CS2BREAKINGValve Just Killed CS2 Capsules: Inside the New IEM Cologne Major Shop
IEM Cologne Major shop scraps capsules for good. Buy any CS2 sticker directly with demand-based token pricing and no RNG. Here is how it works.
The revamped Major Shop lets you buy any team sticker directly with tokens. No more capsules. Image: Valve.
Valve Just Killed CS2 Capsules: Inside the New IEM Cologne Major Shop
Capsules are dead. After years of players cracking open randomized packs and praying for the right sticker, Valve has scrapped the whole system for the IEM Cologne Major 2026. The new Major Shop lets you walk in, pick the exact sticker or autograph you want, and buy it. No RNG, no duplicates piling up in your inventory, no opening 40 capsules to chase one holo.
The update went live overnight alongside the Viewer Pass, Pick’Em, and a brand-new souvenir system. For anyone who has spent a decade frustrated with the capsule lottery, this is the change the community has been asking for since CS:GO.
How the new shop actually works
Every sticker for all 32 Major teams sits in the shop, ready to buy. Team logos, player autographs, holos, foils, the lot. You spend tokens, and here’s the twist: prices move based on demand. When one sticker sells hard, its price climbs while others drop. The prices don’t shift in real time though. They refresh in batches, and if you’re browsing when an update hits, you get a warning first.
The team list runs the full gauntlet of the scene, from Stage 1 squads like Team Liquid and MIBR through to Stage 3 names like defending champions Team Vitality, NAVI, and Falcons.
Tokens are the only currency that works here. There are two Viewer Pass options, a standard one at $9.99 and a bundle with 900 bonus tokens for $18. Both hand you the Cologne 2026 Challenge Coin, which climbs from Bronze to Diamond as you grind the Pick’Em Challenge. Hit every tier and you walk away with up to 900 tokens just from predictions. That more or less pays for a handful of stickers without spending a cent extra.
Build your own souvenir
The other big shift is souvenirs. Forget waiting for a random drop during a live match. The new Souvenir-O-Matic lets you take any Normal or Souvenir-quality weapon from your inventory and pick a completed match. Then you choose one of the players from that game to stamp on it. You decide what your souvenir commemorates rather than leaving it to chance.
What it means for the Major
This isn’t a small tweak. It’s a full rebuild of how CS2 handles Major collectables, and it lands right before the first Major in Cologne since SK Gaming won there in 2016. The tournament runs June 2 to 21 at the Lanxess Arena with 32 teams and a $1,170,000 prize pool. The opening battles are already set, with all three North American teams drawn into a tough IEM Cologne Stage 1 bracket. Valve also kept its revenue split: half goes to Valve, half to the teams, players, and ESL, with each team’s cut tied to how deep they run.
For more Counter-Strike 2 coverage, follow our CS2 news hub and our IEM Cologne Major hub. The shop is live now on the Steam store.