CS:GO Case Drops Explained

In Counter-Strike, cases are essentially virtual containers that have skins or cosmetic items inside of them. The contents of a case can range from weapon skins and stickers of various types and rarities.

These skins and stickers are purely only for cosmetics, and do not offer players an advantage over others. They are simply used to add flair to gameplay and allow players to customize their weapon loadouts.

How Do CSGO Cases Work?

There are two things players need to open a Counter-Strike case: a weapon case and a case key. Weapon cases are generally cheaper, and can be obtained through in-game drops or by purchasing or trading from other players.

Meanwhile, a case key is directly purchased from the in-game shop for a flat price of $2.50. Each weapon case has a dedicated case key with the same name, and only matching keys can be used to open a specific weapon case.

Once a weapon case is opened, players will witness an unboxing animation, and at the end, they will receive a random weapon skin from the case depending on the fixed odds the game has set. The higher the rarity of an item, the lower the chance of opening.

One of the primary ways to obtain cases is through in-game drops. In-game drops are completely free, and are awarded to players who actively spend time playing the game. Here is everything you need to know about how case drops work.

How To Be Eligible For Case Drops?

Unfortunately, we lied a bit, because not every Counter-Strike account is eligible to receive case drops. The main requirement a player needs is to have their account protected by the Prime Status.

The Prime Status is a purchasable upgrade that gives players several perks and benefits, including the right to receive item drops such as cases. This upgrade can be purchased directly through the in-game client for $14.99.

It is worth noting that the Prime Status is a one-time purchase, meaning you will have it on your account for your entire lifetime. There are additional benefits such as access to ranked matchmaking, as well.

How Does The Case Drop System Work?

In the old days, players would randomly receive drops after completing matches. However, Valve changed how the system worked a few years ago and introduced the “Weekly Care Package” system.

As the name hints, a player can receive a Weekly Care Package once a week. These Care Packages are obtained by leveling up your profile badge once. After leveling up your profile badge, you will automatically receive a Weekly Care Package.

However, players can only receive one package a week, and must wait for the next week’s cycle to receive another one. Still, they can level up their accounts as many times as they’d like per week, but it will not influence their chances of receiving an additional package.

A Weekly Care Package contains four items, which include two graffiti sprays, one weapon skin, and one weapon case. Players can only select two of the four items, meaning they cannot keep all the rewards. So, we recommend selecting the weapon case to get a free case every week.

When Does The Case Drop Schedule Reset

As discussed earlier, players will be limited to one Weekly Care Package per week, which sets a limit to how many cases players can expect to receive.

The Weekly Care Package drop will always reset every Tuesday at 8:00 PM CT. So, you should make sure to level up your account once before Tuesday to maximize your Weekly Care Package schedule and not miss a single week.

Yes, you are always guaranteed to receive a weapon case whenever you open your Weekly Care Package. However, the type of weapon case is entirely random, so you won’t know which one you’re getting.

You might get lucky and get dropped the one you were looking for, or you might luck out and get one worth 10 cents. Here are the three different types of case drop categories you should expect to receive.

Active Cases

The first group of cases are the active cases. The active cases are always the five most recently released cases in the game. Remember that these cases are only obtainable for players who have a Prime Status on their account. As of July 2024, the list of active cases consists of:

• Kilowatt Case
• Revolution Case
• Recoil Case
• Dreams & Nightmares Case
• Fracture Case 

These cases are the five newest ones in the game, and there is a 99% chance that you will receive a case drop from this category.

Since pretty much everyone is getting one of these five cases, the supply of them is constantly increasing. With the basic law of economics, a high supply of these cases will reduce prices, which is why these five cases are some of the most affordable ones in the marketplace. None of them are worth over a dollar.

