In anticipation of the upcoming PGL Major Copenhagen, Valve has implemented a series of significant changes to its Major Supplemental Rulebook. Among the most notable alterations is the revision of pre-event seeding methods and the elimination of RMR-based determinants for bypassing the initial stage.
Gone are the days when a team’s seed at the Major was solely influenced by their performance in the Regional Major Rankings (RMRs). Valve has now adopted a more comprehensive approach, shifting the emphasis to Valve’s Regional Standings, a ranking system introduced in December 2022. Initially, this ranking was employed to ascertain a portion of the invites for the closed qualifiers leading to the BLAST Paris Major.
This adjustment addresses the previous anomaly where highly-ranked teams ended up with low seeds due to lackluster RMR showings. For instance, FaZe found themselves seeded 16th at the Paris Major’s Challengers Stage despite being ranked third globally at the time, owing to their narrow escape in the European RMR.
Valve confirmed that the Regional Standings will be updated post-RMRs to reflect outcomes, ultimately determining which teams secure direct entry into the last-16 stage.
In addition to the revised seeding approach, Valve has introduced a predetermined pairing system for the first Swiss round of the Major. The matchups will now be as follows:
- 1 vs 9
- 2 vs 10
- 3 vs 11
- 4 vs 12
- 5 vs 13
- 6 vs 14
- 7 vs 15
- 8 vs 16
This system differs from past Majors where the highest seed faced the lowest seed in the first round. Subsequent rounds will adhere to the original system, ensuring that the highest-seeded team competes against the lowest-seeded team in the same pool, as long as rematches are avoided.
Valve’s third significant change is the renaming of the Major tournament stages. The familiar ‘Challengers‘, ‘Legends‘, and ‘Champions‘ labels have been replaced with ‘Opening‘, ‘Elimination‘, and ‘Playoffs‘. This represents the first alteration to the stage names since the ELEAGUE Major Boston 2018, coinciding with the inclusion of the offline qualifier and the expansion of teams from 16 to 24.
Consequently, Valve will also retire the terms ‘Contenders’, ‘Challengers’, and ‘Legends’ when referring to the participating teams at the Major.
The PGL Major Copenhagen, which marks the advent of the Counter-Strike 2 era, is scheduled to run from March 17 to 31. The qualification process kicks off on January 8 and concludes at the end of the month, with the RMRs slated for February 14 to March 4. Esports fans and competitors alike can anticipate an exciting and reshaped competitive landscape as these changes come into effect.
Last Updated on November 5, 2023
