What is StatTrak in CS:GO/CS2
Contents
This quick guide covers StatTrak (ST) in Counter-Strike and can be useful for all players, whether you're planning on buying the weapon with it or were lucky enough to unbox one. From “What does StatTrak mean in CSGO?” to “Does it have a real-world value?”, we will walk through the essential details of this feature and show you how StatTrak items look. So, let’s jump straight into it.
What Does StatTrak Mean in CS:GO/CS2?
For those new to the game, let’s start with the basics — what is StatTrak exactly?
The Origin of the StatTrak Feature
Valve introduced StatTrak in the summer of 2013 with the Counter‑Strike: Global Offensive “Arms Deal” update, which also brought the very first skins. It was designed as an enhancement to the new cosmetics: something to add personality and energy to your skins. As Valve stated a decade later, CSGO StatTrak was meant to add “soul to the grind,” giving players a new type of reward, and serving as a proof of their consistent effort. But did it succeed? You can decide after we break down what is StatTrak in CSGO and CS2.
What is StatTrak in CS2?
StatTrak is a feature that tracks certain in-game player game stats and displays them in-game as a cosmetic enhancement. Not all items support StatTrak, but those that do, the function is simple — whenever a player gets a frag (or earns an MVP with Music Kits) using a StatTrak skin, the counter increases. It's also important to note that this works only on official servers. On community servers, the display remains visible but the numbers don't update.
Price Difference
Default CS skins cannot have StatTrak, so if you want to get one, you must either unbox it, acquire it through a Trade Contract, or just purchase it directly on marketplaces. However, as StatTrak items are harder to unbox compared to regular skins (roughly 1 in 10 items come with ST), their prices are usually much higher.
Fun fact: Knife skins have a StatTrak scratched directly onto the blade instead of an LED kill counter. Depending on the design, this can spoil the aesthetic, which sometimes results in lower prices compared to their non-ST counterparts.
Is StatTrak Permanent?
One more important thing about StatTrak in CS2 is that the counter is tied exclusively to the skin and not to the account, match, or player. Once the count starts, it continues and grows permanently. The cosmetic LED screen also stays forever, with no option to remove it. So the answer is yes, StatTrak is permanent for the weapon you own. As for the kill count, it can be transferred from one skin to another, though with certain limitations that we will cover in the following section.
How Does StatTrak Work in CS2
Now, let’s go through all the details and peculiarities of owning a StatTrak item.
Kills Tracking for Weapons
For all weapon skins, including both ranged weapons and knives, the rules are the same. When a player makes a frag with a StatTrak skin, the number on the LED counter changes. Depending on the server settings, the update may occur after a couple of seconds, at the beginning of the next round, or even after the match concludes.
StatTrak Count for Other Items
At the time of writing, there is only one other category of items other than weapons that feature StatTrak — Music Kits. These kits track the number of MVP awards earned by the player. However, the stats are not displayed during matches. Instead, only the skin owner can view the current number of MVPs in their CS2 inventory.
Resetting or Losing StatTrak Counts
As mentioned earlier, there’s no built-in button to reset StatTrak counts. Still, players have discovered several workarounds:
- Using a StatTrak Swap Tool. This item can be purchased on the Steam Community Market. It allows you to transfer the kill count from one skin to another of the same type (e.g., M4A4 | Asiimov to M4A4 | Temukau). As you might expect, this feature can also be used to reset the count by moving all the kills to a "disposable" skin.
- Transferring the skin. Sending a StatTrak skin to another Steam account resets its counter automatically, even if both accounts belong to you. Players often create a second account to transfer the skin with the counter they wish to reset back and forth, or simply ask a friend to do the same.
Types of StatTrak Items
In this section, we will quickly go through the three types of CS2 items that can feature StatTrak. There are a total of 3. Let’s check them one by one.
Ranged StatTrak Weapons
All ranged weapons in CS2 can have skins, but not every skin includes a StatTrak version. Certain guns, particularly those with Souvenir variants, lack this feature, so it’s worth checking whether a weapon can have it before you buy it or open the case. That said, most standard firearms, including the Zeus x27, do come with StatTrak editions that feature the familiar LED kill counter.
StatTrak Knives
Every knife skin in CS2 can be obtained as StatTrak, but this remains a somewhat controversial subject among players. Some people enjoy the look of it, while others dislike it. The truth is that scratched numbers on some finishes may look fine and even add to the vibe sometimes, but on some flashy, diamond-like blades, they look downright ridiculous.
StatTrak Music Kits
StatTrak Music Kits in CS2 don’t have a visual representation in-game, but they count every MVP award a player earns. The tally is visible only in the inventory when inspecting the item and has no in-game visual element.
Currently, no other items, such as grenades or agents, feature StatTrak. However, there is always the possibility that Valve may expand the feature in the future.
How to Identify StatTrak Items in CS2
Let’s now figure out how to identify CS2 StatTrak items when you see them. Here are the key signs to look for:
- Orange LED counter display on ranged weapon skins.
- Scratched numbers etched into knife blades.
- StatTrak labels alongside the item’s name across all platforms: Steam inventory, CS2 game inventory, third-party party websites, apps, and even in-game HUD.
Conclusion
That’s it for today! Now you’ll never have to ask again what does StatTrak mean in CS2 or why players value it so highly. However, if you still have questions, feel free to leave them in the comments. And if you enjoyed this guide, don’t forget to check out more of our articles for additional tips and insights. Good luck, and happy fragging!
