What are the CS2 trade-up contract rules?

Exactly ten inputs of the same rarity, Mil-Spec through Classified. StatTrak contracts need ten StatTrak inputs. Souvenir skins, knives, gloves and gold items are excluded.

How is the trade-up output float calculated?

Average each input’s (float − min) ÷ (max − min), then remap into the outcome skin’s own float caps: avg × (max − min) + min.

Trade-Up Contract Simulator

Q: How does the CS2 trade-up contract work?

Ten skins of the same rarity trade into one skin of the next rarity. Each input votes for its own collection, the outcome is uniform within that collection’s next tier, and the output float is the inputs’ average normalized wear remapped into the winning skin’s float range.

Q: Can you get a knife or gloves from a trade-up contract in CS2?

No. Contracts stop at Covert — knives and gloves are gold-tier items outside the contract system. Ten Covert skins give nothing.

Exchange 10 skins of one rarity for a single skin of the next rarity up — the exact CS2 mechanic. The outcome collection is decided by your inputs (each of the ten "votes" for its own case), the skin is uniform within that collection's next tier, and the output float is your inputs' average wear remapped into the winning skin's float range. All probabilities and prices below are computed live from 2026-08-08 Steam data.

The interactive trade-up simulator runs in your browser using your unboxed inventory. Open some cases first — every skin you keep becomes a possible input.

Best trade-ups right now by expected return

Single-collection contracts using ten of the cheapest eligible input, recomputed from live Steam prices at every refresh. Mixed-collection contracts can beat these — this is the honest baseline, not financial advice.

#	Contract	Input ×10	Cost	Expected	ROI
1	Shadow CaseRestricted → Classified	M249 \| Nebula Crusader Battle-Scarred	$13.40	$16.54	123%
2	Dreams & Nightmares CaseClassified → Covert	Dual Berettas \| Melondrama Battle-Scarred	$80.50	$96.30	120%
3	Prisma CaseClassified → Covert	AUG \| Momentum Battle-Scarred	$64.60	$76.86	119%
4	Gamma 2 CaseClassified → Covert	MP9 \| Airlock Well-Worn	$137.00	$162.51	119%
5	Chroma 3 CaseClassified → Covert	P250 \| Asiimov Battle-Scarred	$150.20	$176.78	118%
6	Spectrum 2 CaseClassified → Covert	R8 Revolver \| Llama Cannon Field-Tested	$121.40	$142.41	117%
7	Gamma CaseClassified → Covert	SCAR-20 \| Bloodsport Minimal Wear	$147.70	$172.70	117%
8	Spectrum 2 CaseRestricted → Classified	XM1014 \| Ziggy Well-Worn	$12.40	$14.19	114%
9	Fever CaseClassified → Covert	Glock-18 \| Shinobu Battle-Scarred	$57.70	$65.88	114%
10	Gamma 2 CaseRestricted → Classified	Glock-18 \| Weasel Well-Worn	$13.50	$15.37	114%
11	Kilowatt CaseClassified → Covert	USP-S \| Jawbreaker Battle-Scarred	$42.90	$48.27	113%
12	Prisma 2 CaseClassified → Covert	MAC-10 \| Disco Tech Battle-Scarred	$70.60	$78.92	112%

Trade-up questions

How does the CS2 trade-up contract work?

You hand in ten skins of the same rarity and receive one skin of the next rarity up. Each input "votes" for its own collection (1-in-10 each), the outcome is uniform among that collection's next-tier skins, and the output float is your inputs' average normalized wear remapped into the winning skin's float range. The simulator above runs the exact same rules.

Can you get a knife or gloves from a trade-up contract?

No — contracts stop at Covert. Knives and gloves are gold-tier items outside the contract system entirely, so ten Coverts give nothing. Any "knife trade-up" you see advertised elsewhere is not the in-game mechanic. Knives come from the 0.26% case drop, the market, or a player trade.

What are the trade-up rules?

Exactly ten inputs, all the same rarity, from Mil-Spec up to Classified (Classified trades into Covert, the ceiling). StatTrak™ contracts require ten StatTrak™ inputs — no mixing. Souvenir skins, knives, gloves and gold items can't be used.

How is the output float calculated?

Take each input's (float − min) ÷ (max − min), average the ten values, then remap into the outcome skin's own caps: avg × (max − min) + min. That's why ten worn inputs can still produce a Factory New output on a skin with low caps — the simulator shows the predicted wear for every possible outcome before you commit.

Which trade-up has the highest ROI right now?

See the live table above — it recomputes from current Steam prices at every data refresh. Expect most contracts to sit below 100%: prices already discount the odds. The profitable exceptions appear when a cheap collection's next tier is briefly overpriced.

The rules

Ten inputs, all the same rarity. Mil-Spec trades into Restricted, Restricted into Classified, Classified into Covert — and that's where it ends. You cannot trade up to a knife or gloves: ten Coverts give nothing, because gold-tier items sit outside the contract system entirely. A knife comes from the 0.26% drop, the market, or a trade — nothing else. StatTrak™ contracts exist in CS2 but require ten StatTrak™ inputs — this simulator keeps it to normal skins.

The math

Outcome chance per skin = (inputs from its case ÷ 10) ÷ (number of next-tier skins in that case). Output float = average of each input's (float − min) ÷ (max − min), remapped into the outcome skin's caps — which is how traders hit Factory New outputs from worn inputs.

Strategy

Profitable trade-ups exist because prices, not odds, vary between cases. Mix cheap inputs from a case whose next tier is expensive with a single "vote" toward a jackpot skin. Compare input cost against the expected return shown live — and check the case ROI ranking for where cheap inputs come from.