If you’re here, chances are you’re interested in buying the Prime subscription of CS:GO (CS2), but you want more information about the weekly CS:GO case drops before purchasing it. And this is why we have created this guide, to teach you the ins and outs of case drops.
By the end of this guide, you’ll be able to fully understand how the Prime CS:GO case drops work, along with insightful details about case opening.
Without anything more to add, let’s start.
How Does the Prime CS:GO Case Drop Work?
Because we know the majority of you are here because you want to understand how the case drops work with the Prime subscription, we’ll start by explaining it in detail, as it’s the new system used by Valve to drop cases to players.
The Weekly Care Package
After the latest update, the CS:GO case drops have been restructured, introducing the Weekly Care Package. It’s not possible to get random post-match drops any longer, and instead now you can claim a free case on a weekly basis, if you meet the eligibility criteria.
Because it’s a relatively new update to the game, and many users are still getting used to CS2, especially after several months or years of inactivity, this guide is a godsend. To understand how the CSGO case drops work nowadays, what requirements you must meet to claim them and how the weekly care package works.
How Does the Weekly Care Package Work?
The game will automatically assign you the weekly care package if you meet the eligibility criteria, which we will discuss in the next section. Once you have met the requirements and claimed the free drop, you’ll have to wait until the next week to be able to claim it again, after the CS2 drop reset timer has been executed.
What Are the Eligibility Requirements to Claim Free Drops?
All you need to do is to buy the Prime subscription and level up on a weekly basis, which is why you need to grind in the game to be able to claim these drops.
Be it you’re looking forward to playing competitively, or you want to reach the necessary play time to unlock CS:GO Overwatch, or you want to unlock competitive Matchmaking by reaching Private Rank II (level 2) climbing up the levels will reward you with new cases for free.
If you’re brand new to CS:GO, you need to know you need to accumulate 5,000 XP to reach the next level. For example, if you’re level 2, you need to accumulate 5,000 experience to become level 3, and you’ll be automatically eligible for claiming the free weekly case drop. The same applies for the rest of the levels.
The best part is you can level up by playing any of the game modes available. Be it casual with your friends, Deathmatch or the Competitive or Premier game mode, all you need to do is to move up in the levels ladder and you’ll be able to get your weekly care package automatically, bringing you the choice to claim two of the four available prizes.
Keep in mind that moving up two or more levels during the week doesn’t mean you’ll get more than one Weekly Care Package. Once you level up, it will stop tracking progress, and simply reward you with one care package. This is how it works nowadays.
About the Contents of the Care Package
Once you buy the Prime subscription, and manage to get your Weekly Care Package, you’ll have the following options at your disposal when claiming this drop, from which you can pick two:
- 1 CS:GO Case
- 1 CS:GO Skin
- 2 CS:GO Graffitis
Evidently, the best choice here is claiming the free CS:GO case and the CS:GO skin. This will be your weekly drop, and as long as you accumulate enough experience to level up during the week, you’ll be able to keep claiming this benefit.
Price of the Prime Subscription
If you want to get access to the weekly care package, you need to buy the Prime subscription, which is priced at $14.99 USD. It’s a one-time payment, and once you purchase it, you’ll be immediately eligible for claiming this exclusive benefit.
If you’d like to become a Prime player, you can buy this subscription through the Steam store or in-game. After completing the transaction, you’ll be eligible for claiming the weekly free case drop if you meet the other eligibility requirements.
While it’s possible to buy the Prime status upgrade on third-party marketplaces like Kinguin, we don’t recommend it, because it’s usually more expensive. The best way to become Prime is by buying it in-game or through Steam.
Is It Worth it to Get Prime to Obtain Free Case Drops?
Yes, we consider it’s worth it to invest $14.99 to buy the Prime subscription, as it’s a one-time payment and you will be able to get more drops in-game, as well as other features such as being able to play with only Prime users, reducing your chances of encountering toxic players.
This is why we consider the Prime subscription a must-have. You’ll increase your chances of getting a rare and expensive drop, and in fact, after the latest update, it’s the only way by which you can score free drops in the game.
Additional Types of CS2 Case Drops
Now that we have already shown you all things Prime case drops, it’s time to explore other ways of getting CS2 case drops. Let’s go.
Third Party Case Drops from CS:GO Casinos
The world of Counter-Strike has grown so much that now it’s possible to get case drops out of the Steam and Valve ecosystem. Welcome third-party case opening and skins gambling sites, which reward players with free case drops as a new user and on a daily or weekly basis.
Let’s take CSGOLuck as an example, a CS:GO casino that brings free case drops to new players, daily free CS:GO cases and more cases without charge as you level up. All you need to do is to join and play regularly, and the site will reward you with plenty of free drops.
Likewise, CSGOEmpire is also known for giving away free case drops to new and existing players, and this has quickly become the standard of the CS:GO and skins gambling industry. Thus, bringing you the opportunity to claim more cases for free than in-game.
