Austin 2025 Major Update
View original post on SteamOverview
The Austin 2025 Major update is Valve's full pre-tournament content drop ahead of the BLAST. TV Austin Major, kicking off June 3rd.
This is a collector and trader-focused patch through and through — no gameplay overhauls, no map rotations, just a clean injection of Major-cycle content designed to drive engagement and spending. The headline item is the Austin 2025 Viewer Pass, which bundles a upgradeable coin, unlimited team graffiti, and Souvenir Token access into one package.
On top of that, Valve has dropped a full suite of tournament stickers covering every team and player autograph in the field, all with a Texas-flavored aesthetic twist. The surprise addition is a crossover with Games Workshop, bringing four Warhammer 40,000-themed sticker capsules into the game as part of the Warhammer Skulls 2025 event — a collaboration that signals Valve is continuing to push CS2 into broader pop-culture licensing territory.
New Skins & Collections
There are no new weapon cases or skin collections in this update — if you came here looking for a new knife or glove pool, you'll need to wait. What is new is substantial on the sticker front.
Every participating team gets a tournament logo sticker, and every player gets an autograph sticker, all available in multiple finishes. The 'Texas flair' framing suggests foil and holo variants are in the mix alongside standard paper stickers, which is standard Major fare but always worth noting for collectors.
Autograph stickers from breakout or underdog players tend to be the sleeper picks — if an unknown player goes deep in the tournament, their autograph can spike hard post-event. The four Warhammer 40,000 capsules — Adeptus Astartes, Traitor Astartes, Imperium, and Xenos — are the wildcard here.
Branded collaboration capsules with non-endemic IPs have a mixed track record in CS, but the Warhammer 40K fanbase is massive and passionate, which could drive genuine demand beyond the core CS audience. Souvenir weapons, redeemable via Souvenir Tokens earned or purchased through the Viewer Pass, round out the collectible offerings — these are match-specific mementos and their value will depend heavily on which teams and maps are involved in memorable moments.
Gameplay & System Changes
This update contains no gameplay changes, no anti-cheat updates, no map pool adjustments, and no UI revisions. It is purely a content and commerce drop tied to the Major cycle.
For competitive players, the only relevant development is the arrival of the Major itself on June 3rd — the Pick'Em challenge gives casual and hardcore fans alike a reason to tune in and engage with the bracket. The Viewer Pass's graffiti feature is a nice cosmetic touch that lets supporters rep their team in-game during the event window, but it has zero impact on how the game actually plays.
If you're here for a balance patch or an operation tease, this isn't it — Valve is keeping the focus squarely on the Major experience.
Market Impact — Trader's Take
Major cycles are one of the most predictable and exploitable patterns in CS2 trading, and the Austin Major is no exception. Sticker prices follow a well-worn arc: they drop at capsule open time as supply floods in, then recover and often exceed launch price for low-float autographs of players who perform well or retire.
The smart play is to wait until the tournament is underway, identify which players are overperforming, and snag their autograph stickers before the broader market catches on. Holo and gold variants of team stickers from championship contenders are historically strong long-term holds.
The Warhammer 40K capsules are the genuine unknown quantity here. Collaboration capsules with non-CS IPs can either become cult collectibles or quietly fade — the Warhammer brand has serious collector culture behind it, so these are worth picking up at or near floor price early rather than chasing after hype sets in.
Souvenir weapons from high-profile matches — particularly any Grand Final drops — are worth holding long-term, especially on popular maps like Mirage or Inferno. As for existing skins, Major hype typically lifts the broader market slightly as new money enters the ecosystem, but don't expect dramatic moves on unrelated items.
Sell into the hype if you're sitting on liquid assets; buy stickers post-tournament when the dust settles and prices correct downward.
Gallery
Official Patch Notes
From the official CS2 Steam blog — read on Steam
Pick'Em and Stick'Em
Featuring more teams than ever before, this Major promises to be the most competitive yet. And you can start supporting your favorite teams today with the Austin 2025 Viewer Pass!
Your activated Austin 2025 Viewer Pass includes a coin that you can upgrade by playing the Pick'Em challenge, along with unlimited team graffiti for the duration of the event so you can show your support everywhere you play. You'll also have the opportunity to earn (and purchase) Souvenir Tokens, redeemable for a memento from the match of your choice.
Along with the Viewer Pass and Pick'Em Challenge, today we're releasing tournament stickers featuring the logos of every participating team and the autograph of every participating player. With a bit of Texas flair, Austin Major stickers can be found in a variety of finishes so you can find the perfect look for your collection.
So mark your calendar, dust off your boots, and join us in Austin for Counter-Strike's biggest Major yet!
Stick to Your Guns
But that's not all! We've partnered with Games Workshop to celebrate the Warhammer Skulls 2025 event by releasing four Warhammer 40,000-themed sticker capsules. Themed after Warhammer 40,000 decal sheets, you'll find the Warhammer 40,000 Adeptus Astartes, Traitor Astartes, Imperium, and Xenos Sticker Capsules in-game now!