Cosmetics Talk: Players Are Rushing to Grab TdU “purple lightning” Stickers, but the Money Isn’t Going into dexter’s Pocket?

At this year's IEM Cologne Major 2026, Valve scrapped the "Sticker Capsule" opening format it had used for fourteen years and instead introduced a "direct purchase via tokens" model—players can directly buy the team logo stickers or player autograph stickers they want, without having to gamble on blind capsule openings.

At first glance, this looks like a “fairer” system for teams and players: if players buy a team’s sticker, the money goes into that team’s pocket, right? But when you’re piling into TdU’s purple lightning logo sticker, does that money really end up in the account of this Australian squad? The answer may surprise quite a few players.

Major sticker system gets a major overhaul

Direct sale ≠ the better a team logo sticker or autograph sticker sells, the bigger the cut it gets

The only "purple" sticker at this Major — Sticker | THUNDER dOWNUNDER (Holo)

Led by “Sir Bloody Darryl” dexter, THUNDER dOWNUNDER may not have player IDs everyone recognizes, but its unique “purple lightning” team logo has sticker fans hooked. When the IEM Cologne Major stickers went live, this “hidden gem” Australian roster’s team logo sticker briefly outshone a pile of star players and powerhouse clubs, climbing into the top five on the popularity chart!

The best player outside the m0NESY-ZywOo-donk trio — TdU?

The better a team performs, the bigger its cut of the sticker money!

With the Major sticker system shifting to a “direct sale” model, many players believe that “whoever’s autograph sticker or whichever team logo sticker you buy, the money goes to them.” But in reality, the direct-sale model has not completely changed how Valve distributes Major-related revenue. As in previous Majors, Major-related revenue will be pooled together first, then split among the different teams. The difference from previous Majors’ “even split within the same capsule” model is that this revenue will now be distributed based on team performance.

Illustration of revenue-share ratios by ranking

The “sticker money” will now be paid out in two parts. From now until the end of the Major, the “sticker money” earned will be distributed based on each team’s Valve Regional Standings / VRS rankings before the Major begins; after the Major ends, the “sticker money” earned will be distributed based on Major results! In simple terms, “the better a team performs, the bigger its cut of the ‘sticker money’”!

Do stronger teams get a bigger cut, while weaker teams get less?

Revenue Differences Between the Old and New Systems

In the latest episode of “Sticker Fans Come Here,” HLTV compared teams at different rankings under the old and new systems, assuming revenue from IEM Cologne Major matches revenue from StarLadder Budapest Major. Under the new revenue-share mechanism, the former Challengers teams (8th-16th) and the finalists will take a larger share of sticker revenue, while the former Contenders teams (24th-32nd) and Legends teams will take less. The days when a weaker team could be placed in the same capsule as a “tier-one clout team” and pull in a huge sticker payout are over.

Will sticker revenue shrink under the new system?

Sticker Revenue Comparison Across Past Majors

But compared with the change to the revenue-share mechanism, teams are more worried about whether the “direct-sale model” will drive Major sticker revenue even lower. After CS:GO’s final Major—the BLAST.tv Paris Major—sticker revenue began to slide. Now that the luck factor of “opening capsules” has been cut out, will players be less willing to buy stickers directly? Can small teams that operate solely on Major sticker revenue keep going?

From "opening capsules" to "direct purchase via tokens," Valve’s overhaul of the Major sticker economy looks like it gives choice back to players. But when it comes to the revenue share, the logic of "buying a team = supporting that team" no longer holds. The core logic of the new system is clear: results matter. The better a team performs, the bigger its cut; if it goes out in the first stage, even if its stickers sell like crazy, it still won’t get revenue that matches its popularity.Do you think this change from Valve is good or bad? Share your thoughts in the comments~