Valve introduces tournament licensing: what does it mean for the world of esports?

Tonight, Valve made a historic decision: they are introducing tournament licensing, which will lead to a reduction in the number of Tier 2-3 tournaments. An exception was made for Tier 2 tournaments, allowing them to be announced three months before they start, but for major tournaments with the top eight VRS teams, Valve must be informed of plans for the following year by specific dates.

A rule has also been established requiring tournament organizers to provide advance notice of events two years before they begin. A clear system has been introduced for tournament operators, determining who and how to invite to tournaments. However, questions remain about the timing of team invitations, VRS cutoffs, and potential visa issues. At the moment, the situation remains uncertain, but teams ranked in the top 50+ VRS will have to go through open qualifiers.

We wish them patience and good luck, and hope for a more defined set of regulations in the near future. Perhaps the era of annual majors that we are accustomed to is coming to an end.