First optional, then not offering much more than an account available for free, eventually essential again. How does CSGO Prime status work and is it worth buying?
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive on launch day was a game distributed in the traditional way on the Steam platform, and the license price was around fifteen dollars. The great successor to the series garnered a lot of attention, but the paid system of opening chests in a game that was not free was relatively controversial at the time. Over time, however, players got used to it, especially when the skin trading boomed.
A few years after its release, the game was updated to include a battle royale mode (Danger Zone) and with this addition, Valve made CS:GO available for free. Thousands of players who had paid for their copies so far had some reservations about this idea, but their expense was to be compensated by the Prime CS GO status.
This status played the role of a VIP membership and gave certain privileges over and above the free accounts. This split deepened in June this year, when some features were disabled for users without Prime status. In this text, we will discuss how this status has changed over time and what it is currently like.
In this review:
CSGO Prime Account
At first glance, the original amenities associated with the Prime account were not alarming. These included:
- matchmaking exclusively among Prime users,
- an extra chance to scratch memorabilia and other items,
- unlimited access to dedicated servers,
- account recognition with a badge.
Since most of the game’s content was still available for free, the amount of privileges associated with paid status didn’t seem worth the candle. Over time, however, the power of Prime status proved to be the first aspect on the list above. The matchmaking available only to these accounts made it much harder to encounter both cheaters and lax players in tournament mode.
Prime CS account privileges expanded on June 3, 2021, when the capabilities of non-premium accounts were severely restricted. The biggest surprise was that these accounts could no longer gain experience and levels, and did not receive a rank or assigned skill group. This in turn had further consequences, which we’ll discuss along with more aspects of accounts.
How to Get CS GO Prime?
After 2018 and the introduction of free accounts, Prime status could be obtained in two ways. The one further applicable is to buy a Prime account pass, which costs the equivalent of $15, which is the same as the game license before the introduction of free accounts.
You could also get CSGO Prime for free by earning the twenty-first experience level on your account. Unfortunately, with the exclusion of experience and levels for free accounts as part of the June update, users can no longer simply “rack up” a Prime account.
Is CSGO Prime Worth the Cost?
If you are interested in matchmaking, rank and skin acquisition, then Prime status is a must. Free accounts can no longer gain levels, and thus have no guaranteed skin drops.
After several years of testing the account format, Prime status has become the default CS:GO experience. Whether you’ve been playing CS for a while or are returning after a long hiatus, this status simply makes it easier to have a valuable experience with others. Occasional players who don’t care about tournament mode and usually play on private servers can continue to do without it.
