If you ask a CS2 player why they like the game, one likely answer would be its competitive nature. Spending hours trying to improve and seeing your rank go up is a great feeling, but can you do that if you don’t have Prime? To help you answer that, here is a complete explanation of whether you need Prime to get a rank in CS2.
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Is Prime Required to Get a Rank in CS2?
The short answer is yes. You need Prime to get a rank in CS2. So, if you just downloaded CS2 to try out the free-to-play experience, then this is probably not the best news for you. Fortunately, not everything has a restriction behind a paywall in the free-to-play CS2 experience.
You can play the Death Match, Casual, and Wingman game modes with your friends. You can also enjoy the competitive mode. Plus, all free-to-play players can access the private lobbies, Workshop game mode, and even the community servers.
Getting CS2 Rank and Prime By Playing the Game
Unfortunately, that’s also something you cannot do in CS2. No matter how many competitive matches you play or how many hundreds or even thousands of hours you have clocked in the game, you won’t be able to get a rank if you don’t have Prime. You cannot even grind your way to Prime access. You can check out our guide on how to get Prime in CS2 for that.
CS2 Prime Explained
CS2 Prime is essentially like a VIP club that players have to pay to get access to. This feature was implemented so hackers who create multiple accounts once they get banned can’t ruin the experience for players who want to enjoy the game. Being in a Prime matchmaking lobby drastically reduces the chances of encountering a hacker.
Besides the Prime competitive matchmaking lobbies and being able to get a competitive rank, you can get access to several more features if you get Prime. You will also get access to the new Premier game mode and the weekly drop system. To get a better understanding of if you should get Prime, check out our guide on whether CS2 Prime is worth it.
[RELEVANT: CS2 Ranking System Explained]
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Conclusion
Unfortunately, if you don’t have Prime, you cannot get a rank in CS2. There’s also no way of unlocking Prime or getting a rank just by playing the game, no matter how many hours you clock in. But you can play the competitive game mode and then decide if Prime is worth it for you.
