After a month of teasers posted on social media, Fnatic has unveiled STASHD, a Counter-Strike skin gambling and trading platform that gives ‘fans and collectors a fun and transparent way to collect skins.’ Two days ago, the STASHD platform was uncovered in full, prompting intense backlash from Fnatic’s community.
This is by no means a new concept in the Counter-Strike world, as case gambling, skin trading, and skin betting sites are a dime a dozen, but Fnatic’s fans have accused the team of brutalizing an already weakening brand name with this platform.
Fnatic’s Fans Slam STASHD Opening
On social media, a Fnatic fan club with thousands of followers publicly condemned STASHD, suggesting the mere opening of the site is not something they can support:
We’re deeply disappointed by the direction Fnatic has taken.
An org we’ve supported for years is now attaching its name to a platform built around a framework which reminds of gambling adjacent practices. That’s not something we can stand behind.
We want to be clear, this is not about resisting change or growth. It is about protecting a community that includes many young and impressionable fans.
We strongly condemn this type of practice.
Unfortunately, securing profitability in the esports industry is still a tricky topic, and few organizations are in the green these days. This is why a lot of these larger teams turn to gambling, questionable sponsorships, and, at times, dubious activations to bolster their income and revenue streams
It’s also no big secret that esports and gambling go together like peanut butter and jelly. Around half of the industry’s revenue comes from esports betting.
The comments under the above post were vehemently against the surfacing of STASHD. One user wrote, ‘This is what happens when the org has been run into the ground by incompetent leadership.’ Another said, ‘Fnatic would literally rather chase gambling money in CS than actually take care of their own CS team.’
One user echoed the money-making sentiment:
Promoting gambling sucks, but esports orgs don’t have many other ways to make money. If you’re not already running world class rosters or backed by investors with deep pockets, it’s tough to win or pull fans.
For now Fnatic is promoting a sign-up bonus with STASHD, giving users a free case when they register for a new account.
Do you think Fnatic is making the wrong move with STASHD? Let us know on the Insider Gaming Discord server.
For more Insider Gaming coverage, check out the news that Cache is back in CS2
Grant has been gaming for 30+ years and in the industry for 10+. You'll probably find him playing a post-apocalyptic game or an extraction shooter somewhere.
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