As the dust has now settled on the heated race for the last few spots at StarLadder Budapest Major, it's time to reflect on the new VRS system.

We recently witnessed the conclusion of the first VRS-powered Major qualification cycle, a last-gasp sprint to the finish that saw the final spots in each region contested right up to the terminal LAN events on offer, with equal doses of heartbreak and elation felt by players and fans around the world.

Valve's decision to step in and implement the VRS system was a monumental one, as it not only completely revamped what had come before, but it was also a far cry from the laissez-faire approach the developer usually adopts.

But once you get involved, you have to get fully involved. The VRS is a long way short of perfect, and Valve has work to do ensure the system is fit for purpose and, importantly, entertaining. Whilst there were aspects of the end-of-season race for points that emphasized some of the VRS' more commendable aspects, there were also issues that left things feeling a little half-cocked.

The Good

Encourages teams to go and play LAN events

Perhaps the most compelling aspect of the VRS race is that it specifically encourages teams to get out of their bedrooms and go and play LAN events. The pinnacle of the competitive esports scene is performing in a LAN environment, and this is true for a multitude of reasons. Too much of the tier-two circuit has, in recent times, been played exclusively online, where teams are not exposed to the unique pressures of LAN play.

First of all the tension is simply different. There is no way to recreate the pressure cooker environment of a LAN setting when you have teams playing from the comfort of their bedrooms, on the setup they use week in week out, without any of the foibles and pitfalls of LAN play. We do not get to see which teams can cope with the pressure, and which teams can adapt to the unique circumstances of each individual LAN.

This time around, we saw which teams would rise to the occasion. fnatic had to come through and perform in the dying stages of the race with their backs against the wall, clutching the final Major spot with a last-gasp run to the trophy at Fragadelphia Blocktober. SAW had said spot in the palm of their hands but choked at the very same tournament, letting another potential Major appearance slip through their fingers at the vital moment.

Second, and absolutely vitally, we can be far more confident of the sanctity of LAN play when compared to online. The accusations being thrown around all across the tier-two and tier-three scene are well known to all by now, ESIC investigations and sanctions abound, but the LAN environment eliminates much of the potential for cheating and gives the community confidence that the results are legit.

We get to see how teams perform under consistent pressure

The VRS system certainly garners some points in my book by virtue of the fact that it puts a certain amount of consistent pressure on teams. Not only are players more likely to be exposed to the difficulties of LAN play, every player also knows that each game and tournament they play is crucial, particularly the closer we get to the invite cutoff. This separates the boys from the men in terms of who can get the results over the line, especially when it really counts as the chances to do so dwindle.

Virtus.pro may consider themselves unlucky to have missed out, Swedish border control proving to be their most dangerous opponent, but they missed chance after chance at top-tier LANs to bag enough points for it not to matter. Ninjas in Pyjamas may have faltered in several of the smaller VRS LANs towards the end of the season but they made it count when the pressure was ratcheting up, beating out fellow contenders to reach the final of StarLadder StarSeries Fall and seal their berth.

It's worth saying that the previous Major qualification system, utilizing the RMRs, created a high-pressure environment in which teams were forced to sink or swim better than the VRS race does. The benefit of the VRS system is that we see this high-stakes type of Counter-Strike play out over months and weeks, rather than having it all condensed into a single tournament. Instead of a massive dump of adrenaline in one go, we enjoy the tension ratcheting up week on week, tournament by tournament. Instead of borderline teams treating the rest of the circuit like practice, only to then really knuckle down for the Major qualification circuit, they are forced to perform to a consistently high standard.

Reinforces the foundation of the scene: grassroots CS

Esports was built from the ground up. The roots lie in the crowded LAN halls of years gone by, of friends scrimping and scraping to gather together in an anonymous leisure centre in some provincial town to live and breathe the game that they all love. Many of the ground-breaking legends of esports began their journeys in this type of environment.

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How the CS scene got into an arms race for last-minute VRS points

HLTV's own Luis Mira spoke at length about the smaller LAN events that have cropped up all over the place following the introduction of the VRS system, with everyone trying to carve out a slice of the pie for themselves as teams scrambled to garner points. Regardless of the finer details of this situation, the proliferation of smaller LANs is a good thing overall, and with teams inevitably racing to grab every point possible as the invite cutoff approaches, these LANs have a space in which to thrive.

The smaller LANs like Birch Cup, DraculaN and Fragadelphia are bringing some of the roots of esports back to life. Not only do we get to enjoy that homebrew feel of a jam-packed LAN hall, but we also get the actual essence of esports back: smaller teams can play these LANs and thus get a chance to improve their skills and gain valuable experience.

David vs. Goliath clashes become the norm

Goliath might be a slightly trumped up moniker to be handing out in this scenario, but hear me out. One of the reasons these smaller LANs coming to the fore is a good thing is because it gives new, inexperienced, lesser teams the chance to get a taste of the LAN environment. Not only that, they often get the chance to test their mettle against teams that they would never play against in other circumstances.

It is unlikely that BIG would ever even think of scrimming the unranked youngsters of ATOMIK, let alone end up playing them in an official, but Birch Cup made that scenario possible. The players of ATOMIK likely learned lessons that will benefit them moving forward as they try to forge careers in the scene, or if nothing else, gave them a memory they can carry with them for a lifetime.

