The official Counter-Strike 2 account issued a final warning to players last week regarding the Cologne 2026 Major Shop. The in-game store will officially close on September 29. Players holding unspent tokens must finalize their purchases before the end of tomorrow, as unused balances will expire once the storefront is removed.
Direct purchases and dynamic pricing
The Cologne 2026 Major introduced a completely overhauled purchasing system. Valve removed traditional capsules in favor of direct sticker acquisitions. Players can acquire specific items using tokens, with prices fluctuating based on relative market demand. To protect buyers from sudden market shifts, the system includes an automatic refund feature. If a purchased sticker drops in price by more than 25 tokens within 24 hours, the exact difference is credited back to the buyer. Tokens are acquired through the Cologne 2026 Major Viewer Pass and are also purchased during the checkout process to cover any remaining balance.
The new system has been criticized widely and was the primary reason why sticker sales this Major were vastly disappointing.
