iNation is OUT! – The main reason is the changed qualification system for the upcoming Major.
As we learn in the organization’s latest announcement, iNation has decided to retire from the professional Counter-Strike 2 scene, saying goodbye to players Luka “emi” Vuković, Nikola “Dragon” Bošković, Luka “collins” Živanović, Jan “aidKiT” Apostolski, Zoran “xicoz” Markovski and coach Uroš “eRCEG” Erceg. The organization decided to make this move after Valve canceled the open qualifiers for the Shanghai Major.
“Unfortunately, we are forced to suspend the iNation by Regnum project. Despite our hard work and serious efforts, the project became unsustainable. The main reason for this decision is the system change for CS2 Majors and RMR, which drastically disrupted the structure of the organization and made it impossible for us to achieve our main goal. We would like to thank everyone who supported us on this short journey. We hope that this situation is temporary and that we will return to the stage”.
— iNation (@iNationEsports) June 4, 2024
The aforementioned changes to the Major format stem from a new item in Valve’s rulebook, which states that teams in closed qualifiers will be selected solely based on regional rankings. This rule essentially excluded teams that do not have a high enough regional ranking, such as iNation. This issue is particularly pronounced in Europe, the region with the greatest competition.
Ination retired from the professional Counter-Strike scene in July 2023. The organization returned in April of this year, but this return was unfortunately short-lived.
Follow us on our Facebook and Instagram page and join our Discord group for all esports news.