It took two years since Ibai founded his own esports club until he could celebrate his first big successes. However, after the merger with Movistar Riders and MAD Lions, the organization of which the Basque content creator is a co-owner is operating at a very good level. Not only in League of Legends, which is the most popular section, but also in games like Pokémon or Counter-Strike 2. It is particularly interesting the case of the tactical shooter by Valve since, although it does not have all the prominence that many would like, it has been the one that has brought one of the greatest economic joys to the team. One that even amazed the streamer.
KOI earned one million dollars selling stickers in Counter-Strike
To understand what happened, it is necessary to know that, although there are Counter-Strike tournaments almost every week, most of them are not managed by Valve. The company only participates in the organization of two major annual events called ‘Majors’ which are considered the most important in the entire tactical shooter calendar. These events are very important for the clubs as they receive much more promotion and attract a larger number of spectators. The biggest advantage, however, is that the developers create special cosmetics for the video game and sell them in the store, sharing the profits with the teams participating in the event.
Movistar KOI participated in the PGL Major in Copenhagen 2024, which took place earlier in the year. In sporting terms, the event generates mixed feelings. Although simply being in the tournament is a very significant achievement, the team left the competition without being able to win a single match. When it comes to the economic aspect, however, Ibai Llanos confirms that everything has been positive. Thanks to the special club cosmetics that were sold in the game, these being stickers that could be freely placed on weapons, they have earned one million dollars.
One of the KOI stickers (Via Twitter, @MartinRGB)
Ibai explained the situation in a live stream where he was surprised by the situation: “It’s crazy about the skins. The team has officially earned over a million dollars in stickers. I have seen that. I don’t know if this data could be said, I imagine yes, but I have seen this. It’s not a ‘hey ibai I’ve been told…’. The Counter-Strike situation is truly outrageous. Qualifying for a Major was insane.” It should be noted that, although it cannot be considered as 100% profit, the cost of the team was going to be very similar regardless of whether they qualified for the competition or not.
Like the owners of any esports club, towards the end of the year Ibai will meet with the other responsible parties of this merger between Movistar Riders, MAD Lions, and KOI to evaluate the coming year and make decisions on how to manage the business for the next year. It will be then when we will know which projects will continue next year beyond those of Riot Games. In this sense, surely this good economic performance will help the club to continue working with Counter-Strike.
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