All CS2 ranks: a detailed guide to Premier rating and Competitive ranks

We will cover everything you need to know about CS2 ranks, including how the different ranking systems work and what each of them tells you, and compare the current system with the one many players knew from CS:GO. This is especially useful if you are coming back to the game after a break.

CS2 Premier rating explained

The Premier rating system was introduced with the release of CS2 to compete with FACEIT and become the new best way to play competitive Counter-Strike. To do this, Valve completely reworked the Elo system and split it into colour tiers, from grey to gold. Each tier covers a range of 5,000 points that you need to earn to climb the CS2 Premier ranks.

• Grey: 0 – 4999

• Light blue: 5000 – 9999

• Blue: 10000 – 14999

• Purple: 15000 – 19999

• Pink: 20000 – 24999

• Red: 25000 – 29999

• Gold: 30000+
  

New players start in the grey ranks, and you can probably only call yourself a "good" Counter-Strike player once you reach pink or red. As for gold? That is where the pros live. Well, the pros and the spinbotters — at that point it all comes down to luck.

At the end of each CS2 Premier season you receive a medal in your inventory whose colour matches the highest rank you reached during that period. To qualify for the medal, you need an active CS Rating at the end of the season and at least 25 wins.

How to get a rank in CS2 Premier

To get a rank in CS2 Premier, you need to win 10 matches at the start of each season. This sets your starting rating for the season based on several factors, including your rank in previous seasons and how many matches it took you to get those wins. For example, if you dominate your placement matches, you will obviously be placed much higher than someone who needed 30 matches to get the required 10 wins.

CS2 Premier ranks reset every season. This means you will have to win 10 matches again at the start of each new season.

CS2 Competitive ranks explained

CS2 Competitive mode uses the same rank system as CS:GO, but it is now tied to each map separately. You can earn a rank on every map in the game, from Silver I to Global Elite. The list of ranks is as follows:

• Silver I

• Silver II

• Silver III

• Silver IV

• Silver Elite

• Silver Elite Master

• Gold Nova I

• Gold Nova II

• Gold Nova III

• Gold Nova Master

• Master Guardian I

• Master Guardian II

• Master Guardian Elite

• Distinguished Master Guardian

• Legendary Eagle

• Legendary Eagle Master

• Supreme Master First Class

• Global Elite
  

The advantage of per-map ranks is obvious. Players can have much more experience on one map than on another, and with a single overall rank they might simply avoid unfamiliar maps. In the long run that hurts the game, because it stops players from improving and trying new CS2 maps.

It is worth noting that because many players rarely play Competitive compared to Premier, CS2 Competitive ranks can be a little odd. This can lead to serious imbalance in matches, which is not ideal for determining your real rank.

How to get a rank in CS2 Competitive

To get a Competitive rank in CS2, you need to win two matches on a specific map. This means that technically you can be Global Elite on one map and Silver I on another, however unlikely that may seem. It used to take 10 wins on each map, but Valve later changed the requirement to two wins.

What is the difference between the CS:GO and CS2 rank systems?

CS:GO only had the current map-based ranks. However, it was a single rank for all maps — if you were Global Elite, you were Global Elite on every map. CS:GO ranks had no numerical Premier system and, ultimately, a fairly low skill ceiling compared to FACEIT. Compare that with CS2 ranks, where even the pros have their own section of the leaderboard.

Converting CS:GO ranks to CS2

Converting CS:GO ranks to CS2 is not an exact science, and it has changed over the years as the skill ceiling of the game has shifted. We can't give an exact conversion, but a rough estimate gives you a good idea of how CS2 ranks compare to CS:GO in terms of skill.

• Silver I in CS:GO Competitive → 1000 – 1959 in CS2 Premier

• Silver II in CS:GO Competitive → 1960 – 2919 in CS2 Premier

• Silver III in CS:GO Competitive → 2920 – 3879 in CS2 Premier

• Silver IV in CS:GO Competitive → 3880 – 4849 in CS2 Premier

• Silver Elite in CS:GO Competitive → 4850 – 5809 in CS2 Premier

• Silver Elite Master in CS:GO Competitive → 5810 – 6769 in CS2 Premier

• Gold Nova I in CS:GO Competitive → 6770 – 7869 in CS2 Premier

• Gold Nova II in CS:GO Competitive → 7870 – 8969 in CS2 Premier

• Gold Nova III in CS:GO Competitive → 8970 – 10079 in CS2 Premier

• Gold Nova Master in CS:GO Competitive → 10080 – 11179 in CS2 Premier

• Master Guardian I in CS:GO Competitive → 11180 – 12319 in CS2 Premier

• Master Guardian II in CS:GO Competitive → 12320 – 13449 in CS2 Premier

• Master Guardian Elite in CS:GO Competitive → 13450 – 14589 in CS2 Premier

• Distinguished Master Guardian in CS:GO Competitive → 14590 – 15779 in CS2 Premier

• Legendary Eagle in CS:GO Competitive → 15780 – 16969 in CS2 Premier

• Legendary Eagle Master in CS:GO Competitive → 16970 – 18159 in CS2 Premier

• Supreme Master First Class in CS:GO Competitive → 18160 – 19999 in CS2 Premier

• Global Elite in CS:GO Competitive → 20000+ in CS2 Premier
  

Again, it should be stressed that there is no guarantee these CS:GO and CS2 ranks match perfectly. They are two different games with different skill ceilings, and the new game has turned out to be kinder to some players than to others.