Budapest Major 2025 hasn’t even started, yet it has already become the center of a major controversy: the tournament’s main sponsor is Rollbit — a gambling platform banned on Twitch and YouTube. The announcement sparked immediate chaos: streamers fear bans, Twitch offers no clear guidance, and fans recall the troubled StarLadder Berlin Major 2019. Many already call this the biggest streaming crisis in CS2 Major history.
Key Reasons Behind the Scandal
Counter-Strike StarLadder Budapest Major 2025
> NOT Kick exclusive
> Rollbit Main sponsor
> Rollbit banned from Twitch & YT
> If you co-stream on Twitch or YT, you are breaking rules (banned from the platforms ?)
> 3min delay from GOTV if you want to do it on Twitch
>… pic.twitter.com/wBHToXpP0l— Exerpas (@ExerpasCS) November 18, 2025
- The Major will not be Kick exclusive
Insiders claim Valve prohibited Kick exclusivity to ensure accessibility on all platforms.
- Rollbit — banned on Twitch/YouTube — is the main sponsor
Twitch rules forbid:
- promoting certain gambling sites,
- displaying their logos,
- showing broadcasts that contain their branding.
This puts all official co-streams at risk.
- Streamers could be banned for showing the official broadcast
Many creators say they simply cannot show Rollbit branding without risking their channels.
- Twitch may force GOTV with a 3+ minute delay
To avoid sponsor visibility, Twitch could require:
- GOTV-only co-streams,
- 180+ second delay,
- no official overlay.
- No production-level co-streams
Meaning:
- no replays,
- no multicam,
- no custom observer or transitions.
Impact on Streamers and Viewers
Everyone faces a difficult choice:
- move to Kick (smaller audience),
- risk a Twitch ban,
- use delayed GOTV,
- or abandon co-streaming entirely.
For a scene that relies heavily on creators, this is a major blow.
Community Reaction: Confusion and Outrage
The backlash is massive:
- fl0m: “Now I’m confused.”
- Buggy: “Gambling is ruining the scene.”
- n0tw0rd: “No one watches CS on Kick.”
- Dewsax: “They chose money over viewer experience.”
- Tracy: “Why is it always chaos when StarLadder runs a Major?”
Trust in StarLadder is falling before the event even begins.
Why Rollbit Is the Core Problem
Rollbit is one of the largest crypto-gambling brands pushed aggressively through influencers and streamers.
But the platform is:
- banned on Twitch,
- banned on YouTube,
- capable of triggering account enforcement if its logo or ads appear on stream.
The official Major broadcast will likely feature Rollbit branding in:
- HUD,
- pause screens,
- intermissions,
- stage graphics,
- ad segments.
Meaning: co-streaming the official broadcast = risk of getting banned. This is why Twitch is pushing GOTV-only co-streams with no branding.
How Did This Happen?
The community suspects:
- StarLadder signed the Rollbit deal assuming Kick exclusivity,
- Valve blocked the exclusivity at the last moment,
- now the event is fully branded by a sponsor banned on the world’s main streaming platforms.
Current Situation: Complete Silence
- StarLadder — silent
- Valve — silent
- Twitch — no explanation
- Kick — silent
- Rollbit — silent
Full uncertainty ahead of the Major.
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Possible Scenarios
- Valve forces the removal of Rollbit branding.
- Twitch grants a special exception (unlikely).
- The event is watched mostly on Kick.
Budapest Major 2025 is already the biggest drama of the year. The Rollbit partnership threatens:
- co-streams,
- viewership numbers,
- StarLadder’s reputation,
- relationships with Twitch/YouTube,
- the comfort of fans and creators.
Until StarLadder or Valve provide clarity, the situation will keep escalating — and its consequences may shape CS2 broadcasting for years.
