CS2 Case Release Dates: Every Case From 2013 to Now

Updated October 26, 2026 · Written by Lena Ortiz · Reviewed by Milan Kovac

Ever wondered how old that case sitting in your inventory actually is, bro? Here's every CS2 case release date in one place, from the very first weapon case in 2013 to the newest Terminal in 2026. We've also noted the knife or gloves each case brought in, because that's usually why a case still matters years later.

All dates below are the US patch dates from the CS2 wiki's case pages, cross-checked against community trackers. Valve tends to push updates in the US evening, so a lot of European sites list the same case one day later. Neither date is wrong, they're just different time zones.

Every CS2 case release date (full list)

Here's the full list in release order. "Rare special" is the gold slot, meaning the knife or gloves you can unbox.

2013: Arms Deal and the first operations

The Arms Deal update on August 14, 2013 is where skins and cases began. The first two cases dropped on the same day, and both used the same five knife models that dominated the early years.

2014: Huntsman and Butterfly arrive

2014 is when Valve started giving cases their own knife. Huntsman got the Huntsman Knife, and Operation Breakout introduced the Butterfly, which still gets its own gold slot in that case. Our Butterfly cases guide covers every case that holds it.

2015: Chroma finishes, Falchion and Shadow Daggers

The Chroma Case brought the Chroma finish set, the home of Doppler, Marble Fade and Tiger Tooth. That's why Chroma-era knives are still hunted today. See our Doppler phases guide for what those finishes look like.

2016: Bowie, Gamma and the first gloves

Two big firsts here. The Gamma Case introduced the Gamma finishes (Gamma Doppler, Lore, Autotronic and friends), and the Glove Case was the first case where the gold slot was a pair of gloves instead of a knife. Our Gamma Doppler phases guide and gloves tier list dig into both.

2017 to 2018: Spectrum, Hydra and the Horizon knives

Spectrum was the first case to put older special knives together in one pool with the Chroma finishes. Horizon added four new knife models at once: the Navaja, Stiletto, Talon and Ursus.

2019 to 2020: Prisma, CS20 and Shattered Web

CS20 celebrated twenty years of Counter-Strike and brought the Classic Knife. Shattered Web added four more knife models, and Broken Fang added a new batch of gloves. Those Broken Fang gloves were the last brand-new gloves until 2026.

2021 to 2023: fewer cases, slower pace

From 2021 Valve slowed down to one or two cases a year. Dreams & Nightmares stands out because its weapon skins came from a community contest. Revolution was the last case released before Counter-Strike 2 replaced CS:GO.

2024 to 2026: the CS2 era, Armory cases and Terminals

Kilowatt was the first case built for CS2 and brought the Kukri Knife. Some trackers list it as February 7, 2024, again a time zone thing. After that, Valve split new releases into new formats, which we explain below.

How CS2 case formats changed after 2024

For eleven years, a "case" meant one thing: it dropped in your weekly rewards (or you bought it), and you opened it with a key. Since 2024 there are three formats, and knowing which one you're looking at matters more than the release date.

Standard cases. The classic format. They come from the weekly care package while they're in the active drop pool, or from the market, and you need a key to open them. Kilowatt is the newest one. Our weekly care package guide explains how the weekly drop works.

Armory cases. Gallery and Fever don't appear in the weekly drop. You get them by spending Armory Pass stars (2 stars per case, according to community.skin.club), or by buying them from other players. You still need a regular key to open them. Our Armory Pass guide covers whether the pass is worth buying.

Terminals. The Genesis and Dead Hand Terminals replace the locked-box spin with an offer system. You unseal the Terminal for free, it shows you an item at a fixed price, and you can accept it or pass. Each Terminal gives up to five offers, a declined offer is gone for good, and you only pay if you accept one. Accepted items carry a 7-day trade hold. The Dead Hand Terminal is a big deal for glove fans: its 17 weapon skins and 22 gloves were the first new gloves since December 2020. We break down the odds in our Genesis Terminal guide and Dead Hand Terminal guide.

How many cases are there in CS2?

Counting every weapon case from the 2013 Arms Deal update through the Fever Case, there are 42 cases. Add the two Terminals and you've got 44 containers that can give you skins this way. That count leaves out souvenir packages, sticker capsules and other containers. Our souvenir packages guide covers those separately.

Here's how the releases spread out by year:

The trend is easy to spot. Valve went from five or six cases a year in the early days to one or two a year from 2021 on, and it has used Armory cases and Terminals for most new content since the move to CS2.

Why case release dates matter

A release date on its own doesn't make a case valuable, but it tells you a lot when you combine it with a few other things:

• Drop status. Newer cases tend to sit in the active drop pool, so fresh copies keep arriving every week and prices stay low. Older cases usually stop dropping, so the supply only shrinks as people open them. Our discontinued cases guide explains how that works.
• The gold slot. A case's release era decides which knives and finishes it can give you. If you want a Doppler, you need a Chroma-era case. If you want a Gamma Doppler, you need a Gamma-era case. If you want a Kukri, it's Kilowatt or Gallery.
• Investing. People who hold cases look for older cases with popular contents and falling supply. Keep in mind Valve can change drop pools at any time. Our case investing guide covers the risks.
• Opening costs. Every case needs a key (standard keys are $2.49), and older cases often cost more than the key itself. Check our key price guide and best cases to open before you spend.

Opening any case is a gamble. Valve's odds for the gold slot are about 0.26%, the same in old and new cases, and the average opening returns less than it costs. Our CS2 case odds guide explains the numbers.

Try a few free cases first

Before you buy keys for a case you picked off this list, you can get the case-opening fun for free. Clash.gg is our top pick: claim free cases through our link, no code needed. You can also check out their knife cases.

Claim free cases on Clash.gg, no code needed

CSGOEmpire is the other site we use. It gives a free case with code FREECASES4U through our link, and it also has case battles and CS2 match betting.

CSGOEmpire: free case with code FREECASES4U

You must be 18+ (or the legal age where you live) to use case sites, and they aren't available in every country. Check the terms before you sign up.

How to check a case's release date yourself

Dates on random sites can disagree, so here's how to check one quickly:

1. Check the patch notes. Every case arrived in an official CS:GO or CS2 update. The update post on the Counter-Strike blog or Steam news gives you the US date.
2. Check a case wiki page. The CS2 wiki lists the release date, the rare special items and the finish set for every case.
3. Check the Steam Market price history. The chart on a case's market page starts shortly after the case appeared, which gives you a rough confirmation.
4. Watch for the one-day gap. If one site says the 21st and another the 22nd, they're almost always talking about the same evening update in different time zones.

The bottom line

CS2 case release dates run from the CS:GO Weapon Case on August 14, 2013 to the Fever Case on March 31, 2025, with the Genesis Terminal (September 17, 2025) and Dead Hand Terminal (March 11, 2026) as the newest containers. That's 42 cases and two Terminals. Use the dates to work out which knives and finishes a case can give you and whether it's still dropping, not as a value guide on their own.

If you want to scratch the opening itch without buying keys, grab the free cases through our link. 18+ only, keep it small, and take a break if it stops being fun.

Claim free cases on Clash.gg, no code needed