Rare Cases

Rare cases are a pool of cases that are no longer the five most-recent releases in the game. All the cases that are considered “rare cases” were released over three years ago and are no longer relevant. As of July 2024, the list of rare cases consists of:

• CS:GO Weapon Case
• Operation Bravo Case
• CS:GO Weapon Case 2
• Winter Offensive Weapon Case
• CS:GO Weapon Case 3
• Operation Phoenix Weapon Case
• Huntsman Weapon Case
• Operation Breakout Weapon Case
• Operation Vanguard Weapon Case
• Chroma Case
• Chroma 2 Case
• Falchion Case
• Shadow Case
• Revolver Case
• Operation Wildfire Case
• Chroma 3 Case
• Gamma Case
• Gamma 2 Case
• Glove Case
• Spectrum Case
• Operation Hydra Case
• Spectrum 2 Case
• Clutch Case
• Horizon Case
• Danger Zone Case
• Prisma Case
• CS20 Case
• Prisma 2 Case
• Snakebite Case

However, players can still receive rare cases as drops, although the estimated drop chance of getting one of them is 1%.

The majority of these cases will net you less than $2 on the Steam Community Market. However, there are a few jackpots such as the Operation Bravo Case and the ultimate prize, the CS:GO Weapon Case, which are worth $35 and $72, respectively.

There are also a few such as the Operation Breakout Weapon Case, the Huntsman Weapon Case, and the other two CS:GO Weapon Cases that can fetch you $5 to $10, which is very decent for a free drop.

Discontinued Cases

The remaining cases are considered “discontinued cases.” As the name suggests, players can no longer receive these cases as drops. The only way to obtain these cases is through purchasing them or trading it with other players. Don’t worry, the pool of discontinued cases is pretty small:

• eSports 2013 Case
• eSports 2013 Winter Case
• eSports 2014 Summer Case
• Shattered Web Case
• Operation Broken Fang Case
• Operation Riptide Case

The eSports cases were released all the way in 2013 when Global Offensive was first launched. The goal of those cases was to raise funds for the Major tournaments Valve held, allowing their fan base to contribute to the prize pools of the tournaments. However, since the Majors were completed, these cases were no longer needed and were discontinued.

The other three cases are Operation cases. Once their respective Operations were concluded, Valve decided to discontinue them, which is weird considering there are still cases such as the Operation Breakout and Operation Phoenix cases still dropping.

Top 5 Best Case Drops You Should Hope For

If you’re looking to make some bank from free drops, here are the five most valuable cases you should pray to Lord Gaben for.

1. CS:GO Weapon Case – $72.49
2. Operation Bravo Case – $35.00
3. CS:GO Weapon Case 2 – $7.50
4. CS:GO Weapon Case 3 – $6.12
5. Operation Breakout Weapon Case – $5.39

However, all of these cases are in the “rare cases” pool, meaning there is a 1% chance of receiving a case from this category. On top of having only 1%, there are 29 possible cases you can get, so the odds of getting either one of these five cases is already extremely slim. We don’t think you’d like to spend 10 year’s worth of luck on a case drop!

Normally, when someone says “CSGO case,” they are most likely referring to the weapon cases. However, there are two other types of cases that you should probably know about.

Weapon Cases

As we already know, weapon cases are the primary type of Counter-Strike cases. All the contents in these cases are weapon skins, and players are required to purchase a case key to open one. The skin that the player receives can also come in StatTrak, which is a 10% chance.

Sticker Cases

Sticker cases, better known as sticker capsules aren’t too popular in the game, but are still worth noting. You can probably tell from the name that sticker capsules are used to unbox stickers. You do not need a key to open one. Most sticker capsules are generally cheap, but some like the Katowice 2014 cases are going for over $25,000!

Souvenir Cases

Finally, there are souvenir cases, better known as souvenir packages. Souvenir packages can only be obtained by watching Counter-Strike Major matches live, and receiving them as a drop if you link your Twitch account to Steam. Otherwise, you can purchase them from other players. Souvenir packages do not require a key to open, and weapon skins will have four golden stickers on them.

