Next Major's Rio and our merch is in pricing bands.
A new Counter-Strike: Global Offensive update has added probably the feature that fans of this hardcore competitive FPS most wanted. Yes, praise Valve indeed, because now you can buy a storage unit packed with every glitter sticker from the upcoming Rio Major for the low price of $65.
Don't all rush at once! In all seriousness this is a fairly significant move for the game, though not an unprecedented one: way back in CS:GO's history Valve had allowed players to buy 'sets' of Major stickers, though it hasn't been like that for years. These stickers consist of team logos, event logos, and 'autograph' stickers with the John Hancock of various players.
What is this storage unit stuffed with virtual paper all about then? I'm speculating but it seems an attempt to de-couple the fandom side of CS:GO esports from the more speculative side of its in-game market, in which limited-time cosmetics, such as tournament stickers and skins from the Majors, are hoarded by speculators and in some cases shoot up in value over time.
This is an oddity of CS:GO's marketplace. It's really two marketplaces, if not more: one where average players swap cosmetics around and crack open the occasional case; and one where the game is very secondary to the purported value of its rarest collectibles. So these storage units, in theory, allow players who want to get into the Rio spirit and have all their team's stickers to do so, with the paper versions at least being somewhat reasonably priced: £17 for 145 stickers.
This does mean that the paper and glitter Rio Major stickers are extremely unlikely to accumulate in value, not that they were ever likely to. The money in CS:GO stickers is in the gold and holographic variants, and notably these storage units do not have an option with gold and holographic sticker variants. So those who just want the Rio Major stickers can buy them, and shinier versions if they want, while those who enjoy speculating on CS:GO's marketplace fluctuations still have somewhere to hang their hat.
No, it's not the Source 2 upgrade we were all hoping for. But this is a change that simplifies things for a bunch of players and, if so inclined, allows them to dive into this side of the CS:GO esports scene without buying a bunch of individual stickers or, even worse, endless capsule keys.
CS:GO also sells a viewer pass for the tournament, which comes with an in-game event coin, access to the Pick 'Em challenge, graffiti, flair, and access to various other event offers. The coin seems pretty neat: this one gives out souvenir tokens that can be turned into golden goodies (these can also, of course, be bought separately). As ever with CS:GO, 50% of the proceeds go to the players, teams and organisations competing in the tournament.
That's not even it. Never one to miss a trick, Champions Autograph Capsules will become available for purchase shortly after the Rio Grand Final concludes.
