Veteran esports journalist Richard Lewis has revealed that Valve has demanded some structural changes in the professional Counter-Strike landscape before CS2 makes its competitive debut
Renowned journalist Richard Lewis, who previously garnered significant attention within the CSGO community for publishing the “Hunden Files”, has disclosed that Valve is dissatisfied with the existing competitive Counter-Strike ecosystem. The developer, as a result, has requested tournament organizers to implement structural reforms in order to obtain Counter-Strike 2 license for future tournaments.
Latest for Substack: In meetings at the Paris major Valve representatives expressed their distaste of the current “partnered leagues” ecosystem and stated their desire for change to a more open structure for the release of CS2.https://t.co/aMubvaqj8D pic.twitter.com/jdJ2tqYGa0
— Richard Lewis (@RLewisReports) June 9, 2023
As per the published details, Valve has raised concerns about the current state of the competitive landscape, specifically addressing the issue of large clubs obtaining guaranteed slots in major tournaments. During discussions held with ESL and BLAST executives at the BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023, Valve specifically requested that the organizers discontinue “partnered leagues” if they want to secure licenses for holding CS2 tournaments.
As uncovered by one of Lewis’s sources, ESL has already begun exploring options to extend invitations to partner teams for Gamers8 2023. This high-stakes tournament, set to take place in the Saudi Arabian capital later this summer, offers a substantial $1 million prize pool. ESL management has scheduled a dedicated meeting to explore the feasibility of continuing collaboration with clubs in a manner that aligns with Valve’s guidelines.
ESL and BLAST reserve a significant number of spots in their premier tournaments for partner teams, who not only secure these coveted positions but also enjoy a share of the tournament operators’ earnings. This practice has drawn repeated criticism from the community, as it creates a misleading impression of an open circuit sanctioned by Valve.
Read the original report for more details.
estnn.com
