Valve continues to refine their ranking system for CS2 teams, aiming to make it as fair and transparent as possible. Today's update introduces several key changes designed to impact the fairness of tournaments and encourage teams to play responsibly.

Valve's ranking is an important tool for determining tournament invitations and placement in competitions. Previous system shortcomings sparked community discussions, as they allowed teams to avoid responsibility for match withdrawals and manipulate results. The new changes aim to eliminate these gaps.

What prompted the changes?

One of the main reasons for the changes was complaints from teams who felt unfairness in the distribution of invitations. Specifically, GamerLegion noted that during their participation in IEM Katowice, their prize winnings were not accounted for in time, causing them to miss out on an invitation to BLAST Open Spring. Such situations highlighted the need for system improvements. 

Key innovations

One of the main innovations is the consideration of technical defeats on par with regular ones. Previously, they were not included in the results, allowing teams to avoid penalties for match withdrawals. Now this loophole is closed.

Another important change concerns the processing of tournament data: results will now be considered only after the entire tournament is completed. This should prevent potential ranking distortions during competitions.

The minimum number of matches needed to be ranked has also been reduced. Instead of 10 games, only five are now required. Additionally, "club share" — income from revenue sharing previously separated by ESL from prize funds — has been added to the model.

These changes make Valve's ranking system more reliable and transparent, which is important for community trust and the development of esports. With these updates, teams will be motivated to showcase their best results, as even the smallest details can now impact their chances of receiving invitations to key tournaments.