Valve’s latest CS2 Sticker sale system, introduced with the IEM Cologne Major, has sparked major concerns for the CS2 esports scene as several teams have witnessed a drop in income that could trigger a shift in esports economics for professional teams in the near future.
Unlike the new one, the previous sticker system featured capsules that generated massive earnings for the organisations, reportedly as high as $600,000. However, the new system has seen teams earn nearly $60,000, making it a 90% drop in income, which has sparked concern for the future of esports, as many organisations relied on such revenue streams to keep their operations afloat.
What Changed?
The biggest change is Valve’s decision to remove the ever-popular sticker capsules, with players now buying individual team logos and player autographs using special tokens, whose prices vary based on demand. To put it simply, popular items earn more than the less popular ones, leaving a significant difference in the revenue generated among the big names compared to the lesser-known ones.
Cherry on top is the new revenue-sharing model where sticker sales are now automatically split 50% to teams and 50% to players. The sudden change saw the organisation abandon the traditional revenue split model, where the terms came with the contracts, making a significant shift in the revenue generated.
This change does not affect the game directly. However, organisations play a big role in keeping the esports system thriving, and should they take a revenue hit of such magnitude, then there is a risk of teams closing shop. Suffice it to say that players benefit directly from this model, but since organisations are in for a long-term financial challenge, we might see an uproar from the team owners in the coming days.
