Valve has introduced a significant update to the rules for Counter-Strike 2 Majors — from now on, the five players listed in the VRS (Valve Roster Submission) at the time a team receives its Major invite will officially be considered the team’s “Core Roster.” This core lineup cannot be changed. The only allowed exception is one substitute player, who must not change the team’s regional status.<\/p>
In simple terms, once your team is invited to a Major, you’re not allowed to alter the main lineup. This directly impacts roster moves like:<\/p>
Under the new rule, such roster changes — like those seen before the BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025 — are no longer permitted.<\/p>
It protects the players who actually qualified for the Major from being dropped before stickers and the main event, explained tournament operations director Graham Pitt.<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>
\nAdditional change regarding invited rosters to the Majors.<\/p>\n
The 5 players listed on the VRS at the time of the invite to the major are the 5 players that must be your \"Core Roster\".<\/p>\n
You can then still add 1 sub that cannot change your region if they replaced any player. pic.twitter.com\/qJUNz2qVXB<\/a><\/p>\n
— Graham Pitt (@messioso) July 1, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>