The release of new CS:GO cases is always an exciting date in the Counter-Strike calendar. With new cases come new skins for players to find, and new opportunities for players to join the world of CS:GO case opening.
Over the years, there has become an abundance of cases for players to open to try and receive the rarest CS:GO skins. These can be placed into three different categories: Prime cases, rare cases, and discontinued cases.
Prime Cases:
Prime CS:GO cases are only dropped to players who have Prime Status on their CS:GO account. They’re usually recently released cases with the latest goodies inside. The list of current Prime cases consists of:
- Revolution Case (February 2023)
- Recoil Case (July 2022)
- Dreams & Nightmares Case (January 2022)
- Snakebite Case (May 2021)
- Fracture Case (August 2020)
- Clutch Case (February 2018)
The Snakebite case is CS:GO’s cheapest Prime case, with players able to purchase it for $0.13 on Steam in 2023. New Prime case releases are rare, but fans can expect them whenever a new Operation drops. A new Operation is usually front-page news, so you’ll know when it happens. These Operations are usually prime-time to get CS:GO cases, and it’s certainly worth keeping an eye out for them.
When a CS:GO case comes out of rotation, they’re usually moved to the rare case category, where they become more sought-after by collectors. If you’re willing to wait a long time (we’re talking years!) then some of these cases could be worth holding on to in the future.
Rare Cases:
Rare cases are self-explanatory. Like Prime cases, they can potentially drop after every game, although the odds of doing so are extremely low. These cases are generally several years old, so some of the rarer ones can fetch a high fee, with one even worth over $50 per case.
- Prisma 2 Case (March 2020)
- CS20 Case (October 2019)
- Prisma Case (March 2019)
- Danger Zone Case (December 2018)
- Horizon Case (August 2018)
- Spectrum 2 Case (September 2017)
- Operation Hydra Case (May 2017)
- Spectrum Case (March 2017)
- Glove Case (November 2016)
- Gamma 2 Case (August 2016)
- Gamma Case (June 2016)
- Chroma 3 Case (April 2016)
- Operation Wildfire Case (February 2016)
- Revolver Case (December 2015)
- Shadow Case (September 2015)
- Falchion Case (May 2015)
- Chroma 2 Case (April 2015)
- Chroma Case (January 2015)
- Operation Vanguard Case (November 2014)
- Operation Breakout Case (July 2014)
- Huntsman Case (May 2014)
- Operation Phoenix Case (February 2014)
- CS:GO Weapon Case 3 (February 2014)
- Winter Offensive Case (December 2013)
- CS:GO Weapon Case 2 (November 2013)
- Operation Bravo Case (September 2013)
- CS:GO Weapon Case (August 2013)
Can you get your hands on rare cases?
Due to the age of many of the cases on this list, they’re extremely hard to come by. If you’re just beginning your CS:GO case opening journey, cases like the Chroma 3 and Falchion Case are perfect. They drop frequently so prices are still low, but they contain skins that could make you huge amounts of money if you’re lucky enough to receive one.
Some of the earlier cases like the CS:GO Weapon Case and the Operation Bravo Case are extremely difficult to come by. There are so few in rotation nowadays. You’ll rarely see someone open one of these cases, and when they do, it will usually be live-streamed on Twitch. There’s certainly a natural curiosity to seeing someone open these expensive cases. Not everyone can drop $50 on a case that could end up being worthless, and living vicariously through streamers is nothing to be ashamed of.
Image source: Counter-strike.net
Discontinued Cases:
Discontinued CS:GO cases no longer drop at all in-game, and can only be purchased via the in-game market. It’s unknown if any other skins will be discontinued in the future.
- Operation Riptide Case (September 2021)
- Operation Broken Fang Case (December 2020)
- Shattered Web Case (November 2019)
- eSports 2014 Summer Case (July 2014)
- eSports 2013 Winter Case (December 2013)
- eSports 2013 Case (August 2013)
Many of the older discontinued cases have become collector items for player inventories, with many treating them like real antiques. As time passes and supply becomes even more sparse, it’s possible that the value of these unopened cases will continue to rise indefinitely, as long as Valve never decides to reintroduce them in any way.
Opening CS:GO cases for skins is a purely cosmetic endeavor – it won’t help you improve your gameplay. But it can be a great way to add an extra layer of excitement to the game, as the CS:GO case odds of receiving one of the game’s most expensive skins increase the more cases you open.
