Skin Rarity
Skin Rarity refers to the color-coded classification system used in Counter-Strike 2 to categorize the scarcity and desirability of weapon skins, stickers, and other cosmetic items.
Rarity Tiers
CS2 uses a color-coded rarity system displayed on item borders and backgrounds:
| Color | Rarity Name | Drop Rate | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| White/Light Blue | Consumer Grade | Most common | Base drops, most common case skins |
| Medium Blue | Industrial Grade | Common | Common case skins |
| Blue | Mil-Spec | ~79.92% | Standard blue drops from cases |
| Purple | Restricted | ~15.98% | Mid-tier case skins |
| Pink/Hot Pink | Classified | ~3.20% | Higher-tier case skins |
| Red | Covert | ~0.64% | Rare case skins (e.g., AWP Dragon Lore) |
| Gold | Extraordinary | ~0.26% | Knife Skins and Glove Skins |
| Gold (Contraband) | Contraband | Unobtainable | M4A4 Howl (removed from cases) |
Understanding Case Odds
When opening a weapon case, the approximate odds are:
- Blue (Mil-Spec): 79.92% (~4 in 5)
- Purple (Restricted): 15.98% (~1 in 6)
- Pink (Classified): 3.20% (~1 in 31)
- Red (Covert): 0.64% (~1 in 156)
- Gold (Knife/Gloves): 0.26% (~1 in 385)
These odds are cumulative — on average, a player would need to open ~385 cases to receive one knife or pair of gloves.
StatTrak
Any skin from a case can also drop in a StatTrak variant, which tracks the number of kills made with the weapon. StatTrak items have an additional ~10% drop rate within their rarity tier, making them roughly 10x rarer than their normal counterparts.
Souvenir
Souvenir skins are dropped during Major Championship matches. They feature gold stickers of the teams playing and the tournament logo. Souvenir skins cannot have StatTrak.
Contraband
The only Contraband-rarity item in CS2 is the M4A4 Howl. It received this classification after its artwork was found to be plagiarized, causing Valve to remove it from the Huntsman Case and redesign it. Since it can no longer be unboxed, existing copies are extremely rare and valuable.
Rarity and Value
Rarity is one factor affecting skin value, but not the only one:
- Float Value — Wear condition within the rarity
- Pattern — Some skins have valuable patterns (e.g., AK-47 Case Hardened blue gem)
- Stickers — Applied stickers can add significant value
- Supply/Demand — Market forces and discontinued items
- Age — Older skins from discontinued cases tend to appreciate
See Also
- Skins — General skin overview
- Float Value — Wear condition system
- Weapon Cases — Where most skins originate
- Trade-Up Contract — Crafting higher-rarity skins