “cooling off” except maybe NaVi, but in their case, they had already started to cool off even before the major.

2025-01-04 17:53

Only on HLTV you can find people bitching about the schedule being too packed with no time to practice and leading to burnouts and at the same time 2 week break will ruin them.

2025-01-04 06:04

lmao true asf.

Agree should back to 16 teams bo3 gsl format in group stage

2025-01-04 09:03

what about bo5?

2025-01-04 00:04

W DRILLAS NOW IS A BETTER OPPORTUNITY!!! MORE STICKERS LETS GOOO

Hey i was right about the distribution, 16 EU, 11 AM, and 5 AS, but was wrong about the stage distribution. Having 4 AM and 4 EU in stage 2 rather than 2 EU, 5 AM and 1 AS like i predicted. Oh well, at least valve kept the slots as it should've been.

That's because of results from the shanghai major. EU and NA both got 4 teams into the Legend Stage that then got eliminated there, while the only AS team in Legend Stage made it to Champions Stage. Becauss the invites depend of where teams ended, EU and NA get 4 invites to stage 2, while AS only gets their extra invite to stage 3 due to The Mongolz.

2025-01-04 00:38

Note that of 8 more teams added to the major, then if we compare to the 24 teams at Shanghai then we get: +2 EU +2 AS +4 AM (!!) If you don't qualify from AM then you are a really bad team.. 11 AM teams get stickers!

2025-01-04 01:07

thanks i need more money to make

2025-01-04 00:08

Might as well have a huge double elim bracket instead of 3 terrible Swiss stages. VRS is decent enough to seed it properly enough.

2025-01-04 00:13

- Road to Major now starts from the first event in January, not from some Open qualifiers like previous years - 3 Swiss stages => consume lots of time => not getting rid of bo1 in near future - Major stage 1 will be disastrous in term of viewership

2025-01-04 00:15

good

2025-01-04 00:16

Nicely nice

2025-01-04 00:17

lol what's the point...? it changed nothing in the end

2025-01-04 00:21

what this does change, is make the favorite top team that was on fire and won the last 3 trophies, to be come cooled off, because of the long T2 brackets, lol

2025-01-04 00:30

Not really, top teams like Vitality spirit Navi etc still have a good chance to go to playoff bro. Why the difference of 4 days make top teams (not one team) suddenly go shit doesn't make any sense. Maybe if one team underperform it happens but not all teams bro. It will be fine.

2025-01-04 06:05

please dont make a ridiculous spin out of my point..im not saying "top teams suddenly goes to shit". im saying top teams go from their absolute peak form, to just their average level, due to the long group stage/elim stage advance. for example. vitality had one tournament at peak form during cologne, afterwards, they cooled off. g2 hit their peak forms during blast finals, then they cooled off. navi hit their peak form during early half of the season, then they cooled off. id make a much more interesting matchup to do the major when the teams are all red hot, not when theyre all kinda dried up, which was literally what happened this major cycle. G2, navi, Vita, they were all playing worse during the major playoff. its the underperformers (faze & spirit) that came out on top.

2025-01-04 06:17

L take, winning few games in a 8 team banana cup doesn't suddenly make you a team with the "absolute peak form" lol.

2025-01-04 10:34

Talon 2025

2025-01-04 00:26

Loads of Brazil

2025-01-04 00:31

If they decide to go online it will be really bad and with b01 its not improvement to better quality for the tournament.

2025-01-04 00:32

Gargantuan W, now just make some of them not Swiss please

Holy fucking shit this is no-joke lifechanging for the Asian region.

2025-01-04 00:34

at this point valve will either make another swiss round soon or this dumb pro league format

2025-01-04 00:39

LMAO MONGOLZ HAVE FREE PLAYOFF SPOT

2025-01-04 00:40

Read first

2025-01-04 05:45

imagine if mongolz choke that and some bot team like flyquest gets a free stage 3 spot.

2025-01-04 10:20

I've already read. Legends spot for 1 asian team.

2025-01-04 11:39

now make lower bracket in playoff and we are cooking

2025-01-04 00:46

Everyone: We want BO5 finals!!! Valve: A THIRD swiss stage you say?! Done

2025-01-04 00:52

Zzzzzzzz more bo1s?

2025-01-04 01:00

32 teams is fucking ridiculous. Look at the top 30 teams, we probably don’t even want half of them at the major in the first place. Sticker money should be difficult to achieve, not something given to every schmuck who grinds a CCT

2025-01-04 01:05

Tier2,3 players are not well off financially at all,they definitely need some sticker money to continue their careers. And the 30 teams seem fine which ranking are you looking at, they look okay in hltv rankings?

