“Winning $70k in an all-female event doesn’t make You 37th in the world” – Complexity GM questions Valve’s ranking

Is prize money overly influential in Valve’s Global Rankings for Counter-Strike teams?

According to Graham “messioso” Pitt, General Manager of Complexity Gaming, the answer seems to be yes.

Pitt’s criticism comes in response to the recent boost in rankings for Poland’s women’s national team, which jumped to #35 globally after winning the IESF Women’s World Championship in Riyadh – an event that awarded them $70,000 in prize money.

This prompted Pitt to speak out on X:

I'm willing to debate anyone who will try and convince me that prizemoney isn't too powerful of a mechanism in Valves WR.

No hate on the girls at all FYI, not their problem or their issue. But winning a 70k first place all female event doesn't put you rank 37 in the world. pic.twitter.com/4MQJB2aV8c

— Graham Pitt (@messioso) November 15, 2024

Higher ranked than NIP and OG

Following the victory at the IESF Women’s World Championship, Poland’s women’s team now finds themselves among the 40 highest-ranked teams in the world, sitting above prominent squads like GamerLegion, NIP, OG, Parivision, SINNERS, and Aurora.

You can find Valve’s global ranking here.

messioso is known as a vocal figure in the Counter-Strike scene. Photo credit: Esports World Cup