CS:GO is essentially a free-to-play game; however, with the introduction of Prime, you have to pay a one-time fee to get a bunch of features. What are these features you are going to pay for? Is getting Prime in CS:GO worth it for most players? Let’s get some answers.
If you are a dedicated CS:GO player, then Prime is definitely worth it to you. You are less likely to encounter hackers, you’ll get free drops/skins from progression, you can play ranked matches, and much more with this purchase. If you are a casual player, then staying non-Prime is better for you.
Let’s take a detailed look at Prime in CS:GO and deduce whether this one-time purchase is worth it or not for most players out there.
What Does Prime Give You in CS:GO?
With a non-Prime account well, you get to download a free full version of CS:GO, and you get access to all game modes and matchmaking types with the exception of ranked matchmaking.
So basically, you will be able to play all game modes, except you won’t be able to get a rank and XP, which means that you might be playing with or against players with very different skill levels.
And since it is free, you’re much more likely to encounter cheaters, which is not a very fun experience.
If you spend $15 to buy CS:GO Prime, you obviously will get everything mentioned above plus:
- You’re going to be paired with other Prime players only. The biggest plus about this is that normally there are a lot fewer cheaters and you’ll be playing with more serious players. You will also encounter lesser Smurf accounts.
- You’ll earn XP in the game, which means you’ll also be able to get in-game drops.
- You can also earn Skill Group rank or Rank for any of the competitive game modes.
- Prime will also include the ability to switch between ranked and unranked for all of your competitive game modes. You can choose whether you want to play a game competitively and have it affect your rank or not.
- You will also receive a badge on your account that states you do own a prime account that’s basically just a little extra they include.
Is Prime Worth It In CS:GO?
Prime is only $15, and it basically unlocks the full version of CS:GO. It opens up the game to so many more things and it gives you such a better playing experience. The price itself is not that bad considering for most games you’re going to be spending 40 to 60 dollars.
On the contrary, players are also concerned by Valve for making them pay to play CS:GO instead of implementing a better anti-cheat to try to deter hackers.
People don’t want to pay for a game where the anti-cheat’s not that competent, and they’re probably still getting paired with hackers even after they pay the full price for the game.
Your location and the servers you are playing on do affect the number of hackers you get. For example, players in India, Asia, and Europe reportedly get significantly more amount of hackers compared to the US.
Players who want to play CS:GO more seriously will make that $15 spent a great investment. It does improve matchmaking quite a bit. When you buy Prime, you’re only going to be paired with other Prime players which means you’re not going to be paired with any free-to-play accounts.
This will substantially limit the number of hackers you encounter. Hackers will rarely pay 15 bucks just to tweak the game.
If you want to start making progress in the game, if you want to track your progress, if you want to just get better at the game, and play the game more seriously then Prime is the right choice. You’ll be able to get a competitive rank, you’ll be able to level up and get drops in the game. The best part about it is it’s going to put you against like-minded players who are just as serious as you.
Is It Worth Buying Prime as a New Player?
As a new player, your first duty is to get the hang of the game. CS:GO is not like other online shooters, it is quite finicky and demands you to hone your skill.
Jumping in the Prime end of the pool will pit you against some better players who could hinder your learning. However, testing your metal with the right kind of players from the start could also be more beneficial skill-wise.
Non-Prime is perfect for people who just want to play the game and mess around with it and have fun. If you’re not going to take the game seriously or just want to try the game to get a feel for it then non-Prime is the way to go. It won’t limit the game modes. You are getting this game to play offline right?
The best course of action for new players is to begin the journey on non-Prime. Once you understand and want to commit, only then get Prime.
Can You Get Prime for Free in CS:GO?
There was a time you could get Prime Status for free after reaching level 21 however, this feature got removed since it was still attracting a lot of cheaters. Now the only way to get Prime is by forking over the cash. You have to pay $15 to get it.
You might get some discounted prices every now and then but that is rare. It is a one-time fee and shouldn’t be ignored compared to the benefit you’ll receive.
There are a ton of videos on YouTube suggesting you can unlock Prime for free but that is not true at all. They will guide you through a workaround where you will have to complete a bunch of tasks for a website, and in return, you’ll get points. You can then cash them out as Steam Giftcards and buy Prime for yourself.
This sounds good, but most of these sites do not work in many regions, and Steam Gift cards are only redeemable in US and EU regions. The sites can also be malicious, so be extra careful if you are enticed.
Prime doesn’t cost that much compared to other full-priced games but you should know whether you even like CS:GO enough to invest your hard-earned cash. As for Prime itself, it does provide sufficient advantages to warrant a purchase. The free loot and the hacker-free play time are too good to deny. That’s why we think that the Prime purchase in CS:GO is worth it.