s1mple Won't Get Stickers for Participating in BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025

On May 5, Oleksandr "s1mple" Kostyliev officially joined FaZe Clan , replacing broky , and will head to the BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025 with the team. However, he will not receive a personal sticker due to Valve's rules, which do not issue stickers to substitutes, even if they are the ones taking the stage.

According to the major's rules, only players registered in the main roster receive signature stickers. Therefore, the tournament capsules will feature a broky sticker, who will be on the bench. A similar situation occurred at the Shanghai Major 2024 — interz played the qualifier, but Perfecto(RUS) received the sticker.

This is disappointing not only for the fans but also for s1mple himself. Stickers at majors are one of the main sources of income for players. A portion of the profits from each sale goes directly to the esports athlete. For popular figures like s1mple, the amounts can reach up to $1,000,000 per tournament cycle. s1mple himself has said that stickers are not as important to him now, and that's true, as he currently needs to make a name for himself.

The BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025 will take place from June 2 to June 22 in Austin, USA. Teams will compete for a prize pool of $1,250,000.