How to Get Cases in CS2: Weekly Drops, Armory and Market

There are three ways to get cases in CS2: the free Weekly Care Package you earn by ranking up, the Armory, which you unlock with a paid Armory Pass, and buying cases from other players on the Steam Community Market. Every regular weapon case also needs a key, bought separately, before you can open it.

This guide explains how each route works, what Prime status changes, and what to know before you spend money on keys.

Last checked: November 9, 2026, against Valve's update notes, Steam Support and the in-game text.

Do you need Prime to get drops in CS2?

Yes. The Prime status upgrade is what unlocks weekly rewards. The in-game upgrade screen lists XP, weekly rewards and Premier among its features, and its weekly rewards entry says you can choose from weapon cases, weapon finishes and more.

Without Prime you can still buy cases and keys, trade, and use the Market, but you will not earn the weekly care package.

How does the CS2 Weekly Care Package work?

In September 2023 Valve replaced the old weekly drops with a Weekly Care Package that lets you choose your rewards. Here is how it works:

1. Earn XP and rank up. The first time you rank up in a week, you receive a Weekly Care Package. The XP bonus tooltip shows "Get a Weekly Care Package the next time you rank up!" when one is waiting.
2. Choose your rewards. The package offers a selection of items, and you pick two of them. Some special offers use up both picks at once and are not tradable.
3. Claim them in time. You can leave rewards unclaimed and come back later through the store. But if you earn a new package before claiming the old one, the unclaimed rewards are gone for good.
4. Wait for the weekly reset. Once you have claimed, the game shows a countdown until you can start earning the next package.

What can you get in a care package?

Valve describes the options as weapon cases, weapon finishes and graffiti, and the exact offers vary. The weapon finishes come from a set of care package collections that Valve updates from time to time. Recent changes:

Valve has also added Terminals as possible weekly drops: the Genesis Uplink Terminal in September 2025 and the Dead Hand Terminal in March 2026. A Terminal is not a case. Once unsealed, it presents a series of purchase offers from its collection for a limited time, and you may buy one item before the Terminal is discarded. An unsealed Terminal can no longer be traded or sold, and you can set a maximum offer limit so it only shows offers up to an amount you choose.

Should you pick a case or a skin?

Cases from a care package need a key, so a case is only "free" if you sell it or never open it. A weapon finish is a finished item you can use or sell right away. The in-game reward screen marks cases with the warning "Requires a purchased key to open."

Prices for both change constantly, so check what each option sells for on the Market before you pick if value matters to you.

How does the Armory work?

The Armory opened in October 2024 and is a separate, paid route to items:

• Buy and activate an Armory Pass in the in-game store.
• Earn Armory Credits by playing. Each pass unlocks 40 credits in total, earned as you gain XP. Since November 2024, activating a pass no longer grants the first credit immediately; all 40 come from playing.
• Spend credits in the Armory. Its stock rotates and has included weapon collections, sticker collections, charms, a case, and one-off Limited Edition items.
• Activate a new pass when you are done. There is a cap on active passes. Once a pass is fully earned, you clear it and can activate another.

The Armory changes with updates. In July 2026, for example, Valve added the Spy Tech and Arabesque weapon collections plus the Fruits & Vegetables and Auto Racing sticker collections, and retired several older collections. Some Armory items cannot be traded or sold for one week after you redeem them; the game shows this before you confirm.

Can you buy cases on the Steam Market?

Yes. Cases can be bought from other players on the Steam Community Market, and their prices move with supply and demand.

A few things to know about the Market:

• Items you list stay usable. Since March 2026, items listed for sale stay in your inventory and can still be equipped while listed. They cannot be used up or modified until you cancel or the sale completes.
• Traded items are protected for 7 days. All CS2 items received in a trade are Trade Protected for 7 days. During that window they cannot be consumed, modified or moved, so a case you just received in a trade cannot be opened until the protection ends. See how to trade CS2 skins safely for what that means.
• Third-party markets. Prices on other sites are often lower than on Steam. Our skin market comparison shows how the major markets compare.

How do you open a case in CS2?

Open your inventory, select the case and choose to unlock it. You need a matching key for that case, and keys are sold in the in-game store.

Some players cannot open containers the normal way:

• Germany and the Netherlands. Since March 2026, players in these countries have an X-Ray Scanner tab, and containers can only be opened through it. The scanner shows you the item first, and you then decide whether to buy it.
• How the X-Ray Scanner works. Scanning uses up the container, so it can no longer be traded or sold. You can only scan one container at a time, and to scan another you must first buy the item already revealed. A container cannot be rescanned for a different result.
• Keyless containers. Souvenir Packages and other keyless containers open without a key or the scanner.

Is opening cases worth it?

That depends on what you want. If you want a specific skin, buying it directly is usually far cheaper than opening cases until it appears, because each case holds many possible items and the valuable ones are rare. Look up the skin first on our CS2 skin price search, which compares listings across seven markets.

If you enjoy opening cases for its own sake, set a budget before you start and treat the money as spent.

Frequently asked questions

How do you get free cases in CS2?

With Prime status, rank up once each week to earn a Weekly Care Package, then pick a weapon case as one of your two rewards. You still need to buy a key to open it.

Why am I not getting drops in CS2?

You most likely do not have Prime status, or you have not ranked up yet this week. The Weekly Care Package arrives the first time you rank up each week, and only Prime accounts receive it.

How many items do you get from a CS2 care package?

You pick two rewards from the selection on offer. Some special offers use up both picks at once, and unclaimed rewards are lost if you earn your next package first.

Can you open CS2 cases without a key?

Not regular weapon cases. Keyless containers such as Souvenir Packages open without one, and players in Germany and the Netherlands open containers through the X-Ray Scanner instead.

What is an Armory Pass in CS2?

It is a paid pass from the in-game store that lets you earn 40 Armory Credits by playing and earning XP. You spend the credits on items in the Armory, whose stock rotates with updates.

What happens to unclaimed care package rewards?

They wait for you in the store until you earn your next care package. At that point any rewards you did not claim are gone permanently.