Counter-Strike 2 Premier: CS2 Rating explained (2024)

Premier is Counter-Strike 2’s new ranked mode, letting players experience more than just the regular competitive matches thanks to its pick-ban system. You can climb the leaderboards and compare yourself with your friends, and fortunately, it’s easy to unlock Premier in CS2.

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In CS2, ranking is divided into two branches: a rating in Premier mode and ranks for each map in the Competitive mode. Premier has become the go-to mode for many competitive players.

Here’s everything you need to know about Premier in CS2.

CS2 Premier mode rating explained

In CS2, you earn points for winning games in the Premier mode. These points elevate you on the regional, seasonal leaderboards. It’s transparent, as everyone can see how many points they (and everyone else) have gained so far in a season.

Your Premier rank has a color that’s determined by your rating:

  • Gray: 0-4999
  • Light Blue: 5000 – 9999
  • Blue: 10000 – 14999
  • Purple: 15000 – 19999
  • Pink: 20000 – 24999
  • Red: 25000 – 29999
  • Yellow: 30000+
Counter-Strike 2 Premier: CS2 Rating explained (1)

The Premier mode features MR12, meaning each half will have a maximum of 12 rounds, with teams needing 13 in total to win the game. In case there is a 12-12 draw, a six-round overtime will be played.

How to unlock Premier in CS2

Counter-Strike 2 Premier: CS2 Rating explained (2)

You can unlock Premier in CS2 in a few simple steps:

  1. Buy the Prime Status Upgrade from CS2‘s Steam page.
  2. Launch CS2.
  3. Reach level 10 in-game by completing matches in other game modes.

You can play Competitive, Wingman, Casual, Deathmatch, and Arms Race to earn XP. To check your account’s progress, click on your profile icon on the home screen and hover your mouse over the white icon next to the level meter. If you’re worried about why you’re gaining low XP, it’s because you’ve capped out your weekly XP earned.

Differences between CS2 Premier and Competitive

CS2 Premier can, in some ways, can be seen as Competitive+, but there are some key differences between Premier and Competitive. Here are some differences you may want to keep in mind:

PremierCompetitive
RankingCS RatingCS Ranks
LeaderboardsRegional, Global, and FriendsN/A
Map SelectionPick/Ban phaseMap-specific queues
Console Damage ReportsDisabledEnabled

CS2 Premier leaderboards

There are nine different leaderboards for Premier in CS2, and they go as follows.

  • Friends – This leaderboard tracks players on your Friends List.
  • World – the top 1,000 players in the world.
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Australia
  • China
  • Europe
  • North America
  • South America
Counter-Strike 2 Premier: CS2 Rating explained (3)

Premier mode was first featured in CS:GO for a few years, and it was the most competitive environment in the game. When choosing Premier, both teams ban maps from the seven currently in the competitive map pool until one is left, similar to professional matches.

CS2 Premier mode rating distribution explained

While there’s no official access to see how rating is distributed among CS2 Premier mode players, some data websites have been collecting data since the game’s release on Sept. 27, 2023.

Updated CS2 Rank Distribution – February 2024 (w/ CS:GO Rank Comparison)

What's changed since November 2023?

• Nearly 80% of players were under 10k before – now only 31%

• The average rank has increased to ~12k, previously at ~7k

• Higher ranks are being filled out leading… https://t.co/C9agPJei29 pic.twitter.com/hfxtXiNeuK

— Leetify (@leetify) March 2, 2024

On March 2, Leetify shared its data on CS2 rating distribution, recorded from Feb. 1 to Feb. 22. From the first glimpse, it’s quite obvious most players have found themselves somewhere between 9,000 and 14,000 points, which isn’t a significant variation when compared to CS:GO, where Legendary Eagle Master had the highest percentage of players.

The average rank rating has also increased from 7,000 in November 2023 to 12,000 in February 2024. While the cheaters running rampant in CS2‘s Premier can certainly explain the sudden and significant boost in average rank, it’s possible the previous scores were low due to the players establishing their base ratings.

CS2 skill group system explained

Counter-Strike 2 Premier: CS2 Rating explained (4)

CS2 features a similar rank system for the Competitive mode in CS:GO with rankings like Global Elite, Master Guardian, and so on. In CS2, the pre-existing skill groups are calculated on a map-by-map basis. For example, if you play and win a lot on Mirage, you can have Global Elite there, but this rank is specifically for this map.

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Counter-Strike 2 Premier: CS2 Rating explained (2024)

FAQs

What is a good CS2 premier rating? ›

CS2 Premier Rating to CSGO Ranks
RATING (MMR)COLORCS:GO RANK EQUIVALENT
15000 – 19999PurpleLegendary Eagle – Supreme Master First Class
20000 – 24999PinkSupreme Master First Class – Global Elite
25000 – 29999RedUpper Global Elite
30000+YellowThe highest-ranked Global Elite players
3 more rows
Apr 11, 2024

How does CS rating work in CS2? ›

When you finish winning ten placement matches in Premier, you're given a CS Rating instead of a rank. This number represents your position on the global Counter-Strike 2 leaderboards, showing you precisely where you belong among the best in the world.

