Trade Up Guide

Everything you need to know about CS2 trade-up contracts, float calculations, and strategies for profitable trades.

Covert Trade-Ups

5

skins required

Outputs: Knives & Gloves

Classified Trade-Ups

10

skins required

Outputs: Covert skins

Restricted Trade-Ups

10

skins required

Outputs: Classified skins

Mil-Spec Trade-Ups

10

skins required

Outputs: Restricted skins

1 How Trade-Ups Work

Trade-up contracts let you exchange lower rarity skins for a higher rarity skin from the same collection(s).

Rarity Progression:

Consumer → Industrial → Mil-Spec → Restricted → Classified → Covert → Knife/Gloves

! Covert (Red) Trade-Up Rules

Since the October 2025 update, Covert trade-ups have special rules:

  • ✓ Only 5 Covert skins required (not 10)
  • ✓ Outputs are Knives or Gloves
  • ✓ 5 StatTrak Coverts = StatTrak Knife
  • ✓ 5 Regular Coverts = Regular Knife or Gloves
  • ✗ Cannot mix StatTrak and non-StatTrak

2 Float Value Calculation

The new CS2 algorithm (post-Retakes update) normalizes floats:

Step 1: Normalize each input

Adjusted = (Float - Min) / (Max - Min)

Step 2: Average adjusted floats

AvgAdj = Sum(Adjusted) / Count

Step 3: Apply to output range

Output = OutMin + AvgAdj * (OutMax - OutMin)

Important: Skins with restricted float ranges (e.g., 0-0.5) are now weighted differently than full-range skins.

3 Collection & Probability

Your output comes from the same collections as your inputs:

Same Collection Strategy

5 skins from The Kilowatt Collection = 100% chance of Kukri Knife

Mixed Collection Strategy

3 Kilowatt + 2 Revolution = 60% Kukri Knife, 40% Revolution Knife

Pro tip: Use single-collection inputs to guarantee a specific knife/glove type.

Wear Tier Float Ranges

0.00 0.25 0.50 0.75 1.00
FN
MW
FT
WW
BS
FN Factory New
0.00 - 0.07 Highest Value
0.00 0.07 1.00
MW Minimal Wear
0.07 - 0.15 High Value
0.00 0.07 0.15 1.00
FT Field-Tested
0.15 - 0.38 Medium Value
0.00 0.15 0.38 1.00
WW Well-Worn
0.38 - 0.45 Low Value
0.00 0.38 0.45 1.00
BS Battle-Scarred
0.45 - 1.00 Lowest Value
0.00 0.45 1.00

Pro Tips for Profitable Trade-Ups

Target Low-Float Outputs

Factory New and low-float Minimal Wear skins command significant premiums. Use low-float inputs to maximize output value.

Understand Float Caps

Some skins can't be Factory New (e.g., max float 0.5). Check the output skin's float range before committing.

Single-Collection Strategy

For Covert trade-ups, use 5 skins from one collection to guarantee a specific knife type.

Consider the New Algorithm

The post-Retakes update changed how float-capped skins work. Skins with restricted ranges may produce worse outputs than before.

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