Confirmation of the validity of the HLTV ranking

Abstract

This paper aims to test the validity of the esports ranking system published by HLTV, which is widely recognized and used for ranking teams in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO). The results of the study demonstrate that the HLTV ranking system has a reasonable level of explanatory power in predicting the outcomes of CS:GO matches. Furthermore, the study reveals that the difference in abilities between two consecutively ranked players decreases as their ranking in CS:GO gets lower, similar to tennis rankings, resulting in a pyramid-like structure. As a result, spectators, sponsors, and bettors can rely on the information provided by the ranking system to make informed decisions and enhance their viewing experience during tournaments.