With every Counter-Strike Major comes a new batch of Major Stickers. With both Autograph and Team Stickers for 32 teams in the collection, it can be quite difficult to understand if you should invest in the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 stickers. So here’s everything you need to know about the major stickers, their value, and trends.
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StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 Stickers overview
After bringing back Foil designs for the CS2 Austin Major 2025, Valve has decided to take the Budapest Major collection in a new direction. Replacing the Foils in the purple tier are Embroidered stickers. These new stickers give a distinctly 3D effect when applied on the guns and have a textured pattern to represent embroidery. The change reflects the traditional Hungarian folk embroidery patterns which, much like the stickers themselves, often feature floral motifs.
Alongside the Embroidered stickers are the classic Paper, Holo, and Gold variations for each. With 32 teams in the field, that puts the total sticker count up to 128 team logos and 640 player signatures, not to mention the champions stickers that will join the list after the major concludes.
Opinion on the sticker designs is mixed, with many appreciating the unique design from an aesthetic point of view, whereas others prefer the borderless classic styles of majors like Stockholm 2021. Some also pointed out the limited options for custom crafts using the free-form sticker application system in CS2.
Related—These are the best PGL Copenhagen Major CS2 stickers
A new way to showcase your stickers
One of the most requested features in CS2 has been the ability to recover stickers from weapons after applying them. While Valve has not added that feature just yet, what it has introduced is the Sticker Slab.
Building upon the success of Charms in the game, the Sticker Slab allows players to non-destructively showcase their favorite Stickers on their weapon. Players can simply purchase a Sticker Slab from the in-game store, then apply any sticker to it. The slab can then be attached to any weapon, the same way charms are.
Yes, 6x Titan Holo Sticker Crafts are now possible in CS2, though the cost would be a staggering $350,000 or more to pull that off.
The 75 percent Capsule sale
An interesting factor to consider before thinking about any investments is the 75 percent discount that all Major Sticker Capsules receive toward the end of their sale cycle. Usually, the gap between the grand finals and the capsules going on sale is under a month, but for the Austin Major earlier in 2025, that gap ballooned up to 84 days. And with Valve quickly establishing a consistent pattern in the VRS era, it is likely that a similar delay will take place for Budapest.
So it’d be wise to delay your potential investments until the stickers go on sale as the increased supply drastically drops the prices of all stickers and their capsules.
Related—BLAST Paris CS:GO Major reportedly earned over $110M in sticker sales
Should you invest in the StarLadder Budapest Major stickers?
While any sticker investment carries a number of risks with market fluctuations, here are some factors to consider. Firstly, the border design both enhances and detracts from the stickers’ appeal. The border is a unique design that makes these stickers stand apart from previous majors’. But at the same time, there is an observable trend in borderless stickers being favored more for skin crafts. Thus the overall return on investment might not be as high as some previous majors.
But conversely, many investors missed the window on the Austin Major sticker capsules thanks to their sudden removal from the store. That means there might be a lot more hype to purchase this season’s drop.
Considering all those factors, the traditional investment of sticker capsules might not be the most prudent choice. Instead, players should look at stickers from players and teams that they think might increase their global standings in the future. For example, 2025’s breakout star, molodoy, has had his gold sticker reach a value of nearly $90 compared to just $6 during the 75 percent sale. Obviously no investment is guaranteed, but specialized picks might be the better bet.
