A wave of Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) tournaments with modest prize pools is drawing the attention of top-tier teams, despite being far below the million-dollar events announced earlier this year. The reason is the Valve Regional Standings (VRS), which determine invitations to CS2’s flagship Major and is having an effect of making smaller LANs strategically important.
In September, the Birch Cup 2025 will take place in Gdańsk, Poland, hosting 24 teams with a $15,000 prize pool. Sixteen will qualify through open rounds, while the top eight from the VRS standings go straight to the main stage. Despite its scale, the event has confirmed participation from Team Liquid, Ninjas in Pyjamas, Fnatic, ENCE, BIG, and OG Esports. For teams inside the VRS top 30, the Birch Cup is less about prize money and more about securing points to strengthen their path to the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025.
A week later, Brazil will host the FERJEE RUSH in Rio de Janeiro from 27 to 30 September. Sixteen teams will compete for R$150,000 (~$27,400), with a R$5,000 (~$914.00) entry fee per team going entirely into the prize pool. Results will be submitted to Valve to award VRS points. “The FERJEE RUSH was designed to support teams from across the world, especially from Latin America, in the pursuit of points for the main championship of the season,” said Cadu Albuquerque, President of FERJEE. “This is an important step not only for Rio de Janeiro, but for Brazil as a whole within the esports scene.”
In North America, Fragadelphia continues to play a similar role. Known for its grassroots roots and modest prize pools, the long-running LAN has become a key stop for teams aiming to boost their VRS ranking. It serves both as a proving ground for emerging rosters and a strategic checkpoint for established organisations targeting Major qualification.
Taken together, these tournaments show how the VRS has shifted team priorities. Even with limited financial rewards—far below the million-dollar prizes of top-tier events—smaller LANs are attracting the best teams because the chance to qualify for a major outweighs the investment required to secure VRS points.
Being present at a Major carries far greater financial weight than prize money alone: Valve-backed events deliver the highest viewership in Counter-Strike, maximising exposure for sponsors, strengthening commercial partnerships, and boosting merchandise sales.
Crucially, the in-game sticker system associated with Majors provides teams with a direct revenue stream that has become one of the most reliable sources of income in the scene. For many organisations, the potential financial return from stickers and sponsorship visibility makes qualifying for a Major worth far more than the short-term costs of attending smaller LANs along the way.
