The developers of Counter-Strike 2 have implemented several updates to the Valve Regional Standings (VRS) system, focusing on invitation criteria, Wildcard entries, and regional subdivisions.
Additionally, Valve has clarified the definition of the main tournament stage, which is now described as the point after which no teams can enter; only teams that are eliminated beyond this stage.
The VRS system also establishes clear priorities for teams. For example, Wildcard invites and teams from open qualifiers must enter the event no later than the first stage, which is the stage where teams invited based on rankings compete. Furthermore, VRS invites must be in line with the rankings, meaning that teams invited through VRS cannot begin the event at a later stage than those with a higher rating. Tournament organizers are required to use the global VRS rating for seeding teams, when applicable.
Changes have also been made to the Wildcard invites system: for every eight teams invited via VRS, two Wildcard spots are available. Wildcard invitees must meet specific criteria, including:
- Having at least three players who have previously been part of a top 8 roster on the Invite VRS List within the last six months.
- Having secured first or second place in a tournament of equal or lesser tier than the one issuing the invite within the last six months.
If tournament organizers opt for Wildcard invites or open qualifiers, the teams must join the event no later than the first stage with VRS invites. Additionally, when rosters with VRS invites are included, at least two teams must be invited from the same VRS list.
Finally, the rankings for the Americas and Asia have been split into subregions, with North and South America forming one group, and Oceania, East Asia, and West Asia forming another. Invitations are to be distributed evenly between these subregions, and teams must have a core roster composed of players holding citizenship from the corresponding subregion.