2025-01-04 01:59

This is not a blast franchised ass 8 team tournament. This is a fucking major. Everyone deserves a chance

2025-01-04 04:17

everyone has a chance, that's what the VRS is for. if you're not good enough, you won't climb up enough. step up your game season long instead of fluking to a major and doing nothing like most RMR teams

2025-01-04 06:43

in RMR with open qualis like before, any random unknown team can make it to the major. But now with this format, at least we know which teams will play the tournament. The fluke factor has been reduced to great extent from before, but its still there.

2025-01-04 06:46

when we getting swiss bo7?

2025-01-04 01:09

ok now put some effort into sticker design instead of borderless version 10000000 and bo5 finals would be cool too

2025-01-04 01:13

So the most prestigious event of the year now has lower stakes, a guaranteed invite for top 8 teams and a lame playoff bracket were only teams that did not play for 3 weeks straight will have a chance for the title. That kinda sucks

2025-01-04 01:29

and BEST OF 5 GRAND FINALS... right? right......

2025-01-04 01:37

Snax eats anyway

2025-01-04 01:44

So now we need to wait 2 Swiss stages to actually see the top teams play wtf

2025-01-04 01:45

EZ for Mongolz

2025-01-04 01:47

Buddies!!!! This is great news :DDD

2025-01-04 01:53

mrq online = L if they change that, its good

MA DRILLAS CAN DO IT THIS TIME!!!!

2025-01-04 02:01

Imperial fe and navi javelins in major incoming

2025-01-04 02:27

Valve ain't giving anti cheat or we'll start calling them perfect. They know even god ain't perfect.

2025-01-04 03:14

A change to map pool when

2025-01-04 03:31

so now any tier5 can have stickers if they have enough fluke L

2025-01-04 03:50

Lmaooo real fluke was the RMR for those teams. Now the major will actually be better as most of the teams will be focused to win the major rather than qualifying to it.

2025-01-04 04:16

APAC shoud get minimum 6 slor, America 11 slot and EU 15 slot.

2025-01-04 03:54

Should've made 2 parallel Swiss stages, each top 8 qualify for final Swiss stage and after that k.o. Also only bo3. This will be fluke festival also with very few teams qualifying from Americas + Asia

2025-01-04 04:21

lol what is this shit, complicated as fuck, but... what could we expect from fucking valve? a coherent tournament? they already destroyed competitiveness with that horrific VRS ranking

2025-01-04 04:30

stage 1 is basically the RMRs trimmed down, and the MRQs are basically the RMR qualifiers I like this

2025-01-04 04:47

8 teams directly to Stage 3 by skipping first 2. It's not fair for a Major organisation, at all.

2025-01-04 05:21

The top 8 that directly to stage 3 is "best" teams bro, you dont want best teams at major ? The best teams gets reward for good seeding in this case skipping some of the major phase. What is wrong with that. You want give the "stage 3 spots" to into the breach and amkal kinda teams ?

2025-01-04 06:00

In my opinion: CS2 is a competitive game. And Major is a competition. They skip two stages without any competition, in contrary to purpose of the game. It's all about "earning" the spots not because of your Valve rank, but with a result of your performance. Even though, it should've been BO3's.

2025-01-05 14:03

Total disaster.

2025-01-04 05:54

Okay, cool, but how about a BO5 final? Is that really too big of an ask?

2025-01-04 06:08

was thinking the same, isnt pretty much all other events bo5 grand finals now?

2025-01-04 07:28

RMR = MRQ????

2025-01-04 06:42

Jesus Christ. Not online again.

2025-01-04 08:14

Dear god...

2025-01-04 08:58

Big W for Valve. Big W for CS competetive scene

2025-01-04 09:32

i think overall thats a W.

2025-01-04 09:51

I guess majors don't allow 2 teams per org? Navi, imperial and furia women all within their appropriate rankings for now

2025-01-04 09:56

I hope they will change how the swiss stages are played to all matches being Bo3's

2025-01-04 10:10

feels similar to legend stage invite years ago

2025-01-04 10:40

I like it

2025-01-04 10:41

11 spots for the Americas? It's Nouns' chance 😁😁😁

2025-01-04 11:30

W change.. Hopefully, some last minute teams won't try to qualify from a weaker region this time.

2025-01-04 12:11

too many teams

2025-01-04 12:22

2025-01-04 12:34

oh great, more swiss for 6 spots and bo1s im sure despite what some say, the "swiss" used actually works for getting 5 slots, but for 6 slots its awful

2025-01-04 12:52