The IEM Cologne Main is ready to be one of many largest Counter-Strike 2 occasions of the yr. Beginning on June 2nd, it can happen on the LANXESS Enviornment in Germany and have a $1.25 million prize pool.
Esports Must Copy IEM Cologne Main’s Sticker Income-Sharing System
IEM Cologne is an enormous event spanning three weeks. Stage 1 runs from June 2nd to June fifth, with the eight qualifying groups advancing to Stage 2. They be part of eight straight seeded groups in two teams of eight, competing from June sixth to June ninth. Stage 3 turns to best-of-three matches, with the highest eight groups advancing to a single-elimination bracket.
These eight groups will be part of straight seeded groups: Crew Vitality, FURIA, Natus Vincere, FURIA, Falcons, MOUZ, Aurora, The MongolZ, and PARIVISION.
The staff that locations first will get $500,000 of the prize pool. The runner-up staff will get $170,000. Third and fourth-place groups get $80,000. Groups that place fifth via eighth get $45,000.
Nevertheless, that’s not the one means groups generate profits at IEM Cologne. The occasion will run Valve’s new sticker revenue-sharing system. Sticker capsules shall be offered over the event’s three weeks, permitting gamers to assist their favourite groups in-game.
StarLadder Main Berlin noticed $11 million in sticker gross sales income in 2019, proving it to be a profitable endeavor for qualifying groups. PGL Stockholm and Antwerp collected $70 million mixed. Final yr’s BLAST.television Paris Main allegedly made $110 million, not even together with Vitality’s Champions capsule. Given how sticker gross sales income was break up, every Contenders staff obtained $4.5 million plus $250,000 per participant, Legends earned $3.5 million per staff and $200,000 per participant, and Challengers obtained $2.6 million per staff and $200,000 per participant.
For the IEM Cologne Main, the sticker income mannequin has some large adjustments. Event organizers now retain 5% of the 50% pool, beforehand reserved for organizations. The remaining 45% is shared amongst groups, break up based mostly on their Valve Regional Standings positions. The best-ranked staff will get 2.85%.
This nonetheless permits lower-ranked groups to see a good amount of cash. Why is that necessary? Since you want these newer and smaller groups to stay energetic within the esports scene. As a rule, groups that aren’t thought of the largest on the earth don’t earn sufficient prize or sponsorship cash to thrive, eradicating many groups from the ecosystem.
This has been an enormous subject of dialogue within the esports business, with FlyQuest even promising to donate to underrepresented groups and esports scenes that want funding earlier this yr. Different scenes have felt the stress, with the excessive salaries of Dota 2’s greatest gamers draining the scene dry.
Counter-Strike has usually been revered for its assist of smaller groups and Tier 2 tournaments. Having cash for taking part groups past the prize pool encourages groups to spend money on their gamers and conjures up these gamers to push themselves to qualify. You’ll get all-around higher tournaments and much more gifted groups within the combine.
As an alternative of franchise leagues that cater to groups that paid to take part and depart others out of the event and with out assist, Counter-Strike’s esports scene has the mentality that anybody ought to be allowed to qualify for a serious in the event that they’re adequate.
Mentioned one fan on Reddit: “The longevity of the Tier 2-3 scene is primarily pushed by the decentralized event circuit and the excessive quantity of liquidity from pores and skin markets. In contrast to franchised leagues, this open ecosystem permits smaller orgs to keep up operations via area of interest sponsorships and regional betting partnerships.”
That is positively one thing the esports scene wants proper now because the hype begins to die down and the cash fizzles out.