CS:GO Case Prices:
If you’re curious about the price of every CS:GO case, then we’ve got you covered. Note that these prices are of course subject to change, as the CS:GO market is forever evolving. Right now though, this is the ballpark figure for all CS:GO cases:
- Revolution Case: $2
- Recoil Case: $0.80
- Dreams & Nightmares Case: $1.50
- Snakebite Case: $0.50
- Fracture Case: $0.80
- Clutch Case: $1
- Prisma 2 Case: $0.80
- CS20 Case: $0.80
- Prisma Case: $0.80
- Danger Zone Case: $0.80
- Horizon Case: $1
- Spectrum 2 Case: $1.60
- Operation Hydra Case: $22
- Spectrum Case: $2.30
- Glove Case: $6
- Gamma 2 Case: $2.50
- Gamma Case: $2.10
- Chroma 3 Case: $2.50
- Operation Wildfire Case: $2
- Revolver Case: $1.90
- Shadow Case: $1.10
- Falchion Case: $1
- Chroma 2 Case: $2.50
- Chroma Case: $3
- Operation Vanguard Case: $2.50
- Operation Breakout Case: $7
- Huntsman Case: $12
- Operation Phoenix Case: $3.20
- CS:GO Weapon Case 3: $9.50
- Winter Offensive Case: $7
- CS:GO Weapon Case 2: $12
- Operation Bravo Case: $80
- CS:GO Weapon Case: $110
- Operation Riptide Case: $5
- Operation Broken Fang Case: $5
- Shattered Web Case: $5
- eSports 2014 Summer Case:
- eSports 2013 Winter Case: $10
- eSports 2013 Case: $50
CS:GO Cases By Year:
There has never truly been a consistent schedule for Valve and the release of CS:GO cases. To help you get the full picture of what cases were released in what year, we’ve created this handy table to help you get to grips with it.
| Year | CS:GO Cases | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Revolution Case | 1 |
| 2022 | Dreams & Nightmares Case, Recoil Case | 2 |
| 2021 | Snakebite Case, Operation Riptide Case | 2 |
| 2020 | Prisma 2 Case, Fracture Case, Operation Broken Fang Case | 3 |
| 2019 | Prisma Case, CS20 Case, Shattered Web Case | 3 |
| 2018 | Clutch Case, Horizon Case, Danger Zone Case | 3 |
| 2017 | Spectrum Case, Operation Hydra Case, Spectrum 2 Case | 3 |
| 2016 | Operation Wildfire Case, Chroma 3 Case, Gamma Case, Gamma 2 Case, Glove Case | 5 |
| 2015 | Chroma Case, Chroma 2 Case, Falchion Case, Shadow Case, Revolver Case | 5 |
| 2014 | CS:GO Weapon Case 3, Operation Phoenix Weapon Case, Huntsman Weapon Case, Operation Breakout Weapon Case, eSports 2014 Summer Case, Operation Vanguard Weapon Case | 6 |
| 2013 | CS:GO Weapon Case, eSports 2013 Case, Operation Bravo Case, CS:GO Weapon Case 2, eSports 2013 Winter Case, Winter Offensive Weapon Case | 6 |
As you can see, there’s a clear pattern of Valve slowing down the releases of CS:GO cases over the years. However, the hope is that with the release of CS2 and renewed interest in the game, there are plenty more cases to come.
CS:GO Cases FAQs
The oldest CS:GO case in the game is the cleverly-named CS:GO Weapon Case, which was first released in August 2013. However, due to an extremely limited supply of the case, it now costs around $90 to purchase on the Steam marketplace. It does contain some legendary skins inside, most notably the AK-47 Case Hardened, which is one of the most expensive CS:GO skins of all time. You won’t find many people opening the CS:GO Weapon Case nowadays, with the chances of a good drop being so low. Right now, the newest CS:GO case is the Anubis Collection Package, which contains a set of skins influenced by the map, Anubis. The set has been widely praised for its strong aesthetic and is one of the cheapest CS:GO cases, as it doesn’t require a key to open. With CS2 approaching, it’s likely that Valve will release more cases in the coming months to drive up the hype. For now though, the Anubis Collection Package stands as the newest CS:GO case. The most expensive CS:GO case is the ESL One Cologne 2014 Cobblestone Souvenir Package. To pick one of these up from the Steam marketplace, you’ll have to part with a massive $1300. While quantity plays a big part in this case’s price, the main reason is that you can obtain the legendary AWP Dragon Lore here. With certain versions of the AWP Dragon Lore selling for over $400k, it’s understandable that some high rollers decide to chance their luck with this case. It won’t be long until this case is completely extinct from the game, which will only see the AWP Dragon Lore increase in price. The answer to this question will be different for everyone. Strike a balance between the cost of a case, and a case having skins that you want. There’s no point spending the money on a case, if it doesn’t have any skins that you actually want to use! What is the oldest CS:GO case?
What is the newest CS:GO case?
What is the most expensive CS:GO case?
What is the best CS:GO case for new players?
