Stewie2k, s1mple & Others React To to Valve’s Surprise Major Changes!

Valve has introduced a revamped system for CS:GO Majors which includes significant changes to the stage names and sticker system.

The ELEAGUE Boston 2018 Major, which will begin on January 18th, will be the first to use the new system which renames the Major Qualifier to “The New Challengers” stage.
The New Challengers Stage will feature the eight teams that qualified for it through the various Minors as well as the eight teams that were eliminated in the group stage of the previous Major, PGL Krakow.
Like before, the top eight teams from the New Challengers Stage will advance to the group stage of the major which has now been renamed as “The New Legends Stage” – here they will join the eight teams that made it to the playoffs at PGL Krakow.
For the ELEAGUE Major, both of these early stages will take place in the ELEAGUE Arena in Atlanta. The eight teams that then advance to the playoff stage, now known as “The New Champions” stage, will advance to the Agganis Arena in Boston and will secure legend status.
Due to the fact that each of these stages is now classed as part of the same event, all 24 teams across the three stages will now receive team and player stickers, where before only the 16 that got passed the Major Qualifier got that honor.

Pro Players Weren't Pleased 

This now means that the 16 teams that were aiming to qualify for the Major, and join the eight legends from PGL Krakow, are now officially a part of ELEAGUE Boston Major – raising the number of teams at a Major from 16 to 24.
Crucially, this means that all of the teams in attendance will now receive team and player stickers whereas only the 16 teams that made the main event got them in previous tournaments.
It is this factor that has sparked the greatest debate, causing a number of discussions to resurface. Here are some of the earliest responses to the news:
The announcement was originally greeted by a good deal of confusion about what it actually meant.

24 teams on Major, lol

— Sasha (@s1mpleO) December 13, 2017

That means that we ll be playing the Major? 😍😍

— ScreaM (@nV_ScreaM_) December 13, 2017

seems like my major streak is alive after valve's change:D

— Denis Kostin (@seizedwf) December 13, 2017

Wait, we get stickers for the qualifier?!? 😮😮😮😮

— Sean Gares (@seangares) December 13, 2017

Trying to understand new Major system 😂 pic.twitter.com/zXa1FOukVG

— Daniil Teslenko (@ZeusCS_GO) December 13, 2017

Yeah, but... "Under this new system, the Major is expanded from 16 to 24 teams as the qualifiers and the Major itself are no longer independent from one another."

— Nathan Schmitt (@G2NBK) December 13, 2017

 And then Stewie2k came forth and said this,

Qualifying for the major was always an accomplishment, regardless how we finished. Earning your own sticker and having it be a symbol of yourself in the game is when I knew I put my foot through the door. 24 teams at a major devalues the importance and competition 🙁

— C9 Jake (@Stewie) December 13, 2017

 he 19 year old certainly has a point. Getting to the “New Challengers” stage through the various Minor Championships is now enough to earn a spot in the Major and get you player and team sticker in the game.

With the possible exception of the European Minor, it is hard to argue a case for the other Minors being prestigious enough to earn in-game items, or claim that you have earned a spot in the Major.
Some pundits and community members have expressed a desire to see a Global Minor Championship for future Majors, where teams from every region will compete on a fair playing field for one of the coveted New Challengers spots.