With Counter-Strike 2 becoming more and more popular all over the world, players are looking for every advantage possible—from optimising their graphics settings to adjusting their region settings in Steam.
Whether you’re going for better ping, want access to regional skin prices, or you want to join your friends in a different matchmaking pool, knowing how to change Steam region can make a surprisingly big difference in your whole CS2 gaming experience.
Interested? Well, here we’ll talk you through exactly how to change your Steam region, why you might want to do it – and all of the risks involved. We’ll also look at the dos and don’ts, so it goes as smoothly as possible.
Why Change Your Steam Region?
Before looking at how to change Steam regions, let’s look at why you might want to change. Well, essentially, Steam uses regional settings to determine several important aspects of your account:
- Game prices: Some regions have significantly cheaper game and item prices.
- Matchmaking servers: Your region affects which servers you will connect to for your online CS2 games.
- Payment methods: Some local payment options will only be available to those whose account is set to the right region.
- Storefront content: There are also some games, offers and even skins that are locked to certain countries.
So, if you do want to know how to change Steam region, it’s probably because:
- You’ve moved to a new country.
- You’re trying to find a better ping for CS2 matches.
- You want to have access to regional discounts or potentially cheaper skin prices.
While all of these are certainly valid reasons, you should be aware that Steam is becoming increasingly strict about switching regions – and if you are caught abusing the system, it could potentially lead to account restrictions.
How to Change Steam Region: Step-by-Step
If you want to switch your region legally and safely, then you just need to follow these quick and easy steps.
1: Travel or Relocate to the New Country
You will need to be physically located in the country you want to set as your Steam region. This will be verified by your IP address and geolocation.
2: Log Into Steam
You’ll then need to open your Steam client or browser and log into your Steam account.
3: Try To Make a Purchase in the New Country
Next, head over to the Steam Store and try to buy any game or CS2 item. During the checkout procedure, Steam will be able to detect your new location and will ask you to update your store country.
4: Choose Your New Region
You’ll then need to click on the region suggestion. After this, you’ll be asked to confirm your new billing address and payment method.
5: Use a Local Payment Method
You’ll need to make your purchase using a payment method that’s issued in your new country or region. This will generally include options such as local debit and credit cards, bank transfers, or various region-specific e-wallets, etc.
Once your purchase is complete, Steam will then switch your account to the new region accordingly – and update the prices, offers, and store content, etc.
Using a VPN to Change Region
That’s the legit way to do it… but what if you’re not moving country and want to make a purchase? Well, this is where VPNs come into it. Technically, you can use a VPN to change region – but it’s highly discouraged, and it’s not always completely effective.
Firstly, using a VPN to try to ‘trick’ the server about your location without making a legitimate purchase with a local payment method won’t permanently change your Steam region. What’s more, Valve has started to become much more aggressive when it comes to cracking down on VPN-related region hopping.
As such, if you do try it, then you could be putting yourself at risk of:
- Either a temporary or permanent account ban.
- Trading restrictions placed on your CS2 inventory
- Marketplace access locked
Although there were some players who used to do this to try and get cheaper regional CS2 skins, today many have decided it’s no longer worth the risk. Valve has pretty smart systems that are more than capable of detecting any mismatch between your IP address, purchase patterns, and payment method.
Valve’s Rules on Region Changes
Before you decide whether or not you are going to go ahead and change your region, it’s important you know what Valve’s rules are:
“Steam allows region changes only when you are physically located in the new country and making a purchase with a local payment method.”
So basically, using a VPN alone is not good enough anymore. Valve is now more than capable of picking up on any discrepancies between your IP address, payment method, and region settings. And, If these don’t align, you could find your account being flagged up for suspicious activity.
Region Switching & CS2 Skin Trading
Counter-Strike 2 players are often particularly interested in learning how to change Steam region for one main reason: skin prices can vary dramatically country by country.
For example, CS skins like the AWP | Dragon Lore or AK-47 | Gold Arabesque can end up costing between 30–40% less in countries like Argentina, Turkey, or India compared to the UK or US. However, Valve has put these pricing systems and regional locks in place to prevent exploitation. So, if you’re caught trying to abuse regional pricing:
- You won’t be able to trade items for up to 90 days.
- Your access to the Community Market may be restricted.
- And Steam Support won’t reverse any ban that’s tied to region manipulation.
If you’re a CS2 trader, you’re better off investing in legitimate market flipping – using tools like Buff.163 or Skinport, which is much less risky than to trying to exploit regional pricing.
What Region Should CS2 Players Use?
If you’re playing CS2 regularly, then your region will affect both the quality of your ping and matchmaking.
