Valve allegedly forces CS Major sticker redo, expected to be on sale soon
Counter-Strike 2 developer Valve has allegedly forced a redo of all signatures for the Major event stickers created with a designer's assistance. This process is said to have caused a delay in the sale of the virtual items, though a release is expected soon.
MTX for Counter-Strike Majors
Valve-supported Counter-Strike Major tournaments are the most prestigious and important events of the esports calendar, not least due to the monetary incentives they offer to participating teams. The signature capsule system is a straightforward way for professional players to see a representation of their brand and team within the game while also providing a significant revenue share opportunity.
According to a report by hltv.org, the BLAST Major Paris distributed a total of $110 million [~€101 million / ~£87 million] among the participating teams, offering a huge incentive for all of its participating organisations.
With the PGL Major Copenhagen underway, the signature capsules were expected to be available in the in-game shop by this point in the competition. For this Major, Valve had changed the outline for the signatures, requiring players to keep it simple by only using signatures they could write down in a couple of seconds.
Previously, some players had tried to get away with elaborate methods to increase the general appeal of their stickers to the audience. Given the importance and the significant expected payday, players and organisations even turned to designers to assist in the creation, a trend that increasingly got away from the spirit of the product that Valve had implied to have in mind.
Forcing a redo
Valve appears to have drawn a line and reacted to the trend of trying to strategise around the signatures. According to ECSTATIC co-owner and CS content creator Oliver “zipeL” Behrensdorff, the reason for the delays of the capsule launch for the PGL Major led back to players who had solicited help from designers, forcing them to redo their submissions at the Major.
“From Valve’s perspective maybe they’re worried designers sneak in any commercial logo” zipeL explained, sharing that he expects stickers to hit the stores soon.
The PGL Major Copenhagen is about to close out the Opening Stage and will move into the Elimination Stage tomorrow, which is held in a Swiss System Format before moving into a Single Elimination Playoff bracket at the end of the month.
