FlyQuest criticizes Valve's decision to ban two teams at Major qualifiers

FlyQuest has expressed dissatisfaction with Valve's decision to not allow organizations to enter the Major with two teams, which will likely exclude FlyQuest RED from the NA Closed Qualifier.

This change is especially important considering that previously teams could compete in different regional qualifiers and conflict of interest rules only forced the selection of one squad closer to the Major. FlyQuest RED is a women's team and its exclusion jeopardizes women's participation in the major tournaments.

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Background

Previously, organizations could field lineups in different regions and if both teams qualified, one of them would be eliminated before the tournament began. This was to give more teams, including women's and youth squads, a chance to showcase themselves on the big stage.

Specific details

FlyQuest said it learned of the changes from an article on HLTV. These changes mean that the FlyQuest RED women's team will not be able to compete in the Perfect World Shanghai North American indoor qualifiers, despite RED and Australian CS competing in different regions (NA vs. OCE). FlyQuest RED exists to support women and genderqueer players, and participating in this tournament would be an important step for them.

In a statement, FlyQuest emphasized the importance of women's teams participating in major tournaments for the growth of women's cybersports. "Participating in this event is RED's best opportunity to showcase the growth of women's esports and bring attention to the Impact scene," the statement read.

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Final Thoughts

FlyQuest hopes that HLTV's report on the rule change is wrong and urges Valve to reconsider their decision. They emphasize that this change negatively impacts all Impact teams around the world and does not promote a fair competitive environment. "By not allowing our RED program to compete in a completely different regional qualification system without prior notice, we are only setting women's esports back and not contributing to a fair qualification scheme," FlyQuest concluded.