Will CS:GO skins transfer to CS2? cover image

Will CS:GO skins transfer to CS2?

We dive into Dota 2’s transition to Source 2 to get some answers.

Valve's CS2 is nearing launch and the new game will undoubtedly be the biggest FPS game launch of 2023. With an existing playerbase of over a million in 2023, CS:GO is one of the most popular esports titles today. But as we transition towards CS2, every player wants to know if their CS:GO skins will transfer to CS2. Here's what we know.

Will CS:GO skins transfer to Source 2?

Yes, CS:GO skins will transfer to Source 2, and they will look a whole lot better.

Valve has confirmed CS:GO skins will transfer to Counter-strike 2
Valve has confirmed CS:GO skins will transfer to Counter-strike 2

Bring your entire CS:GO inventory with you to Counter-Strike 2. Not only will you keep every item you’ve collected over the years, but they’ll all benefit from Source 2 lighting and materials.

In addition to supporting legacy models and finishes, all stock weapons have been upgraded with high-resolution models, and some weapon finishes take advantage of these new models.

Valve on CS:GO Skins

Players have spent thousands of dollars on cosmetic skins in Counter-Strike Global Offensive. With different skin rarities and some discontinued skin lines and stickers, prices for CS:GO skins can range in hundreds of thousands of dollars. Then there are also some stickers that are extremely expensive just because they are no longer available in the market.

The bigger question for many players would be whether CS:GO 2 will be a separate game or an additional DLC update to the existing one. Most of the updates to the SteamDM point towards CS:GO 2 being an update (DLC or otherwise) to Counter-Strike Global Offensive. 

How did Dota 2 handle its transition to Source 2?

Dota 2 Reborn (Image Credit: Valve/ Dota 2)
Dota 2 Reborn (Image Credit: Valve/ Dota 2)

Valve’s other game, Dota 2 has already handled its transition to Source 2 almost eight years ago in 2015. The transition to Source 2 was rather smooth with Dota 2 Reborn first appearing as a DLC update. For a few months, both Dota 2 and Dota 2 Reborn were available to play before Valve merged the two games together - Dota 2 Reborn being the only survivor.

Dota 2 Reborn featured a new Dashboard, better audio, and interface, improved chat, new ways to chat, and much more. You can check out the list of new features on the Reborn page

The (skins) market is important to Valve

Steam Market has regionalized pricing. (Image Credit: Valve / Steam)
Steam Market has regionalized pricing. (Image Credit: Valve / Steam)

Finally, the Steam Market is an important source of revenue for Valve. CS:GO is the most played game on Steam crossing over 1.4 million concurrent users in March already. With CS:GO 2 coming out soon, the game developer should expect a surge in the player numbers and with it, more transactions and trades. 


Valve takes roughly a 15% cut of all trades for CS:GO items. With millions of items in player inventories, it makes sense for Valve to transition these items to CS:GO 2. 

More recently, Blizzard was also able to move all of their player skins to the new game, so even if CS:GO 2 is a new game (which it is not) you can rest easy about your skins. Click here to stay up to date with all the latest CS:GO 2 news and leaks.

Stay tuned to esports.gg for the latest CSGO 2 news and updates