Are CS:GO Cases Predetermined? – Randomness and Fairness

No, CS:GO cases are not predetermined. No party, even Valve, will be able to know the contents of the cases before opening them with a key. Therefore, the drops of CS:GO cases are 100% random and thus fair.

What skins will drop from the cases you open will only be discovered after clicking on “Open” and choosing the corresponding key. Then, the game will play a roulette-like animation, and once it stops, you’ll be able to see what skin you’ve just won.

If you are still in doubt, you don’t have to believe Valve or us, because you can easily find that governments such as the Chinese government have already proven CS:GO cases are not predetermined. 

Following the demands from the Chinese government, Valve proceeded to reveal the odds of CS:GO opening, proving there’s no way for Valve or any other party to know what the contents of the case are before opening them with a key.

They proved the Random Number Generator (RNG) works properly, and thus bringing players a totally random and fair experience. This is why you can open cases without worrying about Valve rigging the drops, because the only factor deciding what skin you’ll win is luck itself.

Now that it’s clear CS:GO cases are not predetermined, let’s understand how CS:GO case opening works.

How Does CS:GO Case Opening Works?

When we talk about CS:GO, there’s nothing easier in the game than opening cases, and this is how it works:

• You win free cases thanks to the Weekly Care Package or you buy them from the Steam Marketplace or your preferred third-party site

• You go and buy the corresponding key to open your chosen case

• You navigate to the Arsenal and select the case you want to unbox

• You proceed to click on “Open”

• You select the key to open the container

• The game launches a roulette-like animation with a selector

• The Random Number Generator determines what skin will drop

• The animation stops and reveals what skin or item you’ve just won

• The item is added to your Inventory

This is how case opening works, and you can also use this as a tutorial on how to start opening cases, because this is the exact same process you must follow to get your drops.

The magic here happens thanks to the Random Number Generator, which is a software algorithm that creates a series of numbers and symbols that are as unpredictable as random chance, guaranteeing 100% aleatory and fair results.

Furthermore, the Random Number Generator also takes care that every single outcome is independent of the previous one. For example, if you got a cheap skin, it doesn’t mean you’ll get another common item if you open the same case again. If you’re lucky, you can win a rare one.

Now that you understand how CS:GO case opening works, it’s time to talk about the odds. Because while CS:GO cases are not predetermined, they offer different percentages of chances on getting skins of different rarity. Find all the details below.

Just like we mentioned, the odds of CS:GO cases will differ depending on the rarity of the skin. The following table will share all the details with you:

If you are new to the world of CS:GO, it’s as simple as this: Blue-rated skins are the cheapest and most common, whereas Gold-rated skins are the most exclusive and expensive.

As you can see, the more exclusive the skin rarity, the lower your chances of winning such an item. This is how it works, and it’s important to be aware of these facts, so you can know what to expect if you get involved in case opening.

Let’s say you decide to open the same case 1,000 times, here you have a breakdown on the skins you’d get in theory based on the odds disclosed by Valve:

• Blue: 799 skins
• Purple: 160 skins
• Pink: 32 skins
• Red: 6 skins
• Gold: 3 skins

This is what you can expect to get. Of course, the Random Number Generator makes sure that all outcomes are independent of the previous one, but you should take these calculations into account to manage the risk accordingly.

If you’re wondering what the price difference can be between the different tiers, the following example will illustrate it perfectly for you. We will compare the different items you can get from opening the Prisma Case, one of the most popular choices.

Here you have the 17 possible skins you can get from opening the Prisma Case:

Additionally, it can drop a Talon, Navaja, Ursus or Stiletto Knife as an Exceedingly Rare Special (Gold) skin, which features 28 different options, being the most expensive the Talon Knife | Doppler, with an average price of $1,400.

As you can see, the price difference is quite large between the Mil-Spec and Gold-rate skins, and hence why it’s important to control the risk accordingly. 

Just like Valve, third-party sites also use a system to generate random outcomes, in this case we are talking about Provably Fair. Here at CSGOLuck we guarantee 100% random and fair results by using this system, which makes it impossible for any party to interfere in the process.

The biggest advantage of opening cases at third-party sites is you don’t have to worry about buying keys – making it much cheaper so you can open more cases to increase your chances of winning an exotic and pretty expensive skin.

If it sounds good to you, we invite you to check our case opening section, you’re going to have a blast.

You can choose amongst an outstanding variety of cases at competitive prices, all without having to waste your money on keys. And the best part is you can claim a bonus to open your first cases for FREE thanks to the Daily Free Cases Bonus.

Now you know the truth about CS:GO cases: they are not predetermined and the odds will differ depending on the rarity of the skin. So you can start opening cases without worrying about Valve rigging the process, because the drops are 100% random.

If you’d like to get more information about CS:GO case opening, you can navigate our other articles about the topic, or you can leave a comment below and we’ll get back to you ASAP!