How the circuit points work, and why they matter for seeding
Circuit points determine seeding for the closed qualifier, the regional major, and the global final. The points system is the reason a group stage upset has consequences beyond the single match.
How the points work
Five tiers, three regions, one global final. The system is the same across all three regional circuits.
| Tier | Event | Points to winner | Points to runner-up | Points to third | Points to fourth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Global Final | 500 | 300 | 200 | 100 |
| 2 | Continental Major | 300 | 180 | 120 | 60 |
| 3 | Crown Open | 200 | 120 | 80 | 40 |
| 4 | Regional Open | 100 | 60 | 40 | 20 |
| 5 | Closed Qualifier | 50 | 30 | 20 | 10 |
Current top 16 — circuit points
Sorted by total circuit points. The top eight earn direct invites to the closed qualifier.
| # | Team | Region | Total | Best finish | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cobalt | EU West | 880 | 1st (Crown Open) | 4 |
| 2 | Aurora | EU West | 720 | 1st (Continental Major) | 3 |
| 3 | Meridian | APAC North | 680 | 1st (Crown Open S10) | 4 |
| 4 | Helix | APAC South | 620 | 1st (Crown Open S11) | 3 |
| 5 | Voltaic | Americas | 540 | 1st (Regional Open S12) | 4 |
| 6 | Quartz | Americas | 480 | 2nd (Continental Major) | 3 |
| 7 | Halcyon | EU East | 420 | 3rd (Crown Open S14) | 3 |
| 8 | Sable | EU East | 380 | 4th (Crown Open S14) | 3 |
| 9 | Onyx | APAC North | 320 | 3rd (Regional Open S13) | 3 |
Tiebreakers, in order
The desk gets the question "why is team X seeded above team Y" every other week. The answer is almost always one of these four tiebreakers.
1 · Head-to-head record
If two teams have played in the current season, the team with the better head-to-head record is seeded higher. Head-to-head is determined by series wins, not by map differential.
2 · Map differential
If the head-to-head is tied, the team with the better map differential across the season is seeded higher. Map differential is the sum of all maps won minus all maps lost.
3 · Best finish
If the map differential is also tied, the team with the better best finish is seeded higher. Best finish is determined by the highest tier the team has won.
4 · Coin flip
If the best finish is also tied, the league flips a coin. The coin flip is the only random element in the points system and it is reserved for the rarest of cases.
The points system, read like the desk reads it.
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What the points determine
The four places where circuit points matter.
1 · Closed qualifier seeding
The closed qualifier is the second stage of every major. The top eight sides by circuit points earn direct invites; the rest of the field comes through the open qualifier. Seeding within the closed qualifier is determined by circuit points — higher points seed higher.
2 · Regional major invites
Each regional major invites the top four sides from that region's circuit points ranking. Sides ranked fifth or lower have to play their way in through the regional open.
3 · Global final invites
The global final invites the top two sides from each regional circuit's final rankings. The final rankings are determined by circuit points, with the same tiebreakers as the regional rankings.
4 · Off-season contract renewals
Circuit points are a factor in off-season contract renewals, but they are not the only factor. The desk's coverage of the off-season treats circuit points as a useful but incomplete read on a player's value to a team.
How the desk reads the points table
Three things the desk looks for when the points table updates each week.
1 · The top of the table
The top of the table determines the closed qualifier seeding. The desk watches the top of the table for movement — a team climbing from eighth to fifth over two weeks is a meaningful shift, especially if the climb came from a Tier 1 or Tier 2 event.
2 · The middle of the table
The middle of the table is the most volatile. Teams ranked 9th to 16th are fighting for the last closed qualifier slots, and a single upset can shift a team from in to out. The desk watches the middle of the table for the teams that are about to break into the top eight.
3 · The bottom of the table
The bottom of the table is where the season ends for some teams. A team that falls below the points threshold for the next season's closed qualifier is at real risk of losing its roster in the off-season. The desk watches the bottom of the table for the teams that are about to make a roster move.
4 · Tiebreakers
The tiebreakers kick in most often at the edges of the cutoff. A team ranked eighth with the same points as ninth is in a tiebreaker. The desk tracks the tiebreakers closely because the tiebreaker often determines who gets the direct invite and who has to play the open qualifier.