Industry-wide shifts are underway as teams previously tied to skin gambling and case-opening sponsors remove those logos from jerseys and broadcasts, with early examples from the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 and teams like NRG and CSFAIL taking action.

This move could reshape the competitive ecosystem by limiting sponsorships from skin sites, especially affecting Tier 2 and Tier 3 teams and smaller organizers.

Some teams had advance warning and began omitting skin sponsor logos at the Budapest event, while others will need broader adjustments across their branding.

Valve has not given a detailed public explanation, but experts suggest the aims include protecting intellectual property and reducing legal risk from unregulated platforms.

New rules require a Limited Game Tournament License on Steam and target third-party economies around games like Counter-Strike.

Valve’s move aligns with broader efforts to distance the CS2 competitive scene from gambling controversies and reinforces restrictions on sponsorships in line with Steam agreements.

The policy marks a turning point for Counter-Strike 2, signaling greater emphasis on IP protection and regulatory safety, potentially reshaping CS2 esports’ financial dynamics in the coming months.

The policy update does not extend to non-skin-related gambling sponsorships or platforms.

Coming amid intensified global scrutiny of gambling in esports, the change could set a precedent for other developers and organizers considering similar restrictions.

The update signals a move toward a more formalized and transparent sponsorship ecosystem within professional CS2.

This regulation follows Valve’s broader crackdown on the CS skins market, intensified by October 2025 market changes that reduced skin valuations and market cap, and echoes the October CS2 economy update.

Note: A brief human-interest aside about Harry James is not related to the sponsorship topic.