Here are the main things you should consider:
- Western Europe (UK, Germany, France): These areas are best for stable, low-latency servers.
- Southeast Asia (Singapore, Philippines): Top class for regional matchmaking, although pricing can be highly volatile.
- North America (USA, Canada): Excellent infrastructure, but the skin prices are usually a lot higher.
- Turkey/Argentina: Great for cheaper pricing, but can be high risk for trading restrictions.
If you’re a UK-based player, then we’d recommend sticking to your home region if you want optimal ping, access to UK pricing policies… and no issues with your payment verification.
How Often Can You Change Steam Region?
Valve will only let you legitimately change your Steam region once every three months, to take into account people travelling. Attempt to do it more than this and it will raise red flags.
What Happens to Your Existing Games and Items?
The good news is when you do change your Steam region it won’t have any affect on your CS2 inventory, games, or skins you have… However:
- You may find that some of the games you have may become unavailable in the new region due to the local laws, etc.
- Your currency setting will switch (e.g., GBP to EUR or USD to TRY).
- Market listings may then need to be reconfigured based on new regional pricing.
Your CS2 inventory is global, but market activity is very much dependent on your region, especially with regards to sale timing and pricing.
Top Tips for Changing Regions
- Be in the Actual Country You Want to Change To: Steam can track your location through your IP and financial info – so make sure you’re physically located in the country you’re switching to.
- Make Sure You Use a Local Payment Method: To confirm your new location, Steam will ask you to use a recognised local payment method.
- Avoid Using VPNs: We would recommend you don’t use VPNs to fake your location – as this would violate Steam’s Terms of Service… and you could end up with your account being restricted.
- Wait for Travel: If you are relocating, wait until you’re fully settled in before you make the change.
Your Steam Region and Competitive CS2 Events
One often overlooked reason a CS2 player might look into how to change Steam region is because they want to access localised esports content. During Majors or regional qualifiers, for example, Valve could potentially release exclusive stickers, skins, or viewer passes that you can only get in certain regions.
For example, if a CS2 event is hosted in Brazil, players in that region might be able to get early access to a themed capsule or local team stickers. And although it’s tempting, trying to change your region just to get access can come with trade-offs—including the possibility of marketplace restrictions or even being disqualified from trading during cooldowns.
Instead of this, you’re better off using the global trading community, where you can try to buy those items second-hand without needing to spoof your location.
Alternatives to Region Switching for a Better CS2 Experience
If you’re not relocating but you still want to improve your gameplay, the quality of matchmaking, or access, then there are some safe and effective alternatives:
1. Change Your Matchmaking Server in CS2 Settings
Open up your CS2 settings or launch options and then physically pick your preferred server region for matchmaking. This won’t necessarily affect your Steam region, but it could potentially improve your ping or let you play with your friends from overseas.
2. Use a Community Server
You can also try connecting to a privately hosted server. These are excellent for scrims, playing casual games, or practising your skills with friends and players from another country.
3. Buy from Global Marketplaces
You could also try using a third-party site like SkinBaron, where you can buy skins at international prices—and you won’t need to change your Steam region.
4. Track Discounts
Some of the game publishers on Steam offer various deals and discounts that you can get via a third-party platform. You can buy these completely legally without you needing to manipulate or fake your location.
Final Advice for CS2 Players
Ultimately, the best way to set up your Steam region is with care and integrity. Valve has made it clear: you should only change your region if you have a legitimate reasons… like moving to a different country. If you just want to exploit regional pricing for skin trades, then, in our opinion, it’s no longer worth the risk.
If you do genuinely need to change your Steam region, then just follow the verified process: travel, use a local payment method, and update your billing information honestly.
FAQs
Can I change my Steam region without travelling?
Technically, not really. Steam requires that you actually physically be in the new region and use a local payment method to verify your location. If you do try to change your region using a VPN – and without travelling, you could end up being hit with account restrictions, etc.
How often can I change my Steam region?
Officially, you can only change your Steam region every three months – and only when you make a purchase using a local payment method in a different country. If you change too often, however, it could trigger Valve’s fraud detection – and there could be penalties.
Will changing regions affect my CS2 skin inventory?
No, your skin inventory will stay exactly as it is. However, there could be some changes to marketplace pricing, currency, and the availability of region-specific items.
Can I play with friends from my old region after switching?
Yes, region switching won’t stop you from playing with your friends from across the world. However, the quality of the matchmaking will depend on your server location and ping.
Is it safe to use a VPN to change Steam region?
Not really – we wouldn’t advise it. If you try to use a VPN to hide/alter your region, it will violate Steam’s Terms of Service and could lead to your account being suspended or market restrictions being put into place – so do it legitimately!