Valve has released the August update to the Valve Regional Standings (VRS), with Team Liquid reclaiming the No. 1 position in North America. The revamped lineup featuring JT and Jorko helped the team overtake M80 and Wildcard, returning Liquid to the top of the regional rankings.
Liquid back on top in North America
According to the updated standings, Liquid now sit on 1,397 points, climbing two places in the rankings. M80 dropped to second with 1,361 points, while Wildcard slipped to third with 1,352. North American VRS Top 10:
- Liquid — 1,397 (+2)
- M80 — 1,361 (-1)
- Wildcard — 1,352 (-1)
- NRG — 1,228 (=)
- Voca — 1,077 (=)
- SportsBetExpert — 980 (+5)
- Chicken Coop — 970 (=)
- Marsborne — 957 (=)
- LAG — 847 (+1)
- regain — 833 (+2)
The updated ranking also introduced several new teams into the top 20, including Villainous, Club 333, EMPIRE, Shimmer, Overtake Sector, and Wanted Goons. At the same time, Dust2.us announced that it will no longer include inactive or disbanded teams in future rankings, aiming to keep the list more relevant.
JT and Jorko make an immediate impact
Liquid’s rise follows a promising debut for the organization’s new roster. At BLAST Bounty Season 2, the team delivered one of the tournament’s biggest surprises and proved it could compete with elite opposition despite the recent roster overhaul.
Liquid stunned Vitality with a convincing 2-0 victory during the online stage, handing one of the world’s strongest teams an early elimination. Although Liquid’s run ended in the quarter-finals with a 0-2 loss to Spirit, their overall performance suggested the new lineup has far more potential than previous iterations.
That result looks even more impressive in hindsight. Spirit went on to reach the grand final, while MOUZ lifted the trophy after defeating Spirit 3-1 in the championship match. Against that level of competition, Liquid were one of the few teams that showed they could genuinely challenge the tournament’s top contenders.
Those performances played a significant role in boosting Liquid’s VRS points and ultimately helped them reclaim the No. 1 spot in North America.
Community reactions are mixed
The updated rankings sparked debate across the North American Counter-Strike community. Some fans questioned the overall strength of the region, arguing that only a handful of high-profile victories were enough to send Liquid back to the top.
Others focused on the lower half of the rankings after Dust2.us removed inactive teams, with several users expressing surprise at the placement of newly promoted squads.
Despite the criticism, many agreed that Liquid look significantly stronger with JT and Jorko in the lineup, and that upcoming international LAN events will be the real test of whether the team’s resurgence is sustainable.
What comes next?
Reclaiming the No. 1 spot in the North American VRS is an important milestone for Liquid following their roster rebuild. However, the team’s biggest challenge still lies ahead, as the upcoming LAN tournaments will determine whether the strong debut of JT and Jorko marks the beginning of a genuine return to the top level of Counter-Strike.
