BC.Game can now try to qualify for the PGL Singapore Major through the Asia region. Valve confirmed this on October 7, 2026. One day earlier, a new rule had looked set to shut the team out. The change came through an update to Valve’s tournament exceptions list, and BC.Game keeps all of its VRS points.
For s1mple, this matters a lot. His last Major was the BLAST.tv Paris Major in 2023.
What Valve Changed for BC.Game
Valve updated its Tournament Operations Exceptions in the official Counter-Strike rules and regulations repository on GitHub. The new entry says:
“BC.Game (asap, Magisk, mzinho, s1mple, Senzu) are assigned to the Asia region and are eligible for a Major invitation.”
It applies only to these five players. If BC.Game changes its lineup before invites go out, the exception may no longer cover the team.
Why BC.Game Was Blocked From the Asia Route
On October 6, Valve added one line to the Major Supplemental Rulebook. A roster can now get a regional assignment only if it was not on another region’s VRS list in the previous three calendar months.
BC.Game was hit directly. Until late September, it was a European team ranked 36th in Europe with 1,191 points. On September 22, it signed Australian rifler Tyson “asap” Paterson to replace Denis “electroNic” Sharipov. That gave the team three players from the Asia-Pacific region, which is the majority Valve uses to assign a team’s region. With the same 1,191 points, BC.Game was suddenly fourth in Asia.
Two other teams made similar moves around the same time. Sashi took a temporary roster into Asia on October 5, and WW switched in late September. Sashi’s move into Asia drew the most criticism. BIG co-founder Tom J. Lemke said Valve told him Sashi “was the straw that broke the camel’s back.”
Timeline of the BC.Game Region Ruling
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| September 22, 2026 | BC.Game signs asap and moves from Europe to Asia in VRS |
| Late September 2026 | WW also switches to the Asia region |
| October 5, 2026 | Sashi signs TjP and Hatz on loan and moves to Asia |
| October 6, 2026 | Valve adds the three-month regional assignment rule |
| October 7, 2026 | Valve grants BC.Game an exception for the Asia region |
| November 2, 2026 | Final VRS snapshot used for Singapore Major invites |
How BC.Game Won Its Appeal
BC.Game CEO Ali Muhanned appealed in public. He said the team’s case “was being treated the same as every other case.” He also offered to have BC.Game start from zero points in Asia if that meant the team could compete there.
Valve didn’t go that far. Valve reviewed the team’s explanation that the roster came together naturally, then took BC.Game off the excluded list. The team keeps its full points total. Dust2.us estimates this gives BC.Game a better than 90% chance of getting a Singapore spot.
So Valve treated BC.Game differently from a team that only borrowed players to change region. BC.Game signed asap on a permanent basis to replace electroNic. Sashi used temporary loans and benched two players for about a month.
BC.Game Roster for the Singapore Major
| Player | Real name | Country |
|---|---|---|
| s1mple | Oleksandr Kostyliev | Ukraine |
| asap | Tyson Paterson | Australia |
| Magisk | Emil Reif | Denmark |
| mzinho | Ayush Batbold | Mongolia |
| Senzu | Azbayar Munkhbold | Mongolia |
| Coach: TaZ | Wiktor Wojtas | Poland |
With asap, mzinho and Senzu, BC.Game has three players from the Asia-Pacific region. That meets Valve’s majority rule, which was never in question. The only obstacle was the new three-month rule.
What This Means for Sashi and WW
HLTV reported that teams who switched before the October 6 rule can still contact Valve about their cases. At the time of writing, Valve has not published a decision for Sashi or WW.
Sashi’s case is harder. Its Asia lineup uses TjP and Hatz on a temporary basis, and Anton “Anlelele” Huynh’s Vietnamese citizenship supplies the third Asian player. Those are the kind of moves the new rule was written to stop.
PGL Singapore Major 2026: Dates and How Teams Qualify
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Final VRS snapshot for invites | November 2, 2026 |
| Stage 1 | November 24 to 27, 2026 |
| Stage 2 | November 28 to December 1, 2026 |
| Stage 3 and playoffs | December 2 to 13, 2026 |
| Playoff venue | Singapore Indoor Stadium |
| Prize pool | $1,250,000 |
| Total teams | 32, all invited through VRS |
Every Singapore Major invite comes from Valve’s regional standings. There is no open qualifier. Liquipedia’s provisional slot map gives Asia five invites, but Valve has not confirmed that number. A top-five spot in Asia is what BC.Game needs to protect in the October VRS rankings and the final November 2 update.
FAQ
Is BC.Game qualified for the Singapore Major?
Not yet. Valve has made BC.Game eligible for an invite through Asia. The team still needs a high enough Asia ranking in the November 2, 2026 VRS snapshot.
Why did BC.Game move to the Asia region?
BC.Game signed Australian player asap on September 22, 2026. With asap, mzinho and Senzu, three of its five players were from the Asia-Pacific region, so Valve’s majority rule placed the team in Asia.
What is Valve’s three-month VRS rule?
Added on October 6, 2026, the rule says a roster can only get a regional assignment if it did not appear in another region’s VRS list in the previous three calendar months.
Does BC.Game keep its VRS points?
Yes. Valve let BC.Game keep all of its points, even though CEO Ali Muhanned had offered to start from zero.
When was s1mple’s last Major?
s1mple last played a Major at the BLAST.tv Paris Major in 2023.
