Valve addresses forfeit loophole

Valve has updated its Regional Standings (VRS) system to prevent teams from exploiting a forfeit rule that allowed them to avoid losing ranking points. The change comes after several teams used forfeits strategically rather than playing their matches.

Previously, forfeiting a match had less impact on a team's regional ranking than losing it outright. This meant teams could choose to forfeit games they were likely to lose, protecting their VRS position. HLTV's Editor-in-Chief Striker took to X, urging teams to put an end to this practice as Valve could soon start evaluating these forfeits as losses which was confirmed by Nomad's reply to the post.

The problem came to a head when OG forfeited their match against RUSHB, a day before playing Astralis, claiming they weren't "in a condition to play." This incident led Striker to note that the situation was "getting out of hand." The community backed up Striker's argument citing that forfeits should have some king of consequence on a team's VRS position.

While Valve has fixed the forfeit loophole, concerns about the VRS system remain. Several teams have written an open letter to Valve, warning that the current system could harm the tier-two competitive scene if not adjusted further.

The VRS system, still in its early stages, may see more changes in the coming months as Valve continues to refine how Counter-Strike 2 teams are ranked within their regions.