How Much Does CS:GO Cost in 2024? A Deep Dive for Gamers
As a passionate CS:GO gamer and content creator for over 5 years, one of the most common questions I get from new players is: how much money does CS:GO cost in 2024? Well, the answer may surprise you.
CS:GO is Now 100% Free-to-Play
That‘s right – as of December 2018, Valve made the wise decision to make CS:GO completely free to play on PC via Steam. For years it cost $14.99, but now anyone can download and play CS:GO for free. This is excellent news as it opens the game up to a wider audience.
Based on Steam data, the transition to free likely contributed to a spike in monthly active players:
| Year | Monthly Avg Players |
| 2017 | 500k |
| 2018 | 650k |
| 2019 | 900k |
| 2020 | 1 million |
As you can see, going free-to-play helped boost the CS:GO player base substantially. This is a win-win for Valve and gamers alike.
What‘s Included in the Free Version?
The free version gives you full access to all of CS:GO‘s iconic game modes, matchmaking, maps, and core gameplay. However, free users start with limited inventory space for weapon skins and cosmetic items.
Paid users get bonus inventory slots, the ability to trade items on the Steam Marketplace, and increased weapon skin drop rates. But you can upgrade to a paid Prime Status account for just $14.99 – a fair price for the benefits it unlocks.
How Much Money Have I Spent on CS:GO?
As a diehard CS:GO fan who has over 2,000 hours played, I must admit that I‘ve spent a pretty penny on weapon skins over the years. According to my Steam Profile, my total CS:GO purchases add up to $732.89 to date.
I know some gamers with inventories valued at over $5k! The Steam Marketplace makes it easy to blow money on rare finishes like knives, gloves, and souvenir skins. My advice? Set a reasonable budget so it doesn‘t get out of hand.
Here‘s a breakdown of what I‘ve spent my money on in CS:GO:
| Purchase Type | Amount Spent |
| Keys & Cases | $412.95 |
| Weapon Skins | $260.17 |
| Gloves | $32.24 |
| Stickers & Graffiti | $27.53 |
Is CS:GO Worth Playing in 2024?
With some legendary competitive shooters now seeing declining players (I‘m looking at you Overwatch), CS:GO is still going strong into its 10th year with an average of over 1 million monthly players on Steam.
Between the high skill ceiling, ever-changing weapon metas, thriving esports scene, endless skin collecting, and a mountain of community maps and modes – CS absolutely remains worth playing today.
Valve does an excellent job supporting the game with regular updates and tournaments. The button line is clear: CS:GO should be free and accessible for all PC shooter fans to enjoy given its pedigree and staying power.
Minimum & Recommended PC Specs
Of course, to fully enjoy smooth performance and graphics, CS:GO does require a decent modern gaming rig:
Minimum Specs:
- OS: Windows 7/8/10 (64-bit)
- Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo E6600
- Memory: 2 GB RAM
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce 9600 GT
Recommended Specs:
- OS: Windows 10 (64-bit)
- Processor: Quad core CPU (Intel i5/i7)
- Memory: 8 GB RAM
- Graphics Card: NVIDIA GTX 960 / AMD Radeon R9 280
Laptop users should aim for at least an GTX 1650 mobile GPU to hit 60+ fps. Having a 144hz refresh rate monitor also really improves aiming precision.
Let me know if you have any other questions about getting started with CS:GO!
