Valve Ranking System Exposed: The Good, Bad, & Ugly | Feed The Trolls Ep 33 ft. Thorin & THREAT

The new Valve Ranking System has shaken up the Counter-Strike competitive scene, especially for Tier 2 teams. In this episode, THREAT from NiP joins myself and Thorin to unpack this complicated system and its impact on players, teams, and tournament organizers. We dive into the mechanics of the ranking points, discuss loopholes, and explore how the system affects smaller teams striving for success. From the challenges of open qualifiers to financial viability for organizations, we break down the key issues and debate Valve’s approach to competitive CS. Plus, we touch on match-fixing concerns and what the future holds for the ecosystem. It’s a dense topic, but we’ve done our best to make sense of it! Recorded: January 24, 2025 Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:57 THREAT from NiP 03:23 Exploring the Valve Ranking System 07:26 The Mechanics of Valve Ranking Points 12:40 The Impact of LAN Wins on Valve Rankings 15:18 Loopholes in the Valve Ranking System 19:00 Navigating Tournament Licensing and Points 22:52 The Challenges of Open Qualifiers 26:53 Valve's Disconnection from the Competitive CS Scene 32:01 Match Fixing and Cheating Concerns 35:57 The Path to Success for Smaller Teams 41:01 The Evolving Landscape of Tournament Organizers 42:16 Challenges of Open Qualifiers and Financial Viability 45:40 The Impact of Financial Constraints on Team Dynamics 49:40 Navigating the New Competitive Ecosystem 54:00 The Future of Competitive Counter-Strike Follow Thorin on X: www.x.com/Thorin Follow THREAT on X: www.x.com/THREAT_CS #CounterStrike #ValveRankingSystem #NiP #THREAT #Esports #CSGO #CounterStrikePodcast #Tier2CS Find me on the socials: Blog - http://www.techgirlblog.com Instagram - http://www.instagram.com/techgirlza Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/techgirlza Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/techgirlza Twitch - http://www.twitch.tv/techgirlza Discord - https://discord.gg/SKvCd82nv4 TikTok - http://www.tiktok.com/@TechGirlZA My wish list: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3IYV9R777HMQK/ref=nav_wishlist_lists_1 My gear (shop it on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/shop/techgirlza/list/3FH7APBG6UDTE) - Canon EOS M50 Mark ii - My PC: Z590-GUNDAM (Wi-Fi) Motherboard, ROG Strix RTX3080 Graphics Card, PSU ROG Strix 850G GUNDAM edition, Intel Core i7-10700 Processor & ROG Strix Helios GUNDAM edition case. - ROG Strix XG27AQV Gaming Monitor - TUF Gaming VG27VH1B