Valve vs. Third Party Case Drops
Because Valve needs to protect the ecosystem of the game, they cannot allow players to win free drops too frequently, otherwise the skins market would get flooded, negatively affecting all the users.
This is where CS:GO casinos and skins gambling sites perform better, because you can win a lot more drops for free. In-game, you get limited drops, whereas at case opening sites, you can get far more than 10 cases weekly, especially if you join multiple CS:GO casinos.
Furthermore, these skins gambling sites don’t require you to buy a subscription to activate the free case drops. Because as we have seen, you must invest $14.99 if you want to be eligible for the Weekly Care Package, whereas these third-party sites reward you for free with no string attached.
Case Drops from Skins Trading Sites
Just like you can claim free case drops from CS:GO gambling sites like CSGOLuck, CSGORoll and CSGOEmpire, you can also claim such bonuses from specific trading sites like TradeIt.gg. All you need to do is to sign up, top up your account and become a frequent trader, and then the trading sites will reward you with free cases on a weekly or even daily basis.
Similarly to skins gambling sites, you don’t need to buy a subscription to get access to the free drops. So if you’re a non-Prime user, and you don’t want to buy this upgrade but you still want to claim free case drops, give skins trading sites a try.
Combine Them All
If you’re dreaming of landing a legendary drop such as a Blue Gem Karambit, Blue Gem AK-47, Fire and Ice Flip Knife, Gold Arabesque AK-47, Pandora Gloves, amongst others, the unique way to increase your chances of getting such skins is by getting as many free drops as possible. Because these exclusive skins have a chance of less than 1% of dropping from opening cases.
This is why we encourage you to combine all the methods available at your disposal: Prime drops, drops from trading sites and third-party case drops from CS:GO casinos. This way, you will be much more likely to win an exotic and highly valuable skin for free.
If you’d like to learn more ways by which you can get CS:GO cases for free, we invite you to read our article titled “How To Get Free CS2 And CS:GO Skins”. You will learn how to get more in-game items without spending a cent.
Is It Still Possible to Get Random Post-Match Drops?
No, unfortunately the classic random post-match drops are no longer available in CS2. While they used to be pretty popular in CS:GO, this new version of the game doesn’t support it, and it’s been replaced by the Weekly Care Package.
This is another reason why we decided to write and publish this post on CSDB.gg, because many players are still not aware of how the CS:GO case drops work nowadays. They still believe they will get random drops post-match, but it’s no longer the case.
So your best choice right now to claim in-game case drops is to buy the Prime subscription and level up during the week, and you’ll be able to claim two of the following prizes: one free case, one free skins or two free graffitis. Evidently, the best choice here are the case and the skin, so that’s the only drop you can get in-game.
About Game Modes about the Weekly Case Drops in CS:GO
While the core requirement to level up, and thus be eligible for the case drop, is to accumulate 5,000 XP to reach the next level, and you can play any game mode, they’re not the same when it comes to the amount of experience you’ll win at the end of the match.
If you want to level up faster, and thus be eligible for the weekly care package as soon as possible, you need to focus on playing Competitive and Premier, because they will reward you with the highest amount of experience.
Here you have the full breakdown, so you can understand why playing Competitive and Premier is the best way to unlock the free case drop in record time:
| Game Mode | Experience Multiplier | Example Score | Total Experience |
| Casual | 4x | 50 | 200 XP |
| Deathmatch (Teams) | 3x | 50 | 150 XP |
| Deathmatch (Classic) | 0.2x | 300 | 60 XP |
The only exceptions to the rule are Competitive or Premier, because instead of using a multiplier for the final score, be it individual or team, it will reward you experience based on the total of rounds won.
The multiplier for Competitive and Premier is 30x, and if you won a total of 12 rounds, you’d receive a total of 360 XP. The difference here is clear, playing competitively will make it easier to level up, and thus be able to claim the weekly care package. However, you need proper skills and experience to dominate the game.
Our advice is to simply play the game mode you like the most, but if you’re adamant in unlocking the weekly drop as soon as possible, you need to go for Competitive or Premier, because they’re the most rewarding game modes in CS2.
However, playing Competitive or Premier is much harder than it sounds. It takes plenty of skills and experience to dominate the match so you can farm the XP you need.
About the XP Limits
Now, if you’re new to the world of Counter-Strike, it’s easy to think you can farm all the experience you need by just playing Deathmatch (Classic) with your friends for lots of hours, but unfortunately, it’s not the case.
Here you have the maximum XP you can win in one game for all the available game modes:
| Game Mode | Maximum XP Per Game | Required Games to Level Up |
| Premier | 480 XP | 11 |
| Competitive | 360 XP | 14 |
| Casual | 250 XP | 20 |
| Deathmatch (Teams) | 200 XP | 25 |
| Deathmatch (Classic) | 200 XP | 25 |
However, we are talking about the number of required games where you can score the highest maximum score, but we all know it’s not possible to pull it off, even if you’re the most skilled player out there.
