Is Counter-Strike 2 Prime Status worth it?

There are two types of Counter-Strike 2 players. Those who have Prime, and those who don’t. No, not Amazon Prime – Counter-Strike 2 Prime, an account status that comes with a bunch of benefits for players who own it.

But is CS2 Prime Status actually worth the money? Let’s take a look.

What is Counter-Strike 2 Prime Status?

Counter-Strike 2 Prime Status is an optional extra that you can pick up from the Steam Marketplace. While Counter-Strike 2 is usually free-to-play, there are a slew of benefits you gain from picking up Prime Status.

For a one-time purchase of $14.99, you gain access to XP, competitive skill groups, and Premier Mode. You also get a weekly in-game drop by playing matches, giving you a skin and a free CS2 case to open.

All of that is great, but those perks aren’t the real selling point of Counter-Strike 2 Prime Status. You see, Prime players can only be matchmade with other Prime owners. Why is that important? Cheaters. Naturally, cheaters use free-to-play servers to avoid losing money if banned, and Prime Status circumvents this entirely.

Is Counter-Strike 2 Prime Status worth it?

In a word, yes. I’d go as far as to say Counter-Strike 2 Prime Status is essential if you want to have fun in the game at the moment.

The cheating problem in CS2 remains so, so bad, even in Premier Mode, where Prime is required. Valve continues to iterate on VAC, but until it is perfected, cheaters will continue to run rampant in Counter-Strike 2. This is amplified on non-Prime servers, where accounts don’t need to pay a $14.99 entry fee to get involved. If they do get banned, they can just create another and try again!

Cheating issues aside, Prime Status pays for itself eventually, anyway. You can sell the free weekly drops you earn instead of using them. If you’re someone who plays a lot of Counter-Strike 2, this will add up to the amount you paid over a long period of time.