By Sagar V. Mankar The competitive Counter-Strike landscape is preparing for its most significant transformation in six years. Recent reports from HLTV indicate that CS2 Majors will undergo substantial changes in 2025, marking the biggest shift in the tournament’s format since 2018.
Expanding the Playing Field: 32-Team Format
One of the most important changes will be the expansion of the Major format to include 32 teams. Since 2018, when the Boston Major introduced a 24-team system, there have been only minor tweaks related to seeding and naming.
Key changes include:
- Increase from 24 to 32 participating teams
- Additional Swiss Stage before Opening and Elimination rounds
- Extended tournament duration by four days
- Growth from 73 to 106 total matches, making these the largest CS LAN events ever
The new format will allow more teams from different regions to compete at the highest level, promoting wider participation across the globe. This shift is also expected to give more opportunities to emerging teams and provide fans with more diverse matchups.
Farewell to Regional Major Rankings (RMR)
Perhaps the most dramatic change is the reported elimination of the Regional Major Ranking (RMR) system. Since its introduction in 2020, the RMR system has been crucial for:
- Determining Major qualification
- Allocating valuable sticker revenue
- Creating pathways for emerging teams
The new system will reportedly rely on Valve Regional Standings (VRS) for Major invitations, a change that aligns with earlier reports from industry insider Richard Lewis. This shift emphasizes:
- Consistent performance across the CS2 open circuit throughout the year
- More predictable qualification pathways
- Greater emphasis on long-term competitive success
While this change promotes consistency, it might reduce opportunities for underdog stories like Bad News Eagles that the RMR system occasionally produced.
BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025: The New Era Begins
The BLAST.tv Austin Major will be the first tournament to implement these changes. Key details include:
- Extended tournament schedule (earlier than the originally planned June 9-22, 2025)
- The first major implementation of the 32-team format
Impact on the Competitive Landscape
These changes represent a significant evolution in competitive CS2:
Advantages:
- More teams get opportunities at the highest level
- Extended tournament duration allows for better scheduling
- Rewards consistent performance throughout the season
- Larger event scale could mean increased prize pools and exposure
Challenges:
- Longer tournaments may strain team resources
- Potential scheduling conflicts with other events
- Reduced opportunities for surprise qualifiers
- Teams need to maintain consistent performance over longer periods
As we approach 2025, the community eagerly awaits to see how these changes will shape the future of competitive CS2.
Adjustments to the Majors Calendar
Starting in 2025, the Counter-Strike 2 Majors will experience a shift in their scheduling. Traditionally held in May and November, the tournaments will move to the end of each competitive season, occurring in June and December.
This rescheduling is designed to synchronize the Majors with the summer and winter breaks, allowing teams to prepare more effectively without conflicting with other significant tournaments.
Here is the revised Majors schedule for the years 2025 and 2026:
2025
- First Major: 9 – 22 June
- Second Major: 1 – 14 December
2026
- First Major: 8 – 21 June
- Second Major: 30 November – 13 December
Since 2018, 16 teams would start in the then so-called “Challenger stage”, with the top 8 Swiss system teams advancing to the “Legends stage”, where they would meet the 8 Legends teams in another Swiss format.
The top 8 teams then made the playoffs and crowned the winning side in a classic knockout system. This system is set to remain, with the fourth stage being Swiss as well.