Counter-Strike: Global Offensive isn’t the newest game on the market. It’s over 10 years old, and yet it still boasts 800,000-900,000 monthly players! With that in mind, it still welcomes new players all the time.
If you’re thinking about giving CSGO a try, you may be a bit apprehensive. With so many seasoned players, you might worry that you don’t know enough about the game-but there’s nothing stopping you from learning.
Cases are an integral part of the game, and all players want to find the best CSGO case to open. In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about CSGO cases. Keep reading for more.
How to Get Cases in CSGO
There are two different ways that you can get cases in CSGO. The first method is through case drops. This is a free method and happens simply by playing the game.
You can get 1 free case a week, and it will happen the first time you rank up that week. There’s an “active drop pool” with regular cases and there’s a 99% chance your case will come from there. You also have a 1% chance of getting a rare case which will offer better rewards.
The second way to get CSGO cases is by buying them. You can do this via the Steam Market or various third-party websites. This allows you to buy as many cases as you want and you can choose the types of cases you get.
If you decide not to open a case, you can sell it again on the market. Bear in mind, however, there’s a 15% fee, so unless the price of the case has increased, you’ll make a loss on it.
How to Open CSGO Cases
CSGO case opening is a short process, but to complete it, you’ll need a key. Each case takes 1 key and you need to make sure it’s the right key for your case. You can buy these, but you can’t sell them again, so only buy keys you intend to use.
CSGO keys cost $2.49 through the in-game store. They cost more on Steam, but ones purchased from Steam can be sold again.
CSGO Case Odds
There are five levels of item rarity ranging from Mil-Spec (blue) to Rare Special Item (gold). As you may expect, lower rarity items are more common, and having rarer cases will improve your odds.
Note that every item in a case has a 10% chance of being a StatTrak item. A StatTrak gun or knife will feature a kill counter.
The odds are as follows:
- Mil-Spec (blue): 79.92% (7.99% StatTrak)
- Restricted (purple): 15.98% (1.59% StatTrak)
- Classified (pink): 3.2% (0.32% StatTrak)
- Covert (red): 0.64% (0.064% StatTrak)
- Rare Special Item (gold): 0.26% (0.026% StatTrak)
When opening a case, you’ll most likely get a Mil-Spec or Restricted skin. These are typically only worth a few cents, and sometimes a few dollars. If luck is on your side, however, you could end up getting a much rarer item that has a significantly higher value.
Best CSGO Case to Open
Some players choose to only use the free cases they’re given. When doing this, there’s no need to worry about which cases are best because you don’t choose the cases you get. If you decide to buy cases, however, you probably want to get ones that will grant the best rewards.
For the best chance of a good return on investment, the top case to go for is the Operation Wildfire Case, which has a price of $2.09. The CSGO Weapon Case 2 is another good option but is more expensive costing $13.72. Other cases with good returns include the Recoil Case, Revolution Case,and CSGO Weapon Case 3.
Knives in CSGO Cases
Cases contain various items, but the most sought-after are knives. The chances of getting a knife or gloves from a case are about 1 in 400, so don’t expect these to pop up very often.
It’s worth noting that some knives only come from certain cases. The Butterfly Knife, for example, is perhaps the most expensive type available, and only three types of cases can contain it. These are the Operation Riptide Case, Operation Breakout Case, and Dreams and Nightmares Case.
Other very popular knives include:
- Skeleton Knife
- M9 Bayonet
- Karambit
In terms of gloves, Pandora’s Box Gloves and Vice Gloves are perhaps the most desirable.
Most Expensive CSGO Cases
In general, cases in CSGO are priced by how rare they are and the items that they can contain. Some cases are no longer made, however, making them even more valuable. The most expensive cases you can find are:
- CSGO Weapon Case: $80
- Operation Bravo Case: $60
- eSports 2013 Case: $50
- Operation Hydra Case: $20
When cases are discontinued, they become far rarer. Each time one is opened, there are fewer that remain, which typically pushes the price up even more.
Cheapest CSGO Cases
If you’re new to the game, you probably don’t want to start buying the most expensive cases right away. It’s a good idea to play for a bit first so you can get an idea of what cases you would prefer. With that in mind, there are still various cases you can get very cheap if you want to experience the thrill of opening cases and trying your luck.
The cheapest option is the Snakebite Case which is just $0.30. Other options like the Fracture Case, Recoil Case,and Prisma Case are all $0.60 or less. And you never know, even with the low odds, you could still come across a very rare item.
Note that the prices above can fluctuate. This is where they sit as of July 2023, but they could change with time.
What Cases Should You Buy?
Ultimately, this is down to you. The best CSGO case to open will set you back a bit, so you may want to go for something cheaper. If cost isn’t an issue, however, then feel free to buy whatever cases you want in your hunt for those elusive knives.
For more gaming guides, check out some of our other blog posts.
