HLTV has unveiled their event page for EPIC.LAN 45, outlining increased coverage for the British LAN event. The coverage now includes 18 matches in total, stretching from Lower Bracket 2 of the Elimination Stage to the Grand Final of the event.
The HLTV coverage means that a team can potentially win six LAN matches if progressing through the Lower Bracket, or four wins through the Upper Bracket with a straight run to the Grand Final.
EPIC.LAN 45: UK VRS anxiety quelled
The news comes after some anxiety that the UK scene could be deprived of VRS points due to strong European competition taking the HLTV matches, which are used as the data for the VRS system.
In fact, the opposite has turned into a reality. EPIC.LAN 45, a summer EPIC, traditionally the smaller version of the event, is now the biggest event in EPIC’s history in terms of HLTV matches and effect on the global rankings, no doubt in part due to the EU representation at the event.
Why LAN wins matter in VRS
LAN wins are hugely important due to the “LAN factor” element of Valve’s Regional Standings (VRS) model. The LAN factor is a binary modifier, meaning it is either applied or not applied, to a result which hugely magnifies the value of a win to the ranking system.
Graham ‘messioso’ Pitt gave context to the VRS value of LAN wins in our recent interview with the British Complexity General Manager:
“Just to give you an idea, I think a LAN win right now is worth like 45 points, just like flat 45 points. It’s a bit more complicated than that because of different factors of scaling and how things happen, but essentially it’s worth about that many points,” the Brit reflected, “which means that a team who’s sort of middling in tier two Europe can go from like 1,000 points to like 1,250 points in a single LAN. That puts them into kind of top 25-ish territory, which puts them in invite territory for some events.”
Needless to say, four to six wins at LAN can have a hugely transformative effect on a team’s VRS prospects, leading to invitations to future events and allowing teams to progress up the tiers of competition.
Darragh Harbinson is an esports writer specialising in Counter-Strike. He has written for Esports News UK, Esports Insider, UKCSGO, Dexerto, and Rush B Media.