Valve Acknowledges Miscommunication in Shanghai Major Seeding Controversy

Valve has admitted to an error in communication during discussions with Perfect World regarding the seeding process for the Perfect World Shanghai Major. The situation arose from a discrepancy between the rules outlined in Perfect World’s guidebook and Valve’s Regional Standings (VRS) system, which has been used to determine Major placements.

On Friday, Perfect World announced that Elimination Stage berths for the Major would be based on the VRS, not the Europe RMR results, as many teams had anticipated. By this point, the Europe RMRs were already nearing completion, and a fourth-place decider in RMR A had been conducted under the assumption it would determine direct Elimination Stage qualification.

Valve clarified the situation to HLTV, acknowledging their part in the confusion. The developer explained that during initial conversations with Perfect World, it failed to recognize that their rulebook hadn’t been updated to reflect the Supplemental Rulebook’s latest language. Valve admitted responsibility for not addressing the inconsistency sooner, expressing regret over the timing of the clarification.

The shift in seeding criteria will not affect RMR A, where the top four teams already advanced to the Elimination Stage. However, RMR B presents a different scenario, with surprise results causing disruptions. BIG, who celebrated a 3-0 finish in the group and believed they had secured a direct Elimination Stage spot, will now start in the Opening Stage due to their lower VRS ranking at 15th in Europe.

Valve acknowledged the frustration this adjustment has caused for players and fans but emphasized that the VRS system was introduced to address previous seeding complaints, including those raised during the Paris Major. They stated that using VRS aims to ensure more balanced matchups at the Major, even if the mid-RMR change created challenges.

The updated Valve Regional Standings will be finalized after the RMRs. These standings will determine the eight teams advancing directly to the Elimination Stage and set the pairings for the Opening Stage.