Counter Strike Changes in 2025 – What to Expect

A Quick Overview of Counter Strike in 2025

Counter Strike was released in November 2000 by Valve as a Microsoft Windows game. Since then, multiple installments of the game have been released. As it celebrates its 25th anniversary, there are plenty of Counter Strike changes in 2025.

As it’s one of the most popular esports, most betting sites feature Counter Strike. But in 2025, professional Counter Strike is set to experience a few exciting changes - new tournaments and a new ranking system. If you’re a major CS:GO fan, stick with us as we walk you through all the upcoming changes.

Place your esports bets with the best providers

4.8/5

Thrillzz Review

Spend $25 Get $50 in Coins

T&Cs / 18+

Visit Site

4.7/5

Legendz Casino Review

Get up to 103 SC + 20,500 GC for FREE with Legendz!

T&Cs / 18+

Visit Site

4.6/5

Onyx Odds Review

100% purchase match for up to 100 in Onyx Cash Free Picks

T&Cs / 18+

Visit Site

Pros and cons of the new CS:GO rules for 2025

☑️ Check out the latest Counter Strike Changes in 2025

CS:GO changes 2025: A summary of what’s to come

Counter Strike has been around for over two decades and you will find several top-rated CS:GO betting sites. But how has it maintained its popularity? Well, that’s simple - Valve knows how to keep things fresh for fans, piquing and maintaining interest.

Here’s an overlook of the changes for the upcoming CS:GO new season 2025:

Brand-new Valve Major format

A huge change that’s set to hit CS:GO in 2025 is changes to the Majors format. As of right now, there are 24 teams but this will be increased to 32 teams competing. Not only that, but the tournament will also have an additional stage added with the titles changed:

But the changes won’t stop there, as a new Swiss format is coming which will feature the best teams from three different regional qualifiers - American, European, and Asia-Pacific.

Lastly, the Valve ranking system is going to get a shake up. Regional spots will now be determined by the overall performance of the teams. Thanks to the new Valve ranking system, female teams can also earn invitations to tournaments.

With the introduction of Valve’s Teams Ranking system, the Regional Major Ranking system is going to be removed completely. More on this below…

🤩 Discover the Brand-new Valve Major format

Removal of RMRs

As you have seen, the ranking system is set to be replaced. A significant change to the Counter Strike 2025 season is the removal of the Regional Major Ranking (RMR) events. RMRs have served CS:GO tournaments since 2018 when they became the sole qualification method up until now.

Whether you agree or not, this change will see Counter Strike teams able to secure a place in events that haven’t been so lucky in previous years. For example, the Imperial Female team was invited to the BLAST Bounty Spring 2025 qualifier thanks to their ranking position with this new system.

Enjoy esports betting with the best bonus packages

1.

4.8/5

Thrillzz Promo Code

Spend $25 Get $50 in Coins

USA Players Eligible

Visit Thrillzz

Get Bonus

T&Cs / 18+

2.

4.7/5

Legendz Casino Promo Code

Get up to 103 SC + 20,500 GC for FREE with Legendz!

USA Players Eligible

Visit Legendz Casino

Get Bonus

T&Cs / 18+

3.

4.6/5

Onyx Odds Promo Code

100% purchase match for up to 100 in Onyx Cash Free Picks

USA Players Eligible

Copy

Get Bonus

T&Cs / 18+

4.

4.6/5

Kickr Promo Code

150,000 Bits + FREE 4 Bucks

USA Players Eligible

Visit Kickr

Get Bonus

T&Cs / 18+

5.

4.6/5

Fliff Promo Code

Spend $50, Get up to $100 in Fliff Coins + Get up to $5 Per Day

USA Players Eligible

Copy

Get Bonus

T&Cs / 18+

CS:GO: New tournaments 2025

Before we dive into how 2025 is going to look, let’s recap on 2024. In 2024, there were six tournaments hosted with significant prize pools of $1,000,000+. But coming up in 2025, there will be at least double that many events.