If you’re pretty new to CS:GO, and you lack the necessary experience to play Competitive or Premier effectively, we recommend you to focus on Casual and Deathmatch. They are going to bring you the best bang for the paly time you invest into leveling up your account.
It’s also worth mentioning you can claim exclusive XP bonuses. All you need to do is to play regularly and the game will reward you automatically based on your performance.
Can I Still Claim Free CS:GO Case Drops If I’m Level 40?
Since the core requirement for being able to claim the free case drop is to level up on a weekly basis, is it still possible to be eligible for the Weekly Care Package if you have already maxed out all the levels in the game?
Fortunately, you can claim the weekly care package, AKA the free case drop, every single week even if you have maxed out all the levels available.
Once you become level 40, you’ll be able to claim the medal of honor, and your rank level will be reset back to 1, allowing you to keep claiming the free case drop every single week.
Once your level is reset back to 1, you need to accumulate 5,000 XP to move up to level 2, and you’ll be able to claim your CS:GO case for free.
Can I Claim More Case Drops If I’m CS:GO Overwatch?
No, you cannot claim more case drops weekly if you’re an CS:GO Overwatch agent. However, if you’re part of this team, you’ll have an easier time when unlocking the weekly free drop, because you can take advantage of XP bonuses exclusively for Overwatch reviewers.
If you successfully confirm a player is guilty of cheating, you’ll be rewarded with an extra 195 XP at the end of your next match in an official CS2 server.
The more cases you accurately review, the more bonuses you will be able to claim, and hence it will be much easier for you to accumulate the 5,000 XP you need to unlock your free case.
If you’re interested in becoming an Overwatch investigator, so you can take advantage of these bonuses to level up faster, we invite you to read our guide about it: “How To Unlock Overwatch In CS:GO”.
Are CS:GO Case Drops Random?
It’s totally understandable to wonder whether in-game CS:GO case drops are random or not, and we’re glad to confirm they’re 100% aleatory. They are not predetermined, because the case you win will be picked randomly from the active drop pool.
This active drop pool, which is set by Valve, will reward you with a free case drop. The 99% of the time, you’ll win any of the following CS:GO cases:
- Kilowatt Case
- Revolution Case
- Fracture Case
- Dreams & Nightmares Case
- Recoil Case
Although these cases can drop pretty valuable skins, they’re considered standard. Fortunately, the active drop pool also includes more expensive cases, although you only stand a 1% chance of getting them as a free drop:
- Snakebite Case
- Prisma 2 Case
- CS20 Case
- Prisma Case
- Danger Zone Case
- Horizon Case
- Clutch Case
- Spectrum 2 Case
- Operation Hydra Case
- Spectrum Case
- Glove Case
- Gamma 2 Case
- Gamma Case
- Chroma 3 Case
- Operation Wildfire Case
- Revolver Case
- Shadow Case
- Falchion Case
- Chroma 2 Case
- Chroma Case
- Operation Vanguard Weapon Case
- Operation Breakout Weapon Case
- Huntsman Weapon Case
- Sticker Capsule 2
- Operation Phoenix Weapon Case
- CS:GO Weapon Case 3
- Sticker Capsule
- Winter Offensive Weapon Case
- CS:GO Weapon Case 2
- Operation Bravo Case
- CS:GO Weapon Case
Finally, it’s worth mentioning the cases you cannot get any longer because they’ve been discontinued and hence removed from the drop pool:
- eSports 2014 Summer Case
- eSports 2013 Winter Case
- eSports 2013 Case
- Shattered Web Case
- Operation Riptide Case
- Operation Broken Fang Case
Nobody knows what case you’ll get as a free drop in-game, but at least now you know what cases you’re most likely to obtain thanks to the Prime subscription and the weekly drops.
Just like nobody knows what case you’ll get, neither it is possible to know what skin will drop from the case you win and decide to open. However, Valve has already disclosed information about the CSGO case drop probability. If you’d like to learn more about it, you can check our article titled “What Are The Real Odds Of Getting A Rare Item In CS:GO”. You’ll get all the information you need.
About the CS2 Drop Reset Timer
When we talk about CS:GO case drops, it’s also important to talk about the drop reset timer, AKA when you’ll be able to claim a weekly care package again. As per the latest update, the CS2 drop reset timer has been set at “Wednesday at 1 AM GMT”.
Therefore, if you manage to level up on Monday, you can claim the free drop for the week, and after it’s reset, you’ll be able to accumulate XP again to claim the free weekly case again.
Bottom Line
This is all you need to know about the CS:GO case drops system. Now you can go ahead and start claiming your free cases every week, along with other methods we have revealed here, such as claiming free daily and weekly drops from third-party sites.
If you’d like more information about the weekly case drop in CS2, feel free to leave your questions in the comment section. We will get back to you as soon as possible.