How to calculate CS2 rating? ›

CS2 Rating Explained

Ratings begin at zero, and you'll get matched against players with different ratings in your first ten matches to determine your skill level and ultimately give you the appropriate rating. A different color represents each 5000 Elo, like skin rarities, ranging from gray to gold.

Is Premier better than Competitive CS2? ›

Premier and Competitive are the two competitive modes in CS2, offering you diverse avenues to showcase your gaming prowess. While Premier Competitive in CS2 introduces a unique pick and ban system for map selection, Competitive mode remains familiar, keeping close ties with previous versions of the game.

Is 6000 rating good in CS2? ›

5000-9999: Blue: Players who have managed to adapt well to the game and have embraced the competitive spirit of the game. 10000-14999: Blue: Experienced players who either lack certain aspects of the game to improve their ranking or do not have enough time.

Is 9k Elo good in CS2? ›

Light Blue (5,000-9,999): A step up from Grey, showing some improvement in skill. Blue (10,000-14,999): Intermediate tier, indicating a moderate skill level. Purple (15,000-19,999): Above-average skill, showing proficiency in the game. Pink (20,000-24,999): High skill level, signifying advanced gameplay.

How does CS2 premier matchmaking work? ›

Premier Mode Matchmaking

Teams switch sides after 12 rounds. One noticeable and rather unique feature about Premier Matchmaking is that players have to be ready to play every single map. Prior to the start of the match, there'll be a pick/ban phase where teams take turns banning maps until one map is left over.

Can I get a rank in CS2 without Prime? ›

No. Competitive Skill Groups and Counter-Strike Rating are only issued to users with Prime Status.

What does the rank percentage mean in CS2? ›

You can check the CS2 leaderboard to see your CS Rating number, highlighted in blue, and to the left your Rank shows how close you are to the top of the board. The %Rank value on the right tells you how you compare to the rest of the player pool - if your %Rank is 40, you're in the top 40% of players, for example.

How do I see my CS2 rank? ›

Instead, there's now transparent progression with an Elo-style rating called your Counter-Strike rating. Each match will show you clearly how many points are on the line before it starts, and you can check your CS2 rating in the leaderboard at any time—it will show up in blue, with your current Rank to the left of it.

How long does it take to unlock Premier CS2? ›

To get Premier rank in CS2, you need to play 10 placement matches and win games to increase your rating. Your kills, deaths, etc. don't matter for updating your ranking – it's all about how many rating points you earn or lose based on the match outcome.

What is CS2 rating esrb? ›

The ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board) rates American and Canadian video games. CS2 is rated as “Mature” (M) due to its content, including blood scenes and severe violence.

Is Premier worth it in CS2? ›

Premier games are way better than nonranked, much less cheaters, afkers, leavers and smurfs. And people most of the time care about their ranks, so they try to play their best, in nonranked people just afk or leave in the middle of the game.

How to get premier rank in CS2? ›

How to Get Your First Rank in CS2. Both types of ranking systems in Counter-Strike 2 require players to complete 10 placement matches. Depending on your performance and results, you will get your first CS2 Rank in Competitive mode and your first Counter-Strike Rating in Premier mode.

Are there queue limits in premier mode in CS2? ›

Are there queue limits in Premier Mode in CS2? Yes; the Premier Ratings of players queuing together cannot be too far apart. Additionally, players who are unranked cannot queue with players who have already have a Premier Rating. Note that this does not count for players with a decayed/invisible rank.

What is the average rank in CS2? ›

The average CS2 player is usually agreed to be around the Light Blue Premier ranks with between 5,000 and 9,999 ELO. It can be the most difficult to escape as smurf accounts are plentiful.

What level to play Premier CS2? ›

Once you have purchased said status, the only thing left to do is to play public matches until you reach level 10 with that account. After that, Premier Mode will be available for you to enjoy.

What is the rating per win in CS2? ›

CS2 Premier Rating

It depends on your current win/lose stats. If your W/L rate improves, your rating gain also improves. Thus if you win more than losing, then you will get from 250 up to 500 rating per win, but if you are constantly losing matches, then you will get fewer rating, up to 100 per win.

What is the Elo range in CS2? ›

Placement Matches and ELO Points: To receive a placement rating in CS2, players need to win 10 games. Ratings begin at 1,000 and can go over 40,000, based on the highest-ranked player currently. Each 5,000 ELO points segment is represented by a different color, with corresponding rough CS:GO rank estimates​​.

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