For example, at the time of writing this article, 11 tournaments have already been announced. But we expect there to be a few more events scheduled soon, as not all tournaments and prizes have been fully announced just yet. So, what is the CS:GO new season in 2025 going to look like? Well, you can expect to see the standard tournaments such as PGL, ESL, and BLAST. But you will also discover a brand new tournament series titled FISSURE Playground.

FISSURE Playground is set to be hosted in Belgrade and will consist of two events with a prize pool of $1,000,000. You can also look forward to StarLadder returning to the scene after a long break. StarSeries Season 20 is due to start in September 2025 in Budapest. Yet another plan in motion is the change to the Skyesports Masters prize pool. As the international tournament is getting upgraded to Tier-S, the prize pools will significantly increase. While the exact prize hasn’t been announced, the India tournament is set to be significant.

Think that’s enough? Well, we have more! Instead of just one YaLLa Compass tournament being hosted, there will now be two - in the UAE and Qatar. Additionally, the Esports World Cup 2025 has boosted its prize to $1,250,000 from the 2024 amount of $200,000.

👍 Join the CSGO New tournaments 2025

CS:GO new tournaments for 2025: PGL

In recent years, PGL hasn’t hosted many Counter Strike tournaments, but this is set to change in 2025. Throughout the year, you can look forward to a few events all with a prize pool of $1,250,000. But here’s the real kicker - there will be a third-place match.

While the third-place match tends to get skipped, it won’t be this year. Instead, the third-place match will be hosted on the day, just before the Grand Final.

Here’s a breakdown of the PGL tournaments for 2025:

✅ Safe the date for the BLAST tournaments 2025

BLAST tournaments for 2025

BLAST hosts the Premier Series every year and 2025 is no different. But, there are a few changes you may notice, including:

• All tournaments will have Grand Finals with a clear winner
• Grand Finals will be in the best-of-five format
• Teams will be re-seeded before each round
• Lower-seeded teams will select their opponents

Here’s a full breakdown of the BLAST CS:GO new tournaments for 2025:

▶️ Enjoy the Intel Extreme Masters tournaments

Intel Extreme Masters tournaments

The Intel Extreme Masters series is set to return in 2025 with five exciting international tournaments. Both the Katowice and Cologne tournaments will keep to their standard $1,000,000 prize pool. On the other hand, the rest of the tournaments will have a $300,000 prize pool which has been increased by $50,000 from 2024.

You can expect all Intel Extreme Masters Grand Finals to be played in the best-of-five format, unlike last year where this wasn’t the case.

Stay up-to-date with all the latest CS:GO news

As you can see, Counter Strike is set to receive a little makeover ahead of the 2025 season. You can anticipate exciting new tournaments, new rules, bigger prize pools, and much more. While we know a lot about the upcoming plans, there’s still plenty to be announced. For example, we don’t yet know all the tournaments and events or the associated prize pools.

For now, we recommend sticking around and returning to this page for the latest updates on all things CS:GO. We will highlight everything you need to know as an avid fan, so you know exactly what to expect from the new season.

Enjoy esports betting with the best bonuses

1.

4.8/5

Thrillzz Promo Code

Spend $25 Get $50 in Coins

USA Players Eligible

Visit Thrillzz

Get Bonus

T&Cs / 18+

2.

4.7/5

Legendz Casino Promo Code

Get up to 103 SC + 20,500 GC for FREE with Legendz!

USA Players Eligible

Visit Legendz Casino

Get Bonus

T&Cs / 18+

3.

4.6/5

Onyx Odds Promo Code

100% purchase match for up to 100 in Onyx Cash Free Picks

USA Players Eligible

Copy

Get Bonus

T&Cs / 18+

4.

4.6/5

Kickr Promo Code

150,000 Bits + FREE 4 Bucks

USA Players Eligible

Visit Kickr

Get Bonus

T&Cs / 18+

5.

4.6/5

Fliff Promo Code

Spend $50, Get up to $100 in Fliff Coins + Get up to $5 Per Day

USA Players Eligible

Copy

Get Bonus

T&Cs / 18+