Do you like fairytales?

There’s something magical about watching David beat Goliath. When the minnows upset the applecart, when the elite get their little bubble popped by a bunch of jumped-up yappers, or when the Bad News Eagles eliminate FaZe, or the sharks of Vega Squadron smack NIP.

Sadly, if you agree with us, you’re not going to like some of the changes coming to the Counter-Strike circuit.

Do you know what isn’t magical? Numbers and rankings, which is how most of the events next year will decide its invitees. Great if you’re a big name, a death sentence if you’re not.

If nearly every event is decided by rankings, you’re going to struggle to get meaningful rankings points because you’re not at any bloody events.

Therein lies the problem; past performance is an okay predictor of future success, but the world of Counter-Strike changes very quickly. HEROIC were terrible, like, two weeks ago.

Open qualifiers gives everyone the chance – no matter your reputation or standing – to make it to a big event and show what you’re about. Open qualifiers have made careers: chopper getting to a Major via the open qualifiers, Boombl4 making a Major, The MongolZ getting to a Major.

If you get invited on reputation, and not by beating the teams you’re supposed to be better than, how can we know you’re better than them this time around?

It’s just really quite sad.

We’re sure there’s some justification and actually, it’s ‘all going to be okay!’ for the tier 2 teams. But at this rate we’ll never see a story like Into The Breach in Paris ever again, and we think that’s a damn shame.

At least we’ll see MIBR 0-2 Vitality at every event.