How to get cases in CS2: Everything about skins

Harrison Thomas

Harrison Thomas

Got a question? It’s already answered in here.

Figuring out how to get CS2 cases is easy, once you know the steps. Fear not, esports.gg has the perfect explanation for you. Prepare to learn everything about skins.

CS2 cases aren’t released regularly. But you’ll have the long list of boxes dolled out by the Valve developers over the course of CS2 and CS:GO’s lifespan. There are more than enough to collect and open.

How to get cases in CS2

Weekly Rewards

(Image via Valve)
(Image via Valve)

There are multiple ways to get cases in CS2. Firstly, you can be given a case weekly by playing CS2. The weekly reward system allows players to get one case a week for free by selecting it from the four available rewards.

You’ll only be able to get two of the four, so choose wisely. Otherwise, wait until next week to get a case. The best way to get these rewards is by playing matchmaking and winning your matches.

Market

(Screenshot by esports.gg)
(Screenshot by esports.gg)

The next way to get cases in CS2 is by purchasing them off the Steam Marketplace. Purchasing cases, like skins, is based on the price the community believes the case is worth. When a certain case features a rare skin or a specific knife, typically, they’ll be more expensive. The easiest way to purchase the majority of cases is by:

  • Opening CS2 
  • Selecting Store in the tabs up the top of your screen 
  • Click Market in the tab below Store
  • Select the case you’d like to open

The only issue with this way is the fact that not every case is on display. Don’t stress, you can click on any of the cases in the Market and it’ll open the Marketplace. From here you can delete the selected case next to the words “Showing Results For” on your screen. Then type your desired case into the search bar on the right of the page.

Once you’ve selected the case you want, click on it and scroll down to where it says buy. These prices will be different and you’ll buy someone’s case that they’ve listed on the marketplace. 

Websites

This is the more risky version of buying and selling skins. There are many websites that have been found by people to be illegitimate and end up stealing your funds or your skins. This is why I typically avoid these websites unless they are used by a large portion of the skin-community. However, I’ve had issues with some of the biggest ones out there.

The best course of action is to use the Steam Marketplace and be careful with what you’re buying and selling. Mistakes can still happen.

How do cases work?

(Screenshot by esports.gg)
(Screenshot by esports.gg)

CS2 and CS:GO cases typically require a key to unlock, and the luckiest of spins to get the best weapon inside.

Think of it as if you’re playing a slot machine. The chances of getting a good weapon skin are incredibly low, but the chances of getting a low-tier cosmetic are high. Here’s the order in most cases, from worst to best:

  • Blue 
  • Purple
  • Pink
  • Red
  • Gold

However, the red or gold banner won’t guarantee an expensive skin. The Steam Marketplace determines skin prices. If you’re unfamiliar with the Marketplace, this is where you can list your skins from multiple different games on Steam, and sell them based on how much you believe they are worth. 

So, if you’ve got a red skin, the likelihood you use the weapon it belongs to and the rarity of the skin itself determines how much you’ll be able to sell it for. Also, the price can be affected by the weapons float. 

Also, not every weapons case will have a gold cosmetic inside. Make sure you check what you're buying before you spend your hard-earned cash.

The case will also require a key. To purchase a key for CS2 case you'll have to either purchase it from on an external website or once you've got a case, attempt to open it without one. Once you do, you'll be directed to where you can purchase a key. The latter is the safest option.

What is a skin float?

A weapon’s skin float shows the amount of wear on the weapon itself. A weapon float is like a fingerprint. So, you’ll get a unique float the vast majority of the time you unbox a weapon. 

Here are all the tiers of skins you can open in order of worst to best:

  • Well Worn
  • Battle Scared
  • Field Tested
  • Minimal Wear
  • Factory New

However, the wear of the skin sometimes doesn't mean it'll be worth more or less. Sometimes a Well Worn skin will be worth more than its Factory New version. It depends on the rarity and sometimes the pattern.

To see what float you've got, inspect your weapon and hover over the "i" in a white circle down the bottom of your screen. This will show your float, otherwise known as a "Wear Rating."

All CS2 Cases in order of release

There are 41 different cases for you to open in CS2. If you’re looking for a CS2 case list, you’ve come to the right place.

Here’s what you can get (from most new to old):

  • Kilowatt Case
  • Anubis Collection Package
  • Revolution Case
  • Recoil Case
  • Dreams and Nightmare Case
  • Operation Riptide Case
  • Snakebite Case
  • Operation Broken Fang Case
  • Fracture Case
  • Prisma 2 Case
  • CS20 Case
  • Shattered Web Case
  • Prisma Case
  • Danger Zone Case
  • Horizon Case
  • Clutch Case
  • Spectrum 2 Case
  • Operation Hydra Case
  • Spectrum Case
  • Glove Case
  • Gamma 2 Case
  • Gamma Case
  • Chroma 3 Case
  • Operation Wildfire Case
  • Revolver Case
  • Shadow Case
  • Falchion Case
  • Chroma 2 Case
  • Chroma Case
  • Operation Vanguard Weapon Case
  • eSports 2014 Summer Case
  • Operation Breakout Weapon Case
  • Huntsman Weapon Case
  • Operation Phoenix Weapon Case
  • CS:GO Weapon Case 3
  • Winter Offensive Weapon Case
  • eSports 2013 Winter Case
  • CS:GO Weapon Case 2
  • Operation Bravo Case
  • eSports 2013 Case
  • CS:GO Weapon Case

Trying to collect them all? Good luck, and hopefully, you've got the funds to open them.

Keep an eye on esports.gg for more CS2 news and guides.