The CS2 scene is once again in turmoil – this time over decisions made by Perfect World, the organizers of CAC 2025, who, according to leading commentators and analysts, disrupted the balance of the regional qualification system and effectively “rewrote the rules to suit themselves.” The tournament, scheduled for October 14–19 in Shanghai with a $1 million prize pool, has come under fire well before its start due to questionable actions surrounding team selection.
Latest Update on #CAC2025:
Perfect World Esports will host the next iteration of the world-class CAC 2025 tournament series in Shanghai, China, from October 14 to 19, 2025, featuring a $1,000,000 USD prize pool! Top teams from around the globe will gather in China this autumn,… pic.twitter.com/TEgEZHNAz3
— CS_PerfectWorld (@CS_PerfectWorld) August 1, 2025
What happened?
Analyst and commentator Graham Pitt (known in the community as messioso) launched a series of posts outlining how Perfect World allegedly used exceptions and informal arrangements to create a “convenient” format for their own region. According to Pitt, several key changes were made:
- FaZe received an “exceptional” invite (Valve-enabled exception), even though their ranking is technically too high for this type of wildcard. “They shouldn’t be eligible for a wildcard invite since they’re ranked higher than 12th,” Pitt explained.
- Two Asia qualifiers were converted into two China-only qualifiers, effectively closing the path for all other teams in the Asia region. Teams from Southeast Asia, Mongolia, or Korea now have no access.
- The North American qualifier slot was given to Europe. NA lost its qualification place, and an extra EU spot was added instead.
- The new Americas qualifier will take place in Brazil, which effectively makes it a South American qualifier. Teams from the US and Canada are left at a disadvantage.
- The global invite was removed and replaced with another European qualifier.
- Invites from the July VRS were handed out before the slot structure was even announced. This allowed organizers to “tailor” the system around teams already invited.
Pitt summed up the situation: In the end, we’ll have four Chinese teams against the rest of the world. This looks like blatant favoritism for one sub-region while completely ignoring the others.
Accusations of “micromanaging” and questions for Valve
What especially angered the community is the claim that many of these changes happened with Valve’s silent approval.
Granting exceptions left and right and letting TOs do whatever they please whilst systematically negatively impacting other sub-regions,
Pitt wrote, accusing the developers of enabling organizers to damage CS2’s global ecosystem.
Some community members believe Perfect World is taking advantage of its special status as Valve’s “Chinese partner.” As one commentator wrote:
I’m sure PW’s privileged relationship with Valve has nothing to do with them being allowed to break TOR like this, right?
Community reaction: a wave of criticism and suspicion
Social media exploded instantly. Players, analysts, and fans debated furiously, and some went as far as to accuse Perfect World of “behind-the-scenes deals”:
- Bad News Volvos asked: “Isn’t it against VRS rules to use anything other than the three official regions?” Pitt replied: “Not for a Tier 2 event.”
- 9zestia sygjsc suggested FaZe could have been invited as a wildcard, but Pitt clarified: “They’re a wildcard invite only because of the exception — otherwise they wouldn’t qualify.”
- Mnmzzz – Jeff sarcastically wrote: “Of course PW’s privileged relationship with Valve has nothing to do with them being allowed to break TOR .”
- Mimishushu was even more direct: “Probably taking money under the table to allow this — wouldn’t be surprised if @CounterStrike knows.”
Some comments were more ironic, like Zelli0n’s:
I wish I had this amount of dedication to my craft — just in another direction.
What does this mean for CAC 2025 and the CS2 scene?
The CAC 2025 scandal has exposed vulnerabilities in the VRS system and highlighted how dependent the global CS2 scene is on the decisions of individual tournament organizers. The event, which was supposed to be another major international celebration of CS2, is now associated with debates about corruption, regional favoritism, and “double standards.”
Valve has yet to make any public statements, but community pressure is mounting. If the situation isn’t resolved transparently, CAC 2025 risks becoming not a festival of CS2 — but an example of how manipulations and “exceptions” can erode trust in the entire tournament ecosystem.
