Valve has announced the update of the list of exceptions to the official tournament rules in 2025. The new changes are designed to give organizers more freedom to adapt formats and criteria while maintaining the basic principles of transparency and fairness of the competition.

The main exceptions for 2025 are

PGL Belgrade

• Format: It is allowed to make changes to the tournament format in a shorter timeframe than is usually provided for Tier 1 events.
• Qualifications: Replaced the standard invitations for positions 13-16 with VRS regional qualifiers in Europe, Asia, North and South America. Each qualifier will feature at least 16 teams that did not receive direct invitations.

Skyesports Masters 2025

• Prize pool: The organizers are allowed to reduce the previously announced prize pool.
• Format: Possibility to adjust the tournament format to meet the shortened deadlines.

ESL Impact Season 7

• Invitations: ESL Impact 7 may directly invite teams based on their performance in previous seasons.

IEM Dallas 2025

• VRS filters: North and South America can be used as regional filters, even though they are not official regions. Both regions will receive an equal number of places in the qualifiers.

BLAST Open

• Qualifications: BLAST Open may use VRS regional qualifiers to fill positions 13-16 in the tournament, covering Europe, Asia, North and South America.

Exceptions for Tier 2 tournaments

Valve has also provided a number of flexible solutions for lower tier tournaments:

• Launders LAN, DFRAG Invitational, CCT Series: Organizers are allowed to announce and hold events with shorter preparation periods.
• Elisa Open Suomi 8: It is allowed to directly invite teams based on their previous results.

Valve encourages organizers to report additional exceptions, if necessary. All declared exceptions are aimed at maintaining a competitive ecosystem, creating more diversity, and improving the quality of the competition.