Knowledge of the CS2 economy is an important skill that affects the outcome of a match. It’s important to learn how to properly manage the economy in CS2, as this will help you increase your winning percentage. That’s why Players has prepared a complete guide to the CS2 economy.
The basics of the economy in CS2
In CS2, money is needed to buy weapons, ammunition, and grenades during a match. Players receive money after each completed round. Certain criteria determine how much money you earn for the next round, it depends on:
- Kills
- The result of the round (win or lose)
- Placing/defusing the bomb
Now let’s talk more about each of these factors.
Reward for kills in the round
The amount of reward for a kill depends on the weapon you use to kill the enemy. For example, you will receive $300 for a kill with a rifle, and $100 for a kill with an AWP. The most profitable is killing the enemy with a knife, for which you will receive $1500. You can see that the more expensive the weapon, the less money it brings you per kill.
Reward for killing with a certain weapon:
- Knife — $1500
- Shotguns (except XM1014) — $900
- Submachine guns (except P90) — $600
- XM1014 — $600
- Assault rifles and machine guns — $300
- Grenades — $300
- Pistols — $300
- P90 — $300
- Zeus x27 — $100
- AWP — $100
The result of the round
After each round, you get a certain amount of money, regardless of whether you killed someone or not. This amount is determined by the result of the round.
For winning the round, each player receives $3250. If the round is lost, you will receive $1400 each, this is the so-called “loss bonus”, but if it is a series of defeats, the amount will increase by $500 until it reaches $3400.
Winning a round for the T-side with the help of explosives brings $3500, the same amount is received by the defence side if they win a round by defusing a bomb.
Placing a bomb
The player who plants the bomb receives an additional $300, and if your team loses the round, all players receive an additional $600.
If you die playing for side T after the official round timer has expired and you have not placed a bomb, you will receive $0 in the next round. Therefore, it can sometimes be beneficial to die before the timer expires if you feel that the round is beyond saving. This should also be taken into account when playing for the CT-side so that you can wait until the timer expires and only then kill the player who saves.
Economic strategies in CS2
Not long ago, Valve added the ability for players to see the amount of money they will receive at the beginning of the next round. This made it a bit easier to manage the economy during the game. You need to know that for a full purchase for the T-side, you need around $5000, and for the defence side, the amount increases to about $6000.
Now in CS2, there are several well-established terms related to the economy that everyone who plays should know.
- Eco-round means “buy nothing”. This is the round when your team has no money at all and is forced to save money for the next round. In eco-rounds, you play with the default gun, but if some players have a little more money, they can buy a better gun or a grenade. The main goal of these rounds is to sacrifice one round for the possibility of a full purchase of the next round. If you are playing as a T, you should focus on the plant to get extra money.
- Force buy means a full purchase without taking into account your economic situation. It is used when you need to win the next round no matter what. It’s a high-risk, high-reward strategy and should be used with caution.
- Semi-buy is something in between an eco-buy and a full-buy. This is for when you have money, but not enough for a rifle and full armor. You can use grenades and cheaper weapons such as SMGs, shotguns, Famas/Galil.
- Full-buy — in this round, you have enough money to buy a rifle, grenades, and full armour. On the CT side, this also usually includes a set of defuse. But it’s worth remembering that if you’ve made a full buy and you have zero on your balance, then if the round goes badly, you need to stop in time and think about a save, because the next round can be economical.
- Heroic buy is when one player on a team buys a better weapon while the others make eco. In this way, they bet that this player will play a key role in the round and can bring victory. But for such a round, you need to have a strategy for how to properly implement the only gan in the team, because thoughtless actions can ruin your team’s economy for many rounds.
- Anti-Eco — this round is often played in anticipation that the opponent will have bad eco. Here you often buy weapons that give high rewards for killing to earn extra money.
Tips on economics in CS2
Coordinate your purchases with your team. If you buy AK-47s, and the rest of your team is playing with pistols, it will be difficult to win that round. Yes, you can win such a round, but if you fail, you can become a weak point in the team in the next round, which will lead to defeat and the collapse of the economy.
Even if you are playing solo, look at your team’s money and try to make buys with your teammates’ money. By keeping your economy on par with the rest of the team, you will significantly increase your chances of winning the round.
Also, make a competent management of the economy. For example, if you are playing with a teammate on the same lane in defence, and you have economic problems, one of you should buy defuses and the other to bet on grenades. This way, you will be able to clear the explosives faster and have more time to retake the plant.
Don’t forget about drops. If you have some extra money, help the teammate save it to improve their economic situation.
We hope that this guide has improved your understanding of the CS2 economy and will help you win more often. If you want to continue to improve your knowledge of the game, check out our other CS2 guides:
