Valve making big changes to CSGO majors with circuit qualifiers
According to a report from
HLTV, Valve is planning big changes to the qualification system for official Counter-Strike: Global Offensive majors. This will end the previous format, where 14 teams received an invitation based on their performance in the last major while 10 more qualified through regional minors.
The new approach will involve a point system where teams can work their way into the major through strong performances in multiple events in the months prior.
The top 8 teams from this new ranking system will automatically qualify for the Legends Stage of the major, while the next 8 teams will enter in the Challengers Stage of the competition. The final 8 teams will be determined with regional minor tournaments.
This will make for a circuit system similar to the Dota Pro Circuit, which Valve uses to determine invitees to The International.
These plans will go into effect for the yet-to-be-named fall 2020 CSGO major. The first event where teams will be able to earn points towards that major will be the ESL One Rio Major, which takes place in May.
This will not change the qualification process for the ESL One Rio Major. It is has not yet been announced which other events will determine seeding for the fall 2020 major.
New invitation system brings big changes to CSGO majors
Many have welcomed the changes but some, such as FaZe Clan coach Janko “YNk” Paunovic, still have questions. He gave his thoughts on the new format on
Twitter, and discussed how the scheduling could interfere with a
Counter-Strike Professional Players’ Association-organized player break set to take place
between July 15 and August 15.
“Any change which makes more recent results more relevant is good but there are still lots of questions. How will they calculate the decay etc from the previous Major? When will these qualifying LANs actually be? We changed the Major dates not to have it right after the break.”
It’s unlikely that schedule conflicts would directly conflict with majors late in the year, as Valve has already set these calendar dates for November.
Valve has asked for tournament organizers to propose locations for the new events, suggesting the remaining qualifying events could be brand new tournaments.
Nina Forneloza
About Nina Forneloza
Nina Forneloza is a huge fan of gaming, but her favorite genres of games above all other are gacha games, first-person shooting games, and role-playing games. When she isn’t looking for a lucky pull in the latest gacha, you’re likely to find her in a competitive Valorant lobby or playing the latest big single-player RPG. Either way, you can be assured that she’ll be into it and ready to write about the experience.
View full profile
Read Also
Counter-Strike
ENVY Returns to Counter-Strike After Five Years, Picking Up an “Unpaid” 3DMAX Roster
Owen Harsono
North American esports organization ENVY has officially made its return to Counter-Strike. After putting its CS:GO division on hold in 2021, the org returns by signing the full former 3DMAX roster, so they aren't starting from scratch. ENVY is not only a massive esports organization, but also a legendary one in Counter-Strike. The org fielded one of the strongest French rosters in history, winning the DreamHack Open Cluj-Napoca Major in ...
Valorant
Complexity Gaming shuts down after 23 years – Here’s what we know
Khizar Mundia
Esports organization Complexity Gaming is ending its 23-year run, as its founder announces its shutdown. Complexity is an organization that has been around since the early days of esports. The organization had rosters in multiple games, including Counter-Strike and Valorant. Despite this, Complexity’s CS roster was the most famous, as it won several major events. This is why it was a surprise for fans to hear that Complexity is shutting ...
Counter-Strike
Team Vitality vs FURIA: Predictions and best picks for StarLadder StarSeries 2026
Owen Harsono
We have a clash of titans in the StarLadder StarSeries Fall consolidation final, as Team Vitality will take on FURIA for a grand final spot. Both teams have shown signs of shakiness throughout the event, so expect some scrappy Counter-Strike. Here are our Team Vitality vs FURIA predictions. Tournament: StarLadder StarSeries Fall 2026 Stage: Playoffs – Lower Bracket Final Game: Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) Format: Best of 3 Betting tip: These ...
Counter-Strike
MOUZ vs FURIA: Predictions and best picks for StarLadder StarSeries 2026
Owen Harsono
MOUZ are set to take on FURIA in a do-or-die match in the $500,000 StarLadder StarSeries Fall 2026 lower bracket. Both teams have already suffered losses at the event, but we believe one team is in much better shape than the other. Here are our MOUZ vs FURIA predictions for September 19. Tournament: StarLadder StarSeries Fall 2026 Stage: Playoffs Game: Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) Format: Best of 3 Betting tip: MOUZ ...
Counter-Strike
StarLadder StarSeries Fall 2026: Teams, format, schedule, and prize pool
Owen Harsono
Top-tier Counter-Strike is back on the menu with StarLadder StarSeries Fall 2026. It’s not a 16-team tournament with every top team in attendance, but it’s still bound to entertain us for a solid four days. Here’s everything you need to know about StarLadder StarSeries Fall 2026. Tier 1 Counter-Strike lands in Spain again for the first time in a while, with only eight teams in attendance. StarLadder StarSeries will be ...
Counter-Strike
Team Spirit vs Team Falcons at BLAST Open Fall 2026: best predictions and picks
Owen Harsono
We’re in for a treat, as the BLAST Open Fall semi-final will feature a matchup between Team Spirit and Team Falcons, with the winner booking a spot in the grand final. It’s a battle between the world number one and number two, so this is a match you definitely don’t want to miss. Here are our BLAST Open Fall Team Spirit vs Team Falcons predictions. Tournament: BLAST Open Fall 2026 ...
Counter-Strike
Is CS2 Dying in 2026?
Owen Harsono
Counter-Strike is one of the longest-standing esports franchises, having built a loyal fanbase over the course of two decades. However, if you’ve browsed through social media platforms across the past few months, you might have seen people claiming that the game is dying or on a steady decline. Below we’ll take a look at why people are talking about this and answer the question of “is CS2 really dying?” One ...
