Best CS2 cases for knives & skins: How to get case keys, odds, more
ValveSkins and cases in CS2 have a huge appeal and some of the rare ones are selling for thousands of dollars on Steam and other platforms. If you’re looking to get cases and skins in CS2, here’s how you can buy them, including the best cases to open and more.
CS2, ever since its release, has cemented its place at the top of the Steam Charts, making it one of the most played games on PC. Although the Counter-Strike franchise is known for its popular game modes and iconic maps like Dust 2, the addition of skins and cases brought countless players, creating an in-game economy and drastically boosting weapon skin prices.
While CS2 has received several changes and new additions, the core gameplay along with the weapon skins and cases are still the same. However, the switch to the Source 2 engine has made the skins look even better in your hands.
With that said, if you’re looking to open CS2 cases and unbox some skins or knives, here’s all you need to know, including the most profitable cases in the game right now.
- How to get cases in CS2
- How to open cases in CS2
- Best CS2 cases to open
- Most popular cases for Knives
- Top 10 most expensive CS2 cases
- CS2 case opening odds
ValveHow to get cases in CS2
There are two ways CS2 players can get cases. You’ll find both the methods explained below.
Case drops in CS2
This is a free way to get cases in CS2. To get case drops, players simply need to play the game. The case you get at the end of some of your matches will be random, however, it’ll most likely be one from the ‘Active Drop Pool.’
The current Active Drop Pool in CS2 consists of the following cases:
- Dreams & Nightmares Case
- Fracture Case
- Recoil Case
- Revolution Case
- Snakebite Case
While 99% of your drops will be from the cases listed above, there’s a 1% chance that you’ll receive a ‘rare’ case drop. These rare cases are significantly more expensive when compared to regular case drops, fetching a higher price on the Steam Market.
Buy cases in CS2
The other way is to just get the CS2 cases from the Steam Market or from third-party platforms. After you complete your purchase, you can find the cases in your inventory.
Keep in mind that you can always sell your dropped or bought cases on the Steam Market. However, there’s a 15% fee charged by Valve for selling on its market.
How to open cases in CS2
CS2 players need a key to open cases in their inventory. Every case requires a single key, specific to that type of case. For example, a Revolution Case can be opened only with a Revolution Case Key.
But you should know that once you buy keys for your cases in CS2, you can’t refund or sell them in the Steam Market.
ValveWhat is the price for a case key in CS2?
The cost of a case key in CS2 is $2.49, or the same price in your currency. However, the few keys listed in the Steam Market will be a lot more expensive. The keys listed on the market are tradeable, which were introduced before Valve decided to make the keys untradeable.
To get a key and open your case in CS2, follow the steps below:
- Click on the Inventory tab on the home screen of CS2.
- Pick the case you wish to open and click on it.
- From the drop-down menu, select ‘Unlock Container.’
- On the case opening screen, you can buy one or multiple keys from the option available at the bottom.
- Once you have a key or more, you can see the option to ‘Unlock Container’ at the bottom of your screen.
Best CS2 cases to open: Most profitable cases in Counter-Strike 2
These are the best CS2 cases to open in 2023 based on the average cost of the skins in the case and the cost of the case and key:
| Case | Case PRICE (+ KEY Price) | Return on Investment (ROI) % |
|---|---|---|
| Operation Wildfire Case | $2.91 (+$2.49) | 57.88% |
| CS:GO Weapon Case 2 | $17.16 (+$2.49) | 56.88% |
| Shadow Case | $1.30 (+$2.49) | 53.76% |
| Huntsman Weapon Case | $11.30 (+$2.49) | 53.47% |
| Prisma Case | $0.99 (+$2.49) | 52.63% |
| CS:GO Weapon Case 3 | $10.96 (+$2.49) | 52.15% |
| Falchion Case | $1.42 (+$2.49) | 50.7% |
As you can see in the above table, even the case at the top is averaging an ROI of 58% only. This simply means that to get an Operation Wildfire case and key, you’ll spend $5.07 and after opening the case, on average, you’ll get $3.09 worth of skins.
