CS2 has finally arrived, but did your Prime status come along for the ride?
For Global Offensive grinders, Prime status has been around for so long that you may have forgotten the impact it has. However, the Prime upgrade for sale on the Counter-Strike 2 Steam page may be an unexpected reminder. With CS2 out and millions of players transitioning, keeping their premium status has suddenly become a concern. Here’s whether or not your Prime status got grandfathered in and what the service does in the new version of Counter-Strike.
If you were Prime in Global Offensive, your Prime status will be automatically carried over to CS2. You do not need to purchase Prime status again to get all of the benefits. This is likely a relief for budget gamers who were met with a $15 purchasing option on the download page. In addition, CSGO players Prime and otherwise will get a free Music Kit and coin to commemorate their time in the Source 2 version.
To check if you have Prime, open up Counter-Strike 2 and hover over the small player profile on the home menu. You should see a Prime logo next to your comments. If you don’t have this, you’ll need to purchase it from the Steam store.
Prime status grants special privileges to CS2 players, including souvenir access, free items, case drops, and a special matchmaking pool.
Prime gives essentially the same privileges in Counter-Strike 2 as it did in Global Offensive. Players with Prime will get two guaranteed drops each week as long as they level up their profile. One will be a case, with another being a map-based skin. Both drops are 100% tradable and marketable, which can lead to some pretty nice paydays for Prime players. Just don’t expect to profit from the $15 investment for quite a while.
In addition, Prime CS2 players have access to a special matchmaking pool that consists exclusively of other Prime players. The idea behind this is that, since Prime costs money, players are less likely to run into smurfs or cheaters. Any Prime player will tell you that it doesn’t eliminate those problems entirely, but thanks to the engine switch and relative lack of Source 2 cheating programs, you should generally expect a fairer matchmaking experience.
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