Perfect World, the Chinese tournament operator, has announced that all Regional Major Rankings (RMRs) for the upcoming Counter-Strike 2 Shanghai Major will be conducted offline in China. This significant decision sets a unique precedent for the tournament, emphasizing a return to traditional, in-person competition for the qualifying rounds.
The regional qualifiers are scheduled to commence on August 21st and will conclude on August 30th. Following these initial stages, the offline RMRs are set to take place from November 11th to November 24th. The Shanghai Major itself will unfold in three distinct stages: the opening stage from November 30th to December 3rd, the elimination stage from December 5th to 8th, and the playoffs from December 12th to 15th.
According to a detailed post by Perfect World, the qualification process will differ significantly between regions. Europe and the Americas will not have any open qualifiers, meaning that only invited teams will have the opportunity to participate. In contrast, regions such as China, Oceania, and the Middle East will hold open qualifiers, allowing a broader range of teams to compete for a spot in the Major.
This exclusion of open qualifiers in Europe and the Americas has sparked controversy within the Counter-Strike community. Many highlight the inspiring stories of underdog teams that have previously risen through open qualifiers to reach Major events, such as the Danish team ECSTATIC, which successfully navigated over 20 matches to qualify for the Copenhagen Major earlier this year.
In response, UK-based esports organization Viperio has launched a petition urging Valve, the game’s developer and publisher, to maintain open qualifiers. Viperio Co-Owner Brodie Mulvaney emphasized the importance of these underdog narratives, stating that they are integral to the spirit and history of Counter-Strike.
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