Aurora CEO: "This is the worst major in terms of sticker sales by a huge margin"

In a post on Telegram, Aurora founder Valerii "L3rich" Kharitonov voiced his criticism of IEM Cologne’s sticker sales, which have likely declined due to Valve’s recent changes to the sticker economy and revenue share.

L3rich says point blank, "This is the worst major in terms of sticker sales by a huge margin." He goes on to say that the financial value these events once offered teams will now decrease, forcing less prominent organizations, who may have once benefited from underdog runs to the Major, to abandon the scene and tournament chase entirely.

Last month, Valve released an update ditching in-game sticker capsules for a more direct purchasing system. With this change also came the news that sticker royalties for Major teams will now be performance-based, posing serious financial risks for smaller teams relegated to Stage 1 exits.

This was especially a point of concern in North America, where teams are rarely as privy to the kinds of sponsorships and talent pipelines enjoyed by European orgs.

So far this Major, two teams in Gaimin Gladiators and SINNERS have been eliminated, meaning they will receive only a 0.72% share of sticker revenue. It remains to be seen where North America’s three teams will place, or how much revenue they will receive. The same can be said for Aurora, who will debut in Stage 3 and therefore earn a minimum of 1%.