Valve Releases September Ranking Update

Valve Releases September Ranking Update

By Nohte – Published September 1, 2025
Valve has published its September Valve Regional Standings (VRS), the penultimate monthly update before teams' invites to the PGL Bucharest Major are finalized. Performance from events such as BLAST Bounty Season 2 and the Esports World Cup has been factored in. 

Highlights from the Global Standings:

Spirit has overtaken Vitality to claim the top spot, buoyed by consecutive victories at IEM Cologne and BLAST Bounty Season 2, while Aurora surged from 11th to 6th place following their finals performance at the Esports World Cup. Meanwhile, 3DMAX climbed to 8th spot after winning the Perfect World Challenge Series 1.

Notable fallers include FaZe (from 8th to 12th), FURIA (6th to 10th), and Passion UA, which dropped from 20th to 33rd and fell out of the top 30 after a winless exit from DraculaN Season 1.

The September ranking will determine the 16 teams receiving Global invites to PGL Bucharest Season 2, scheduled for October 25 to November 2, with a total prize pool of $1,250,000. 

Global Standings Overview (Top 15) – Key Metrics:

(BCOL – Bounty Collected, BOFF – Bounty Offered, NETW – Opponent Network, LANW – LAN Wins, H2H – Head-to-Head Adjustment)
Each team's score begins with a 400‑point baseline, which is allocated across BCOL, BOFF, NETW, and LANW metrics, and then adjusted through H2H results. 

Related Context & Background

This ranking is a key determinant for PGL Bucharest Season 2 invites. The final Major invite cutoff will be decided in the October 6 ranking update.

Since 2025, all official team invitations for events like Majors are based strictly on the VRS, a measure by Valve to centralize and standardize qualification processes.

Quotes & Community Reactions

Although the original HLTV article did not include direct player quotes, a related earlier piece reveals Spirit’s in-game leader donk remarking after a win:

“We didn't face Vitality, and we need to beat them to become the best team in the world.” 

This comment underscores Spirit’s drive—and may hint at their strategic approach given their recent rise to the top of the standings.

Summary

• Spirit now leads the VRS, showcasing strong form from recent tournaments.

• Aurora and 3DMAX made significant upwards moves.

• Several established names like FaZe and FURIA saw drops in their rankings.

• The updated standings set the stage for determining the 16 Global invites to PGL Bucharest Season 2.

• The final ranking update on October 6 will confirm the invitation list for the Major.