CS:GO cases are a key part of the off-the-server experience. Case openings are extremely popular online, as the adrenaline from receiving an expensive skin or watching someone else find one is immense.
If you’re a player wondering how to get CS:GO cases, you’re in luck. We’re going to show you three ways you can get cases in-game, which you can open to find some of the rarest CS:GO skins.
Earning CS:GO Cases From Matches
In CS:GO free skins and cases are distributed across the server at random after every match. This is the most common way most players will come across CS:GO cases. The cases that players can receive will usually come from the Prime cases pool. This pool changes with the release of every new case, though it currently consists of:
- Recoil Case (July 2022)
- Dreams & Nightmares Case (January 2022)
- Snakebite Case (May 2021)
- Fracture Case (August 2020)
- Clutch Case (February 2018).
These cases usually won’t sell for above $1 on the Steam marketplace, as they are the most common cases being brought into the game’s economy. Updates to the Prime cases pool will likely occur upon the release of a new Operation, though this currently seems a while away.
Only opening cases when you receive them post-matches is a great option if you usually have a few dollars spare in your Steam wallet. You’ll be able to make sure you’re not spending huge amounts on CS:GO cases, which is easily done.
Purchasing CS:GO Cases
If you’re planning to open CS:GO cases, the most efficient way to acquire them is to simply purchase them. You can do this through the Steam marketplace. Players can buy cases from third-party sites, but prices are usually so low that any savings aren’t worth the risk. Here’s how to get cases via Steam, step-by-step:
- Under Steam’s ‘Community’ tab, select ‘Market’.
- Find and select the ‘Counter-Strike: Global Offensive’ option under ‘Browse by Game’.
- Select ‘Show advanced options’.
- Scroll down to the ‘Type’ option, and tick the ‘Container’ checkbox.
- This will have all of the cases in the game. You can now also sort by price to find the cheapest cases on the market.
- Selecting your case, check the page prior to purchase. Each page displays what each case may contain inside. This is especially useful if you’re looking for a specific skin.
- Hit the ‘Buy’ button, and finish your transaction by entering the number of cases you’d like to purchase.
You now own a collection of CS:GO cases ready to open, and earn skins for use in competitive CS:GO. Keys for these cases are purchased directly from inside the game for $2.50 each. Do not purchase the keys available on Steam’s marketplace. These are more expensive than the in-game keys, and no longer work after a 2019 update cracked down on trading fraud. Nowadays, these keys essentially serve as inventory decoration.
Operation Missions
CS:GO cases can also be earned by completing Operation missions, whenever there’s one active in-game. You can’t replay previous Operations, so you’ll have to wait for a new one before this option becomes available again.
With no current news on an Operation from Valve, players face a wait to see what the developer has planned next for the game. For now, players will just have to purchase cases or earn them in competitive matchmaking.