Valve Kills the Capsule: What the New Sticker System Means for Traders

By: SkinScanner

On May 22, 2026, Valve dropped an update that changed the way Major stickers have worked in Counter-Strike for the better part of a decade. Capsules are gone. The randomised drop system that defined how players chased player autographs and team logos since the CS:GO era has been replaced with a direct purchase model. For the first time, anyone who wants a specific sticker from the IEM Cologne 2026 Major set can simply choose it, pay for it, and receive it. No capsules, no lottery, no RNG.

The new system is built around Cologne 2026 tokens. Players purchase tokens at a rate of 100 tokens per one US dollar, then use those tokens directly in the overhauled Major Shop inside the tournament hub. The shop lists every sticker available for the event - all 772 of them - covering team logos, player autographs, and the full range of rarity tiers including paper, foil, holographic, and gold. Sorting is available by popularity, price, seeding, and name. Players browse, select the exact sticker they want, pick the variant, and complete the purchase. It is as close to a conventional marketplace as the in-game sticker system has ever been.

Valve's own explanation acknowledged what the community had been saying for years. The company stated that while capsules were popular, they heard feedback that players would prefer to purchase stickers directly. The update also referenced the fact that players in certain regions - including Germany, which is the host country for Cologne - could not purchase sticker capsules at all under local regulations. The shift to a direct purchase system solves both problems simultaneously: it improves the experience for the majority and brings back participation for those who were previously locked out.

The pricing is dynamic rather than fixed. Valve has built demand-sensitivity into the token costs of each sticker, so items that are purchased disproportionately more than others will see their price rise, while less popular items become relatively cheaper. Gold and foil stickers for the highest-profile players and teams - ZywOo, Vitality, NAVI - are already commanding significantly higher token prices than lower-tier items as a result of early demand. Valve has also confirmed a refund mechanism: if the price of a sticker drops by 25 tokens or more within 24 hours of purchase, the buyer receives a refund of the difference.

The souvenir system has also been reworked from the ground up. The Souvenir-O-Matic replaces traditional souvenir packages. Rather than opening a package and receiving a randomised souvenir skin, players can now craft their own souvenir items by converting regular cs2 skins using the new system. This has significant implications for the souvenir market. Skins that previously only existed in standard or StatTrak versions can now appear in souvenir format, while existing souvenir cs2 skins are beginning to price closer to their standard equivalents as the supply dynamics shift. Traders who have been sitting on souvenir inventory should be monitoring cs2 skins prices closely across platforms as prices have already shifted - and buyers distinguish between newly crafted Souvenir items, and the old versions, direct from the cases (and not all platforms have this function yet).

The Pick'Em challenge returns alongside the new system, allowing players to predict match results in exchange for Cologne 2026 tokens - meaning engagement with the tournament itself now directly funds sticker purchases. Valve has also confirmed that 50% of all proceeds from Viewer Passes and sticker sales will be distributed to the teams and players, giving the sticker economy a direct revenue link to the competing organisations.

The implications for the trading market are substantial. A direct purchase model means price formation is now immediate and visible. There is no longer a delayed secondary market surge driven by capsule openings - sticker prices are live from day one, and they move with tournament results in real time. When a player has a breakout series, their autograph price responds within hours. When a team exits early, their logo sticker adjusts accordingly. Platforms including cs.money, tradeit.gg, dmarket, skinport, skinsmonkey, and csfloat will all see sticker supply arrive on the secondary market as the Major progresses, and cs2 skins prices on each will vary depending on liquidity and fees. Rather than manually checking across every cs2 skin trading site, SkinScanner pulls that data into a single comparison so traders can identify where a specific sticker or skin is listed cheapest and move quickly.