The Weekly Drop System in CS:GO and Its Working Explained

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) is one of the most popular multiplayer shooting games that was launched by Valve and Hidden Path Entertainment back in 2012. Gamers who are hooked on the game are probably aware of a number of different items awarded to the players at the end of a match. These items, known as ‘drops’, usually range between different kinds of cases, graffiti, or weapon skins. However, the drop system is far from random and is controlled by algorithms designed by Valve. This article is going to throw some light on how the drop system functions and how to utilize it to the fullest.

The Drop System Is Selective

Not everyone who plays CS:GO is eligible for all the drops available in the game. The weapon skins and the graffiti drops are awarded weekly when a player levels up his rank i.e., by collecting 5,000 XP. These drops become available once a week, but only to the ones who hold a prime account. The drop reset occurs in the middle of a week – Tuesday for NA players and Wednesday for EU players.

The cases are available regardless of prime membership. They are awarded randomly at the end of a match but are limited to a maximum of three drops per week. However, the cases that are awarded to prime members are usually more valuable than the non-prime drops. This selection is controlled by the ‘Active Drop Pool’ – which is set by Valve depending on your membership status. 

The Drops Available in the Game and How to Utilize Them

As we have already mentioned, different factors work behind deciding your luck regarding the possibility of receiving a drop that is worth a value. You can sell a decent drop at the Steam marketplace and add the dollars to your steam wallet. The relatively cheaper drops are encountered more often than not, but it is not impossible to receive one that costs hundreds of dollars.

Graffiti Sprays

Although these drops are awarded only to the prime account holders after levelling up, they are inferior in monetary value as compared to the other two. The graffiti sprays act as a sort of fillers in the drop system you won’t be much delighted in landing one since the majority of them aren’t even worth a dollar. The most valuable graffiti spray available is the Recoil AWP, which costs around $10.

Weapon Skins

Once again, these drops are awarded weekly and are much more valuable than their graffiti counterparts. The selection takes place randomly from the ‘active drop pool’ but one can keep his fingers crossed for landing something expensive once in a blue moon. The most expensive weapon skin as of now is SG 533 from the 2018 Inferno Collection which values around $215. However, one cannot expect the super expensive ones like M4A1-S Icarus Fell or AWP Dragon Lore from the weekly drop, and the only way to get them is by opening a souvenir or buying them from the Steam marketplace. The active skin collections in CS:GO include:

• The 2018 Nuke Collection
• The 2018 Inferno Collection
• The Dust 2 Collection
• The Train Collection
• The Lake Collection
• The Safehouse Collection
• The Bank Collection
• The Italy Collection

Cases

Now, these are the drops where one is expected to make money the most. Awarded to both prime and non-prime players randomly thrice a week (at the most), the cases vary between the two drops. 

The currently available cases awarded to the prime players are:

• Prisma 2 Case – $0.06
• Danger Zone Case – $0.07
• Clutch Case – $0.24
• Fracture Case – $0.35
• Snakebite Case – $1.54

And the non-prime players are expected to drop any of the following cases:

• Revolver Case – $0.07
• Horizon Case – $0.08
• CS20 Case – $0.09
• Chroma 3 Case – $0.10
• Spectrum 2 Case – $0.21
• Gamma 2 Case – $0.31

There are some cases that have been discontinued by Valve and are only attainable in the Steam marketplace.

Bottomline: A Combination of Chance and Tactics

Now that you have a rough idea about how the drop system works, it is just not wise to leave it on your luck if you really want to make some dollars from the game. For example, prime members can invest some extra hours playing the game to reach the required 5000XP for levelling up, so that they don’t miss the chance to attain the weekly drop. Also, it is advised to play the game as soon as a new case drops to maximize the chances of attaining way. Through these tried and tested methods, you can expect to strengthen your luck of getting a valuable drop besides selling the low-valued common ones at the Steam marketplace – following a something is better than nothing strategy.