If you just started playing Counter-Strike 2, you might have noticed that, while the game itself is free, there’s a paid feature available for purchase on the official Steam store page for CS2, which is called the Prime Status Upgrade. But what even is that? To help you answer that, here’s a complete explanation of what Prime Status is in CS2.
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CS2 Prime Explained
You can think of CS2 Prime as a VIP club, which you can be a part of by acquiring the Prime Status Upgrade. Once you have the Prime Status Upgrade, several crucial features get unlocked for you, without which the Counter-Strike experience is essentially incomplete.
The most crucial of the features that get unlocked for Prime users in CS2 is the ability to get a competitive rank. Yup, if you don’t have the Prime Status Upgrade, you won’t receive a rank, even though you can play the competitive game mode. Since having a rank based on your skill level is one of the primary reasons that makes the competitive Counter-Strike experience so fun, most players would want to get the Prime Status Upgrade.
Besides being able to get a competitive rank, players also unlock access to several more features if they get Prime. For instance, players get access to the new Premier game mode, which is a more refined version of the traditional Counter-Strike competitive mode, and the weekly drop system, which allows players to earn skins for free just by playing the game.
The Prime Status Upgrade 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. Valve achieved this by separating the matchmaking lobbies for free-to-play players and those with the Prime Status Upgrade. In other words, if you have the Prime Status Upgrade, there is a 0 chance of you ending up in a match with a player who doesn’t have the Upgrade.
As for how you can get it, the only way that players can get the Prime Status Upgrade is by purchasing it from the Steam store page for Counter-Strike 2. You can not grind your way towards Prime Status, nor can you receive it as a gift, like you can with other Steam games.
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Conclusion
Now, you likely have a much better understanding of what the Prime Status Upgrade is in CS2. It basically enables the complete Counter-Strike experience for players. However, if you are still confused about whether you should buy it, you can check out our explanation of whether CS2 Prime is worth it.
