Valve setting up open CS2 esports scene, ending partnership leagues in 2025

With competitive Counter-Strike set to enter a new era with the impending launch of CS2, Valve is making massive changes to the esports ecosystem that will shift the scene to a completely open format that effectively spells the end of the “permanent partner” team model in the biggest leagues.

In a post titled “A Level Playing Field,” Valve claimed today that professional Counter-Strike has drifted away from an open playing field, “with access to the highest levels of competition increasingly gated by business relationships.” This statement directly references two of the biggest leagues in the game, ESL Pro League and BLAST Premier, which have their own partnered teams and their own rankings.

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