A lively discussion began on the HLTV forum regarding the status of the CS Asia Championships 2025. One of the site’s editors, Professeur, confirmed that this time the MVP award will indeed be given — despite the tournament not meeting all traditional criteria.
The fairness of this decision sparked debate in the community, as similar exceptions have been extremely rare in the past.
What is the HLTV MVP and why it matters
MVP (Most Valuable Player) is the most prestigious individual award in the professional Counter-Strike scene. It is presented by HLTV.org to the player who has shown the highest level of impact on their team’s results.
Traditionally, for a tournament to be eligible for an MVP award, it must include:
- at least two teams from the top 10,
- a high prize pool,
- a LAN format with a live audience.
These criteria define whether an event is considered prestigious enough for official recognition.
CS Asia Championships 2025 — an exception to the rules
This year, for the first time in three years, HLTV will make an exception. Despite the absence of two top-10 teams, the Shanghai tournament will still receive an MVP trophy.
According to Professeur, the decision is based on several factors:
- one top-10 team — FaZe;
- several teams close to the top 10 — Liquid, Virtus.pro, fnatic, 3DMAX;
- a $1,000,000 prize pool;
- playoffs held in a large arena.
The editor emphasized that the event meets the standards of a bronze-tier MVP — a lower-tier trophy that HLTV awards to large but not elite tournaments.
Thus, CS Asia Championships 2025 becomes the 18th event to receive an MVP despite not fully meeting the formal standards, and the first since the Pinnacle Cup Championship 2022, where the trophy was awarded to blameF.
Significance for the Asian scene
The CS Asia Championships 2025 is taking place in Shanghai from October 14 to 19, bringing together 16 teams and a $1,000,000 prize pool. The event marks another important step toward Asia’s return to the global Counter-Strike 2 stage.
The arena format of the finals, the strong team lineup, and growing interest in the region demonstrate that the Asian scene is ready for top-tier tournaments — even if they are not yet packed with top-10 teams.
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HLTV’s flexibility as a signal for future events
The exception for the CS Asia Championships 2025 shows that HLTV is willing to adapt its standards to the new era of Counter-Strike 2. The organization recognizes that the prestige of an event today is defined not only by the ranking of participants but also by its production quality, audience engagement, and impact on the scene.
This may mark the beginning of a new trend where high-quality regional tournaments also receive official recognition — giving new talents from around the world a greater chance to enter HLTV’s MVP history.
