CS2 Prime Status is an underrated feature, which many players take for granted. We’re going to show you what it is, and why having a Counter-Strike Prime account is so beneficial.
What is Prime Status in CS2?
In Counter-Strike, Prime Status gives players a set of benefits in matchmaking. Perhaps the most immediately noticeable is the Prime-exclusive item drops in-game. After each match, players with CS2 Prime accounts have a chance to receive a random drop. This can be anything from cases to weapon skins. There have even been exclusive skins unable to buy on the marketplace, available only to Prime players!
Non-Prime players also don’t have access to ranked matchmaking. Imagine – you’ve picked your favorite crosshair, you’ve adjusted your CS2 rates – you’re ready to conquer matchmaking with your friends. But you can’t, because you don’t have CS2 Prime. If you want to begin your climb to Global Elite, getting Prime Status is the first step on a long journey.
Once you’ve got a CS2 Prime account, the real benefit is the lack of cheaters. Ultimately, there aren’t many people out there that want to spend the money for a Prime account, only for it to be banned days later for cheating. Especially if it’s a pattern of behavior and not a one-off occasion. There’s no way to avoid cheaters entirely – you’ll still meet wallhackers and aim botters in matchmaking, but Prime Status hugely reduces the amount you’ll encounter. It’s one of the negatives of CS2 going free-to-play. While it made CS2 more accessible to a wider audience, it also lowered the barrier to entry for cheaters, too.
If your friend has Prime Status but you don’t, fear not. You’ll still be able to play with them in unranked matches. However, you’ll be matched exclusively with other players who don’t have Prime, so ensure your friend is aware.
How to get CS 2 Prime Status
Having Prime Status isn’t necessary to learn how to get good at Counter-Strike, and it’s pretty easy to get. CS2 Prime accounts are mostly comprised of players who purchased the game prior to it going free-to-play in December 2018. If you purchased the game, you received an automatic upgrade to Prime Status.
For newer players, you can still get a CS2 Prime account. The only way now is to buy Prime Status on Steam for $14.99. This price has remained consistent since the transition, as a reduction would result in more cheaters. It should be noted that to have Prime Status, a valid phone number must also be linked to your Steam account. Players used to be able to get Prime Status by reaching level 21, although this was removed in 2025 due to it not stopping cheaters as intended.
Some players look for CS2 Prime accounts for sale online, but we wouldn’t recommend doing this. This is usually used by cheaters to circumvent the phone number requirement, so they’re able to cheat in competitive CS2.
While owning a CS2 Prime account probably won’t help you become a Counter-Strike esports guru, it should still help your performance. You’ll notice that the general standard of player goes up in Prime matchmaking, and as a result, you should have a better time with the game.
Source: Counter-strike.net
FAQs
Technically, yes, but we wouldn’t count on it. The post-match skin drops are usually cheap skins, which are ideal for newer players to get their very first customization items. However, experienced players will likely have other skins, so usually just sell the Prime drops for pennies. As a Prime player, you need to hope for case drops in order to make money. Most cases sell for around $1, so it’s a small amount each time you get one. It can certainly add up over time, especially if you’re someone that plays a lot of CS2. You can then use this to buy a fancy new weapon skin, or even a Steam game.
