Recently, an unpleasant situation occurred with the Wildcard team that attracted attention. The team exploited a loophole in Valve’s rules that allows manipulation of regions in the context of tournament qualifications. This case caught the attention of Swisher, a player from M80, who publicly expressed his dissatisfaction with this issue. He stated that Valve must either close this loophole or pay closer attention to ensure such situations do not occur again.
The Manipulation: How Wildcard Bypassed the Rules
It all began when the Wildcard team, which was previously composed of players from the European region (EU), took an unconventional approach to their roster before the major PGL Astana tournament. Instead of keeping their players, the team decided to temporarily add Stewie2k, a well-known player from North America (NA). The goal of this move was to meet the requirements for participating in the NA VRS qualification, which was an important step toward entering the NA MRQ (Mid-Region Qualifier).
The team then accepted an invitation to participate in the NA MRQ, but after some time, they returned their European player to the roster, replacing Stewie2k. In this way, Wildcard effectively used a temporary NA player to enter an easier qualification, avoiding the more competitive European pool.
Why It Matters: The Difference in Competition Levels
Such manipulations provide an unfair advantage. Why? Because the European region is more competitive than the American one. While North America has historically had less intense competition, Europe has always had top teams like Astralis, FaZe Clan, G2 Esports, and others that set a higher level of play.
Meanwhile, in NA, despite the success of a few teams, the competition remains weaker. Therefore, Wildcard’s strategy allows them to avoid the strongest opponents by manipulating regions, which gives them a better chance of passing through the less competitive pool without significant problems.
Will Valve Address This Issue?
Swisher expressed the opinion that Valve needs to intervene and tighten the rules to close such loopholes. While under current rules, replacing a player from one region with a player from another region should not change the team’s region, in practice, such manipulations have become a reality. It is possible that Valve will revisit this issue to prevent similar situations in the future.
But as always, such a decision will not come without both positive and negative consequences. On one hand, these changes could neutralize teams’ ability to manipulate the system; on the other hand, it could limit flexibility for teams that temporarily want to strengthen their rosters. However, this precedent raises an important question: how should regional transfers be properly regulated, and how can the integrity of qualifications be ensured?
What Will Happen to the Qualification System?
Such cases raise doubts about the transparency and fairness of the entire tournament, so Valve should address this loophole as soon as possible. It is crucial for Valve to carefully monitor the adherence to its rules and actively respond to attempts to circumvent them. Otherwise, we may witness more of these situations, which would undoubtedly have a negative impact on the professional CS:GO scene.
Swisher and other players who are observing what is happening demand change. And although the future of the qualification system remains uncertain, this situation serves as an example of how, in a world of fierce competition, the regulation of fairness and integrity must be at the highest level.
