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GamingCounter-Strike Players Protest Valve Decision to Reject Major Sticker Designs
With the next CS2 Major approaching, several professional players have spoken out on Valve rejecting their hand-drawn autograph submissions for their personal stickers. They claim to have been denied without clear reasons or a window for appeals.
Players Frustrated After Valve Rejects Sticker Designs
As the StarLadder Budapest Major draws closer, several participants have expressed frustration over the approval process for their autographs. Pro players have shared screenshots of their rejected autograph designs, with many fans disappointed that these creative designs won’t be included in the game.
Many pros see their autograph stickers as a chance to express their personality and style, but it appears Valve has set strict limitations for their creativity. Beyond raw aesthetics, stickers have historically served as a significant source of additional revenue for players.
More appealing designs often sell better and can directly benefit players – especially lesser-accomplished ones, where sticker income can make a real financial difference.
Valve’s Rules Leave Little Room for Creativity
Valve’s current guidelines for player autograph submissions have been previously revealed. In summary, players are required to follow these rules:
- Autographs should look like signing a fan’s mousepad. It should not take more than 5 to 10 seconds to produce the autograph.
- It should be written by the player, and not by someone else. If someone else has produced the autograph on their behalf, it may be rejected.
- Elements such as computer-generated art, fonts, or overly complicated lettering or drawings may lead to rejections.
Years ago, several players commissioned professional designers to create their sticker autographs, which eventually prompted Valve to introduce the hand-drawn submission rules outlined above.
No Second Chances, No Explanations
Though Valve’s intentions made sense, players are mainly frustrated by not receiving any explanation or even a second chance to resubmit their designs.
NRG’s Aran “Sonic” Groesbeek voiced his frustration directly, saying Valve didn’t give him a second chance to correct it, let alone provide a reason for the denial.
According to him, his signature followed all of Valve’s rules. However, some fans speculated that the decision may have stemmed from potential IP concerns, given the resemblance to Sonic the Hedgehog’s spiky hair.
Meanwhile, Danyyl “headtr1ck” Valitov’s autograph, which looked fully compliant, was also rejected. In the replies section, the Ukrainian mentioned he didn’t get a second chance to redo his sticker.
According to players, if their stickers are rejected, Valve simply reuses their previous autographs from past Majors, leaving them no opportunity to update or submit a new design for the upcoming Budapest Major.