In Counter-Strike weapon cases, all the items inside it come from varying rarity categories. The chances of unboxing skins of higher rarities are slimmer, making them more scarce and valuable in the marketplace.

What Are The Different Rarities?

There are seven rarity categories you can find in Counter-Strike skins.

Consumer Grade (Gray)

Consumer Grade skins are very common items that you are likely to receive in the Weekly Care Package along with other cases. The weapon skins in this rarity category are usually very plain and barely have any noticeable details that enhance the skin’s appearance.

These skins are so common that they aren’t even worth spots in a Counter-Strike weapon case. However, you can still find Consumer Grade skins in souvenir packages instead as the lowest skin rarity.

Industrial Grade (Light Blue)

Industrial Grade skins are a slight improvement to Consumer Grade skins, but we aren’t there yet. They are a little bit rarer, and you should have a small smile on your face if you receive one as a drop.

Still, the skins in this rarity have very modest designs that do not improve a skin’s visuals as much. Most of them are very basic and bland, and do not serve the purpose of being good play skins very well. Similar to Consumer Grade skins, Industrial Grade skins are not in weapon cases, but are instead only found in souvenir cases.

Mil-Spec (Dark Blue)

Mil-Spec skins are a pretty decent jump from the two lowest categories. These skins can be found inside any weapon case and souvenir packages, meaning they are worthy enough to be placed inside cases.

The skins in this category are finally beginning to show some detailed patterns instead of random camo designs. Most Mil-Spec skins sell for less than a dollar, but should do a decent job of helping you craft an affordable skin loadout.

The odds of unboxing a Mil-Spec skin from a weapon case is 79.92%, or 4 in 5. You should expect to receive one of these in your first case unboxing, unless you’re lucky.

Restricted (Purple)

Restricted skins are a tier above Mil-Spec, and can be found in both weapon cases and souvenir packages. They are less common, meaning they are significantly more valuable and harder to obtain than Mil-Spec skins.

Skins in the Restricted category often have very well-detailed patterns or good artwork. Overall, Restricted skins are sought after for players with a low to medium-ranged budget and are very decent skins.

The odds of unboxing a Restricted skin from a weapon case is 15.98%, or 1 in 6. However, most Restricted skins will still cost less than a case key, so you might still find yourself at a loss despite unboxing one of these.

Classified (Pink)

Classified skins are very rare items and are extremely demanded by Counter-Strike players. The Classified rarity is the third-highest category in weapon cases, and is the highest category for several souvenir cases.

Skins in this category have eye-catching and appealing designs. Classified skins are much harder to obtain than Restricted ones. Most Classified skins will guarantee you profit from unboxing the weapon case.

The odds of unboxing a Classified skin from a weapon case is only 3.2%, or 1 in 31, making it incredibly difficult to obtain. Most Classified skins are worth over $30, giving you more than 10x the profit from a case key.

Covert (Red)

Covert skins are the highest rarity category for weapon skins. Covert skins are among the most valuable items you can expect to receive in weapon cases, and are the highest rarity in souvenir packages.

The designs of Covert skins are extremely well-detailed and unique, making skins in this category some of the most demanded weapon skins in the game. However, you must count your lucky stars to unbox one of these.

The odds of unboxing a Covert skin from a weapon case is only 0.64%, or 1 in 156, which is already less than 1%. However, most Covert skins are valued at over $100, giving you massive profit if you get lucky.

Exceedingly Rare Special Item (Gold)

Finally, we have the Exceedingly Rare Special Item tier, which is only available for knives and gloves; not weapon skins. These items are incredibly valuable because of how scarce they are.  Every Counter-Strike player dreams of owning one of these, but they’ll have to pay a premium to make that a reality. This rarity category does not exist in souvenir packages, and can only be found in weapon cases.

The odds of unboxing an Exceedingly Rare Special Item from a weapon is around 0.26%, or 1 in 385. However, there is still no guarantee that you will unbox one of these after opening 385 cases, as there are no pity systems or escalating odds.