The Bad

VRS is far from perfect

It would be foolish to ignore the fact that overall, the VRS system is not yet perfect. For starters, high-profile members of the scene have commented on how it favours the top teams and it is difficult for the big boys to drop out of the upper ranks of the VRS.

When it comes to the scramble for VRS points at the end of the invite window, the issues, both potential and realized, are many. Exactly which parts of a tournament count towards VRS and which don't is a particularly contentious issue, and one that could do with Valve stepping in to standardize proceedings.

Regardless of your overall opinion on the VRS and its implementation, the fact is that there are still kinks to be worked out, and seeing teams game the system or get shafted by it takes away from the potential magic to be found. Hopefully, this is something that will be rectified with some time and some refinement of said system.

Excitement is not guaranteed

There was plenty of drama to be found as the battle for StarLadder Budapest Major spots raged on.

Liquid made a season-defining run with disaster looming at FISSURE Playground 2 against the backdrop of the imminent departure of Russel "⁠Twistzz⁠" Van Dulken, serving up a bittersweet taste of what could have been had their roster hit top gear earlier.

Gentle Mates made a heroic last-ditch effort to claw their way into Major contention, punching above their weight to claim the scalps of the likes of G2 in the process, only to fall agonizingly short despite their efforts.

There is, however, no guarantee that the Major spots will be decided in such dramatic fashion. Had Virtus.pro managed to play ESL Pro League, there would likely have been no dash to the finish for the last spot in Europe. Had Liquid not been so poor for much of the season, there would have been no need for a miracle run out of nowhere. Things could easily have played out differently, and there are likely to be some fairly hum-drum Major qualification cycles in future seasons.

The playing field is far from level

The race for VRS points is so alluring in the abstract; seeing teams battle it out across a season to prove their worth and earn, through hard work, their spot at Counter-Strike's marquee event. The reality is that not everyone gets the same chance to thrive.

We've already touched on the complaints of some, like Snappi, who say the current system protects the bigger teams and makes it hard for them to slide down the rankings. Take Virtus.pro and Liquid, for example, who despite their relatively poor seasons, had so many invites locked in for top events that their Major spots were almost impossible to lose.

There's also the simple fact that a team like, for example, fnatic or Liquid, have the resources to commit to multiple LANs should the need arise, whereas there are other organizations who would probably have a harder time doing so. The more LANs you can afford to sign up for and send your team to, the more chances you get to accrue VRS points. Considering the meritocratic history of CS, both of these issues certainly leave a bad taste lingering on the tongue.

Not turning up can be the best strategy

No accusations are being made here, but the fact that teams could benefit from faking an issue that requires them to withdraw from a LAN without being issued a forfeit loss is problematic at the very least.

Fragadelphia Blocktober was struck by withdrawals because only part of the event was VRS-ranked, so teams could drop out without the worry of suffering a forfeit loss and damaging their VRS standing. Instead of risking losing points by getting to the ranked portion and losing a game, it made sense for those already in a favourable position to simply not play at all.

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Liquid withdraw from Fragadelphia Blocktober*

The VRS race is only compelling if teams are incentivised to turn up to these LANs and play, to fight for their right to appear at the biggest tournament of the season. The fact that the current system could in fact incentivise a team to do the opposite, in order to protect their point-total, flies in the face of the essence of competition.

Understanding VRS is CS rocket science

RMRs were beautiful for their simplicity. The pressure, stress, trials and tribulations of potential Major qualification were distilled and condensed down into a do-or-die tournament that even the big boys had to attend. Teams had to turn up and win to qualify, or lose and suffer the heartbreak.

Now, you need a PhD, several top-end calculators, and a spreadsheet that reads like War and Peace if you want to fully make sense of, and more importantly follow the narratives of, the VRS race.

MischiefCS2 stepped up to help the community follow the VRS race, but his work also highlighted the boggling steps needed to fully understand the system.

There were members of the community who stepped up and helped keep people up to date with the storylines that were playing out, and HLTV introduced the VRS invite projections to provide at least a cursory overview, but actually getting to grips with exactly what was going on and what each team needed to happen in order to qualify was a nightmare.

The fact there is a complicated system underlying Major qualification now most certainly hurts engagement with the storylines, particularly for the casual fan. Those who aren't tuned in to the social media sphere that surrounds CS might miss the fact there are people out there working things out for the benefit of everyone else, and frankly, if the average fan can't work this stuff out for themselves, it's already far from ideal.

VRS: good or bad?

As with anything in life, there were good and bad elements to this season's scramble for VRS points in the dying days of the race. Trying to pigeonhole it as either a winning change by Valve or a terrible mistake would reduce the fascinating messiness of it all, and reduce it in a way that helps no one.

The main takeaway from this season's VRS battle royale is simple: VRS needs more time and refinement. Before we can even make a final judgement there needs to be some iteration on VRS by Valve, a tightening up of the rules and procedures, as well as some effort to make things more digestible for fans.

It's time for Valve to take take stock, step up, and make the system better, as it seems unlikely that they will rip the VRS up entirely and revert back to a more RMR-like approach, or install something else in its stead. For better or for worse VRS is here to stay, and it's up to Valve to make it for better.