CSGO case tier list: Best cases to open in 2023

William Davis Published 29/07/2023

Looking to start an opening spree? Our CSGO case tier list will help you get the most bang for your buck in 2023.

CSGO case prices are going crazy with the imminent release of Counter-Strike 2, but that hasn’t stopped players from opening them. If you’re looking to pull a profit, the case that you choose to open will have a massive impact on your return. Return on investment is the name of the game, and the best cases only require a little bit of luck to potentially pull a profit. Our CSGO cases tier list will let you know at a glance how well you can expect your unboxing to go in 2023.

This tier list is based on the expected return on investment based on paying for each individual case and key from the Steam market and Valve store respectively. Even the worst case can turn out profitable, and the best can go horribly wrong depending on luck. Each tier is then ranked by return, so pay attention to the order in each one. Simply use this to judge how well you can expect a mass unboxing to go, as no case is even close to being profitable on average.

Also Read | These are the best CS2 cases to open in 2024

2023 CSGO case opening tier list

Below is our CSGO case tier list based on their average return on investment in 2023.

S Tier – Recoil, Wildfire, CSGO Weapon 2
A Tier – Shadow, Esports 2013 Winter, Huntsman, CSGO Weapon 3, Shattered Web
B Tier – Falchion, Horizon, Winter Offensive, Fracture, Operation Broken Fang, Operation Phoenix, CS20
C Tier – Snakebite, Prisma, Esports 2014, Danger Zone, Operation Vanguard, Prisma 2, CSGO Weapon
D Tier – Revolver, Chroma, Operation Hydra, Spectrum, Chroma 2, Clutch, Chroma 3
E Tier – Gamma, Operation Bravo, Dreams & Nightmares, Gamma 2, Spectrum 2, Operation Breakout, Operation Riptide
F Tier – Esports 2013, Glove

The S tier is the Recoil, Operation Wildfire, and CSGO Weapon 2 cases. Each of these has an average return of close to 50%, meaning you can expect to get half your money back in skins with average luck. That’s the highest margin for profit. Recoils are cheap at 60 cents with excellent coverts and gloves while Wildfires have a ton of value in reds. CSGO Weapons Case 2s have a $40 average pink pull, making up for their steep $14 price tag. This combination of pricing and potential return makes the S tier an attractive choice for players seeking the highest margin for profit in their case opening endeavors. Whether you’re a seasoned collector or a newcomer to the world of CS2 (CS:GO) cases, investing in S tier options like Recoil, Operation Wildfire, and CSGO Weapon 2 cases can be a strategic move toward building a valuable and diverse inventory in 2023.

Right below them in the CSGO case tier list is the A tier, with the Shadow, Esports 2013, Huntsman, Weapon 3, and Shattered Web cases making the cut in 2023. Each of them has a fairly even spread of value, with the Huntsman having the most money at the rare end of the curve. The Revolution case is not pictured, but it definitely belongs in the A tier as well.

The B tier is when cases become a little sketchier to open, but are still relatively wise. Starting with the Falchion and ending with the CS20 case, these cases usually have an unusual amount of value at a certain rarity. The Horizon case, for example, has unusually valuable pinks thanks to the M4A1-S | Nightmare. The price of an average Fracture gold is $307, giving it the best ratio of price to knife value. However, if you don’t hit these particularly pricy skins, these cases tend to be less rewarding that the top tiers.

Below these tiers are the average cases, with a return on investment ranging from 42% at the start of C to 30% at the end of E. These are all decent cases to open if you get lucky, but stick to the top tiers if you plan to open more than a dozen or so cases. You may also be chasing after a specific skin, which makes pursuing any individual case reasonable. However, there are a few cases below these that you are much better off ignoring.

The E tier of our 2023 CSGO case tier list should be avoided at all costs. The Esports 2013 and Glove cases are abysmal, with expected returns below 20%. For the Esports 2013, this is due to their insane $50 price tag despite having only two pinks worth more than $50 on average. The Glove Case is even worse, with the best StatTrak™ red just barely breaking $100. All the value is in the golds, which are worth just $243 on average. Skip these and don’t look back.

Which CSGO case should I open for a knife or gloves?

Based on the above tier list, there are a few excellent options for players who are specifically hunting for a gold.

If you want to open a knife, the best case to open in 2023 is the Chroma 3 case or Operation Wildfire case. Despite its low place on our tier list, the Chroma 3 is stacked with fantastic CSGO knives including dopplers, which can sell for quite a pretty penny in 2023. They’re also relatively cheap, which is great for mass unboxings. On average, the most profitable case to open with knives is the Wildfire Case, but all golds from that case will be Bowie Knives with original finishes.

If you’re hunting gloves, the best CSGO case to open is the Recoil Case, which costs around $1.40 and has an average gold value of $316. Big potential pulls include the Sport Gloves | Vice and Amphibious and the Specialist Gloves | Fade. There are some misses in the case like the Moto Gloves | Transport, but on balance, any gold is likely to be worth decent money.

If you don’t care at all about case price and just want the absolute best gold, there is sadly no substitute for Operation Breakout cases. These cases introduced the Butterfly Knife, which remains the most valuable knife in the game to this very day. The average gold price for the case is over $600, nearly $200 more than the Chroma cases. However, they run over $7 a pop, so you better pull a knife quickly.

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