How Do Rarities Affect The Value Of Items?

The rarity of an item will directly affect its market value and price, depending on the scarcity and demand for the product.

Consumer Grade skins have extremely low market value because of its high availability and boring designs. There is an excess supply and a lack of demand, meaning skins in this category are worth cents.

Industrial Grade skins are in a better position than Consumer Grade skins, as the demand starts to increase a little bit. The supply of these skins are slightly less common, leading to a modest market value.

Yes, you can sell cases itself and also the contents you receive from cases. There are always buyers willing to purchase cases and skins, as long as you are pricing them right. Millions of cases and skins are bought and sold daily, so this is not a rare occurrence.

Where To Sell Case Drops

You can sell these skins for real money, as Counter-Strike items and cosmetics actually have real-world value. Here are the two primary platforms where you can sell Counter-Strike cases and their drops.

Steam Community Market

The most common place to sell your Counter-Strike items is through the Steam Community Market, which is Valve’s official marketplace. You can find it in your Steam client, or the official Steam website.

All sales and transactions are regulated by Valve, so there is no way for you to get scammed unless you accidentally list your skins for too low, or buy a listing that is worth too much, in other words, you made a mistake. However, selling your case drops on the Steam Community Market will pose two common issues.

• For some reason, Valve has set a very high selling fee of 15%, meaning you will pay the fee as the seller. If you try to list your skins higher to cover the fee, nobody will purchase your items in such a competitive market.
• The biggest problem is that the funds from selling your items will be converted into Steam Wallet credit which cannot be withdrawn for real cash. You can only use this money to purchase other things from the Steam platform.

Third-Party Websites

If you are looking to cash out your Counter-Strike cases and drops for real money, you should turn to third-party marketplace websites instead. As the name suggests, you are transacting out of Steam and Valve. However, these third-party websites are generally safe unless you choose the wrong one.

When choosing a third-party website to sell on, do careful research on the website’s reputation and check reviews and discussions surrounding it. We only recommend transacting on these websites if you are an experienced player. Still, selling your items on these websites can create several advantages for you.

• These websites have significantly lower selling fees compared to the Steam Community Market, usually ranging from 4 to 8%. This allows you to keep more money from your case drop sales.
• The best part about third-party websites is the ability to withdraw your funds through real-money payment methods. You can choose payment methods such as cryptocurrency, or direct bank transfer.

Please be very cautious not to click on suspicious links, and make sure you are on the official website and not on an impersonator. If you get scammed through third-party websites, Valve and Steam cannot help you retrieve your items.

As discussed earlier, the only way to receive cases as drops in Counter-Strike is to have an account with a Prime Status and play enough matches to level up to receive your Weekly Care Package.

If you’re looking to make additional income on the side from playing Counter-Strike, selling off cases and drops can give you additional pocket money to spend on good weapon skins. Here are two ways to maximize your potential for receiving drops.

Make Your Playtime More Effective

The way to receive case drops is to level up your profile once a week. Leveling up your profile requires experience points that can be obtained by completing matches on Valve’s official servers.

It is important to note that players who perform well in matches will receive more experience points, through winning matches and getting lots of kills. So, you should always try your best in whichever game mode you decide to play, as getting more kills will help you level up quicker and save time.

Use Multiple Accounts To Meet Weekly Requirements

Though it is considered unethical to have multiple accounts to play Counter-Strike, it is still a good way to maximize your case drop potential per week. As you know, players are limited to only receiving one Weekly Care Package per week. However, if you have a second or third account, you can farm multiple packages in a week.

Collecting one package can normally be done in 1 or 2 days, depending on how much you’re playing. If you seriously want to get as many cases as possible, you can play on several accounts and get as many as you can. You can always play on unranked game modes if you don’t want to ruin games for smurfing.

However, keep in mind that all your accounts must have a Prime Status, which might require you to splurge extra money. Still, you will quickly make your money back in the short term after collecting several care packages.