Team Spirit has claimed the number one spot in the September 2025 Counter-Strike 2 Valve Regional Standings (VRS), climbing above Team Vitality after a huge month in competition.
The VRS is the system that decides which teams receive invitations to major CS2 tournaments, and this month’s update carries a lot of weight. With PGL Masters Bucharest 2025 just around the corner, the September standings will directly determine which 16 teams earn a ticket to Romania to fight for a share of the $1.25 million prize pool.
Team Spirit on top after BLAST Bounty triumph
Spirit’s rise to first place comes off the back of their win at BLAST Bounty Season 2, where they beat The MongolZ in the Grand Final. The victory not only gave them another trophy to their cabinet but also the points they needed to overtake Vitality.
WE ARE YOUR BLAST BOUNTY 2025 S2 FINALS CHAMPIONS 🏆
Thank you all for your support 🤍 #BLASTPremier pic.twitter.com/Kbs5aFtl6x
— Team Spirit CS2 (@Team__Spirit) August 17, 2025
Team Vitality, who had been holding onto the top spot since March 2025, stumbled after being knocked out in the semi-finals. That slip means the French side drops down to second in the global VRS for the first time in months.
The MongolZ and 3DMAX climbing fast
Elsewhere, The MongolZ continue to prove themselves as a top contender. After winning the Esports World Cup in August, they’ve now moved up from fourth to third. Aurora Gaming also made it back into the top ten following their strong run at the same event.
WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS OF THE ESPORTS WORLD CUP 2025!
From the bottom of our hearts, thank you to the families of our players. You raised these kind and healthy young boys. Today, they are coming home to you with the EWC trophy. This victory belongs to you just as much as it… pic.twitter.com/OtJkj7jpmn
— The MongolZ (@1mongolz) August 24, 2025
Meanwhile, 3DMAX made one of the biggest jumps of the month. Their win at Perfect World Challenge Series 1 saw them rocket from 13th to 8th, firmly cementing themselves as a team to watch heading into the end of the year.
Not every team had a positive update though. Passion UA had a rough September, dropping from 20th to 33rd after a winless run at DraculaN Season 1.
Below are the Top 30 Global standings:
Image via HLTV.org
Image via HLTV.org
PGL Masters Bucharest 2025 up next
The updated standings will lock in invites for PGL Masters Bucharest, which runs from October 25 to November 2. The event is one of the last Tier 1 tournaments before focus shifts to the StarLadder Budapest Major. With so much at stake, September’s rankings carry huge implications for teams looking to cement their place among the world’s best.