All 32 teams locked in as VRS cutoff passes for StarLadder Budapest Major

All 32 teams locked in as VRS cutoff passes for StarLadder Budapest Major

With the Valve Regional Standings (VRS) deadline having passed on October 6, 2025, the full roster of 32 invited teams to the StarLadder Budapest Major is now confirmed. No further match results, roster changes, or events will affect qualification—this marks the end of speculation and solidifies who will appear on Counter-Strike’s biggest stage this season. 

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How the qualification system works now

VRS replaces Regional Qualifiers

For the Budapest Major, Valve has fully moved away from the older RMR (Regional Major Rankings) and MRQ (Major Regional Qualifiers) system. Instead, every invited slot, including those that formerly would have been decided via qualifiers, is now determined by the VRS standings. 

Under this model:

• Europe will receive 16 direct invites via VRS, with distribution into Stage 3, Stage 2, and Stage 1 based on region rank.

• Americas receives 10 invites total, split across stages similarly by VRS.

This means that roster changes and tournament results after the October 6 cutoff carry zero impact on Major eligibility. 

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Key teams & movement ahead of the cutoff

Liquid’s final push

Prior to the cutoff, Team Liquid made a significant late climb in the VRS standings. Their victory over TYLOO awarded crucial points, propelling them into the invite range at the final opportunity.  Given that Russel “Twistzz” Van Dulken will depart for FaZe after this event, this marks Liquid’s final shot with their existing roster. 

Stability and locked rosters

MIBR, Fluxo, FaZe, MOUZ, Spirit, The MongolZ, and many others are now locked in as Major invitees. Teams like MIBR appear under the “Stage 2” slot in the published invite list. 

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Implications & strategic consequences

No more roster upheavals

Because no changes can affect invites post cutoff, teams must commit fully to their final rosters. This reduces last-minute substitutions or risky signings specifically to chase invites. 

Pressure on pre-deadline performance

All remaining events and matches leading up to October 6 were treated as make-or-break opportunities. Teams chasing invites risked extreme volatility in strategy and effort. Liquid’s final push is a prime example. 

Greater weight on consistency and decay

Because VRS considers six months of performance (with time-decay weighting), long-term consistency is now more critical than a last-minute streak.