Premier mode in Counter-Strike 2 allows fans to get as close as possible to the eSports component of the shooter from Valve. That is why it is the main game mode at the moment. In this article, we will tell you what steps you need to take to unlock Premier CS2.

What is Premier mode in CS2

Premier is the main competitive mode in CS2. After successfully finding a match, players go to the veto phase, during which they take turns banning maps from the active pool. At the stage of choosing and banning, only one map remains, and the match is held on it. The team that banned the maps second gets the right to choose which side to play for. Winning a match brings you ELO points, which directly affect your position in the leaderboard. And vice versa, losing removes points.

To get your first CS rating, you need to go through calibration. This is a procedure through which the game will determine your skill level. To successfully complete the calibration, you need to win ten Premier mode matches. After this procedure, the player is assigned an ELO rating.

How to Unlock CS2 Prime

By making the Premier mode the core of CS2, the developers wanted to provide players with a richer and more balanced gaming experience. It’s fair to say that they’ve succeeded. However, access to this competitive mode still needs to be unlocked. First, you’ll need to download CS2 on Steam and purchase Prime status, which will cost you $14.99. In addition to accessing the Premier mode, having Prime status will allow you to receive CS2 skins and CS2 cases weekly and for free.

Next, you need to reach level 10 of your account in CS2. To do this, play matches in other modes and gain experience. You will receive more experience for victories, and less for defeats. On average, it takes several days to reach level 10 in CS2 with active play. The greatest amount of experience can be obtained in Competitive mode, Deathmatch or Arms Race. After reaching the coveted level 10 and having Prime status, the Premier mode will be automatically unlocked for you. Now you can enjoy matches that are as close to professional as possible and get your ELO rating.

Why Premier mode may not work in CS2

Despite the fact that you have reached level 10 in CS2 and purchased Prime status, you may still have problems accessing the Premier mode. Firstly, you may encounter a conflict of launch parameters after switching from CS:GO to CS2. To solve this problem, go to the CS2 properties in the Steam library, and then in the “General” tab, delete all the text from the “Launch options” field and restart the game.

Another problem may be problems with Valve’s servers. Premier mode matches are held on special Valve servers, and if there is a failure on them, it may prevent the game from checking whether you have Prime status. In this case, you cannot do anything. You will have to wait for some time until the problems with Valve’s servers are fixed.

And lastly, if you have not unlocked Premier mode, you should make sure that Prime status has been purchased and that you have reached account level 10 in CS2. Open Steam and make sure that your payment for Prime status has gone through and it has been purchased. And finally, make sure that you have actually reached account level 10 in CS2. Play one or two matches in other modes to reach level 10 for sure.

How CS2 Matchmaking Differs from CS:GO

The main difference between the Premier mode in CS2 and CS:GO is the MR12 match system. With this system, players are allowed to play 12 rounds for each side, while in CS:GO the system was MR15 and they played 15 rounds for each side.

Another important change was the addition of overtime. At 12:12 in CS2, the match would go into overtime, where players would play three rounds for each side until a winner was determined. In CS:GO, there was no overtime. At 15:15, matches would simply end and be declared a draw.

Finally, in the main competitive mode of CS2, a match could only be played on maps from the active pool, while in CS:GO, additional maps were also available. The active map pool for CS2 includes Mirage, Ancient, Nuke, Anubis, Inferno, Dust2, and Vertigo.

In CS2, you have the freedom to choose which matchmaking mode to play in, or even combine them. However, it is worth noting that the Premier mode is very similar to professional matches, which attracts thousands of players around the world.