Extra extra, read all about it!
Valve have completely changed the way teams qualify for the RMRs!
Okay, that might be a stretch.
In a rule we’re dubbing the ‘Astralis Rule’, Valve will invite teams who have ‘consistently perform[ed] well in Valve and third-party events’ to the closed qualifiers, instead of the wild west of the open qualifiers.
We think this is a real shame. Not least as it further tilts the qualification process towards higher reputation teams (Movistar Riders, for example, might’ve been invited to the closed qualifier, despite being awful), but also because watching Astralis tear their hair out in open qualifiers was hilarious.
Seriously. It was so amusing.
blameF trying to bait his way to 30-bombs against little Timmy who just finished school, and failing, was one of the funniest moments of the year.
We’ve now been robbed of that greatness. It was fun while it lasted.
As Bleh notes, it only succeeds in funnelling resources and tipping the scales in favour of teams in the Louvre Agreement. The rich, indeed, will get richer, even in cases where said rich does not deserve it.
Insert your own political punchline on that one.
Still. Good news for Astralis who will glide through the closed qualifiers. As long as they don’t face a team as good as 500 (yep, read on).
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