Counter-Strike has existed for more than 20 years, with its most recent iteration, Counter-Strike 2, releasing in September 2023. The game is one of the highest grossing games ever, thanks to its robust economy of weapon cosmetics known as skins.
Is Valve’s most popular multiplayer title CS2 free for anyone to enjoy?
Is CS2 Free?
Yes, CS2 is free-to-play for any Steam user. In December 2018, Valve switched the current game’s predecessor Counter-Strike: Global Offensive over to a free-to-play model. Previously, the game sold for $15. Those that already own the game have Prime Status, which enables better matchmaking with other Prime users as well as a weekly cosmetic item drop.
What Do CS2 Players Spend Money On?
Counter-Strike 2 players can still purchase the Prime Status upgrade for $15. This is a permanent upgrade to your account that guarantees Prime matchmaking and the weekly drops.
Most of the money spent on Counter-Strike 2 is spent on in-game cosmetics, via skins, cases, and case keys. Players can acquire cases from their weekly drops or the Steam marketplace, then spend money on case keys to open those cases and receive a weapon skin. Players then have the option of selling that skin on the same Steam marketplace, where they can also buy skins directly. According to CS2 Case Tracker, $980 million was spent just on opening cases in 2023.
Aside from cases and skins, players will also spend money on various in-game passes like the Armory Pass, a Major Viewer’s Pass, or an Operation Pass. These passes offer additional rewards for playing the game or completing various challenges. The Major pass also offers capsules featuring a random weapon sticker of a logo or signature from a team or player competing at that Major. Each capsule is $1, with proceeds going toward the competitors.
With all that being said, Counter-Strike 2 is still completely free to play. You can play all the official game modes including Premier and Competitive, and you can download and play workshop modes.
How much money have you spent in Counter-Strike 2? Let us know on the Insider Gaming forum.
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