Valve Releases New Valve Regional Standings Model Changes

Valve has released changes to the Valve Regional Standings (VRS) model. This model helps rank Counter-Strike 2 teams and is involved in inviting them to sanctioned Counter-Strike 2 esports events. 

These changes include how forfeits contribute to the rankings when data is recorded and added to the standings. 

In other Counter-Strike news, Ghost Gaming announced an all-women’s roster recently. 

Forfeits Now Have the Same Value As Any Loss

The changes came on Feb. 24, 2025. 

One of these is a note that forfeits will be worth the same as any loss during online and offline matches. 

Before these changes, a forfeit didn’t contribute to those results. This allowed a loophole in which teams would give up on matches to avoid impacting their rankings. 

Tournament Data Won’t Count Until the Final Match is Finished

Another change includes tournament data. 

Data that is recorded during tournaments will no longer count until the final match is finished. 

Therefore, teams participating in events that extend beyond the VRS ranking update timeframe will not be affected in a negative way.

This comes after tournament data caused issues throughout the 2025 season. 

For example, German esports organization GamerLegion released a statement about how it missed a top 12 invite to BLAST Open Lisbon while they were competing at IEM Katowice due to prize money not being considered. This was because the organization was still active in the event. 

Other Notable Changes

The changes to the system don’t stop there. 

Another one requires teams to compete in just five matches instead of 10 matches to be eligible for the VRS. 

The new VRS changes also include how prize money is calculated. Club revenue from event organizers like ESL FACEIT and the Esports World Cup is part of the structure.