Moreover, if you’re wondering about the “most profitable” CS2 cases, you should know there aren’t any particular cases like this in the game. For players to turn a profit from opening cases, they need to get extremely lucky.
ValveMost popular cases for Knives: What are the chances of getting a knife in CS2?
Knives are some of the most popular and expensive items in CS2. However, on average, players can open a case to get a knife, with a 0.26% chance only.
This simply means that for every 400 cases you open in CS2, you can get one knife. With that said, here are some of the most desired types of knives and gloves in CS2, along with their cases:
| CS2 Item | Case to open |
|---|---|
| Butterfly Knife | Operation Breakout Case Dreams & Nightmares Case Operation Riptide Case |
| Karambit Knife | Gamma Case Gamma 2 Case Chroma Case Chroma 2 Case Chroma 3 Case Revolver Case Operation Vanguard Weapon Case Operation Pheonix Weapon Case eSports 2014 Summer Case Winter Offensive Weapon Case CS:GO Weapon Case 3 eSports 2013 Winter Case CS:GO Weapon Case 2 eSports 2013 Case Operation Bravo Case CS:GO Weapon Case |
| M9 Bayonet | Gamma Case Gamma 2 Case Chroma Case Chroma 2 Case Chroma 3 Case Revolver Case Operation Vanguard Weapon Case Operation Pheonix Weapon Case eSports 2014 Summer Case Winter Offensive Weapon Case CS:GO Weapon Case 3 eSports 2013 Winter Case CS:GO Weapon Case 2 eSports 2013 Case Operation Bravo Case CS:GO Weapon Case |
| Skeleton Knife | Fracture Case Shattered Web Case |
| Pandora’s Box Gloves | Glove Case Operation Hydra Case |
| Vice Gloves | Clutch Case Revolution Case |
Top 10 most expensive CS2 cases
Here’s a list of the top 10 most costly cases in CS2 right now:
- CS:GO Weapon Case: $85.88
- Operation Bravo Case: $45.40
- eSports 2013 Case: $43.67
- Operation Hydra Case: $18.99
- CS:GO Weapon Case 2: $12.88
- Huntsman Weapon Case: $9.24
- CS:GO weapon Case 3: $8.14
- eSports 2013 Winter Case: $8.87
- eSports 2014 Case: $7.75
- Winter Offensive Weapon Case: $6.73
The price for cases changes with time and their rarity. Most of the expensive cases are either very old, rare, or simply discontinued. With such cases still being opened, they become even harder to get, and as a result, their prices keep increasing.
CS2 case opening odds
The chances of getting a rare item while opening cases in CS2 are not high. While the players chase the thrill of opening a covert skin, knife, or gloves, you’ll get a ‘Mil-Spec’ (blue rarity) item most of the time.
Here are the case opening odds in CS2:
| Skin Type | Non-Stattrak | StatTrak |
|---|---|---|
| Mil-Spec (Blue) | 79.92% | 7.99% |
| Restricted (Purple) | 15.98% | 1.59% |
| Classified (Pink) | 3.2% | 0.32% |
| Covert (Red) | 0.64% | 0.064% |
| Rare Special Item (Gold) | 0.26% | 0.026% |
Additionally, each item has a 10% chance to be ‘StatTrak.’ This feature enables a kill counter for a knife or gun in CS2.
So, there you have it! That’s all you need to know about the cases in CS2. For more on CS2, make sure to check out the following:
How to convert Valorant to CS2 mouse sensitivity | Best CS:GO & CS2 crosshair codes used by pros | Is Counter-Strike 2 on macOS or Linux? | How to show FPS in Counter-Strike 2: Enable & disable commands | Best Counter-Strike 2 PC settings: High FPS, resolution, and more | Counter-Strike 2: All map changes | How to change FOV in CS2 | Can you play CS2 on console? Is there a PlayStation & Xbox version? | Best NVIDIA Reflex settings for CS2