The entire complex and eventful tournament is coming to an end, as in Counter-Strike 2, the 2025 esports chapter officially closes on a positive note — Valve, as expected, introduced Team Vitality autograph capsules immediately after the epic final in Budapest. The guys from Vitality, who, to be honest, just ran over everyone in their path, once again received Professional player autographs in the game, celebrating their triumph at the last tier 1 event of the season.
For the French tag, this is, by the way, the second time in the CS2 era that their players get into the exclusive champions stickers. It looks especially cool for Robin ‘ropz”Kolya, an Estonian, apparently decided to make a collection, because for him this is the fourth entry into the winners’ capsule. It is worth considering that before Budapest, he had already won gold at the Austin Major in 2025, and before that, he shone as part of FaZe at the Antwerp Major (2022) and with the same Vitality in Paris (2023). Valve CS2 update December brought not only stickers, but also souvenir sets for each playoff match, so the skin market is obviously in for a serious shake—up.
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Triumph in Budapest: Why will Team Vitality stickers become legendary?
Team Vitality, in fact, secured the status of kings of 2025 by defeating the FaZe Clan 3-1 in the grand finals of the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025. This is not just a victory, but a dominance that turns their Glitter paper holo stickers into a real investment asset for all traders.
The French passed the grid like a well-tuned machine. In the playoffs, to be honest, they didn’t notice any resistance at all until the finals, where they staged a complete mayhem on Dust2 (13:3), and put a bold dot on Overpass (13:2). Curiously, the key moment happened back in the semifinals against Team Spirit — where Vitality performed a miracle on the Mirage, winning back from a hopeless 6:12 purely on economics with Five-Sevens and FAMAS. Such a comeback is a vivid proof that 2025 has become the era of Vitality: a win streak of 30 LAN matches, a closed ESL Grand Slam and two majors in a row. The world has probably not seen such a level of map control since the Astralis gold line-up in 2019.
The role of Captain apEX in the triumph of Team Vitality at the major
Dan “apEX” Madescler, who, admittedly, has done a tremendous job on himself since returning to the IGL role in 2021, has now become a four-time major champion. Interestingly, he took three of these titles as captain, a result that silences the skeptics. Before the start in Budapest, he stated bluntly: the goal is to repeat the Astralis double and enter the elite four—time club. His tactical decisions in critical rounds, such as Inferno vs. FaZe (13:9), kept the team on their toes under the wildest pressure. In addition, with a monster like ZywOo signature sticker gold and stable ropz at hand, Dan has built a structure where everyone — from support to the star — understands their task 100%.
Team Vitality Leadership and the Team Era in Counter Strike 2
This year is an absolute peak. After a difficult 2024 with constant replacements, the team led by XTQZZZ and Matthieu has won a series of seven S-tier titles in a row, including the Austin Major and now Budapest. HLTV analysts are already putting this line-up above the legends of the past. Fans, by the way, see them not just as winners, but as the architects of a new CS2 story.
The rarity of Budapest Major stickers and the rising price of skins
The Team Vitality stickers from Stage 3 received a unique version — the bright yellow logo on the dark shield looks as juicy as possible. They fit perfectly on skins like Asiimov or Fade because of their contrast. The status of champions guarantees demand — look at Paris 2023, where sticker prices skyrocketed 20 times in a year. Gold and holographic options, apparently, will become a must-have for top crafts on AWP Dragon Lore — such a pack of four pieces will easily add 20-30% to the cost of the gun when exchanged.
Perfect World Shanghai and Budapest 2025 Stickers Comparison
This victory beautifully wraps up the season that began with the triumph at the Perfect World Major winners 2024, the first major in China’s history with a prize of $1.25 million. It was in Shanghai that Vitality showed their teeth, snatching victory from the Falcons in a crazy finale. Collectors, by the way, have already started hunting for the “Budapest + Shanghai” combo on one skin — such a “double major” set will be appreciated for years.
The future of CS2 and Valve’s post-Major Rating Update
While the champions are celebrating, the transfer market is in full swing. The offseason is in full swing: Team Spirit, for example, unexpectedly sent Leonid ‘chopper’ Vishnyakov and Ivan ‘zweih’ Gogina to the bench. The changes also affected GamerLegion and NiP — everyone is preparing for the start of BLAST Bounty Season 1, which will open 2026 in mid-January. Before that, Valve should roll out an updated regional rating (VRS), according to which invitations to the main tournaments of the new season will fly.
