by Valve has announced significant changes to the Counter-Strike 2 Majors, set to take effect in 2025.
The number of participating teams will expand from 24 to 32, with the first tournament under this new format being the BLAST.tv Austin Major, scheduled for June 9-22, 2025.
This expansion marks the first major structural change to the Major format since the introduction of the 24-team system in 2018.
To accommodate the eight additional teams, the tournament will add a new Swiss stage, resulting in a total of three stages:
- Opening Stage: Introducing the extra teams to the competition
- Elimination Stage: Continuing the traditional knockout format
- Swiss Stage: Ensuring that the top-performing teams advance further
The introduction of the new stage will extend the Major’s duration from 14 to 18 days, allowing for a smooth schedule without overlapping other major events like StarLadder StarSeries and Skyesports Masters, which end on June 1, 2025.
Another significant change is the removal of the Regional Major Ranking (RMR) events, which have been the primary qualification method since 2018.
In place of the RMRs, Valve will rely on the Valve Team Ranking system and Valve Regional Standings (VRS) to determine invitations.
While the new qualification criteria aim to simplify the process, details on whether additional qualification avenues will be available remain unclear.
The changes reflect the growing popularity and competitive depth of CS2, with the new 32-team format providing more opportunities for teams to compete at the highest level.
Fans can look forward to more matchups, a longer tournament, and an increased level of competition as the expanded format kicks off with the BLAST.tv Austin Major in June 2025.
