Complete CS2 Case and Capsule Release Dates: Full History Guide
PublishedMay 07, 2026
AuthorSkinbase Team
Reading time9 min read
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Complete CS2 Case and Capsule Release Dates: Full History Guide
If you are researching the CS2 skin market, cs2 case release dates are some of the most useful anchors you can work with. Every weapon case, sticker capsule, and tournament autograph capsule has a fixed launch date tied to a game update, operation, or major event. Those dates explain why certain skins are rare, why prices shift during anniversaries, and why some capsules hold long-term collector value while others fade quickly.
Key facts:
The first CS:GO weapon case dropped on August 14, 2013, alongside the eSports 2013 Case.
Valve released between 1 and 6 weapon cases per year from 2013 through 2025.
Sticker capsules started in February 2014 and now cover themed, tournament, and autograph categories.
Tournament capsules are tied directly to CS Major event dates and stop selling once the event ends.
Release cadence slowed after 2021 — recent years average 1 to 2 weapon cases per year.
The most recent weapon case as of May 2026 is the Fever Case (March 31, 2025).
Budapest 2025 capsules are scheduled for November 12, 2025, the next confirmed major capsule drop.
What cs2 case release dates reveal about the skin economy
Each case launch reshapes the market around it. When a new case drops, older cases that share similar rarity tiers often drop in price because attention and spending shift. Conversely, cases from years earlier can spike as nostalgia demand or scarcity kicks in.
Tournament capsules work differently. They sell only during the major event window, then the supply locks permanently. That makes early tournament capsules from 2014 and 2015 genuinely scarce.
Understanding the pattern behind cs2 case release dates helps you anticipate behavior rather than just react to it.
Weapon case release dates by year
Every weapon case, sorted chronologically. Dates are verified from official sources and the Skinbase database.
2013
Case
Release Date
CSGO Weapon Case
August 14, 2013
eSports 2013 Case
August 14, 2013
Operation Bravo Case
September 19, 2013
CSGO Weapon Case 2
November 6, 2013
eSports 2013 Winter Case
December 18, 2013
Winter Offensive Weapon Case
December 18, 2013
The game launched CS:GO cases in the same update window as the first Arms Deal update. Two cases dropped simultaneously — a pattern Valve repeated for the winter update.
2014
Case
Release Date
CSGO Weapon Case 3
February 12, 2014
Operation Phoenix Weapon Case
February 20, 2014
Huntsman Weapon Case
May 1, 2014
Operation Breakout Weapon Case
July 1, 2014
eSports 2014 Summer Case
July 10, 2014
Operation Vanguard Weapon Case
November 11, 2014
2014 was the most active year for case releases. Six distinct cases launched, matching the pace of operations. The Huntsman Weapon Case introduced the Huntsman knife family, which remains one of the most recognized knife groups in the game.
2015
Case
Release Date
Chroma Case
January 8, 2015
Chroma 2 Case
April 15, 2015
Falchion Case
May 26, 2015
Shadow Case
September 17, 2015
Revolver Case
December 8, 2015
The Chroma series introduced a new visual design language for case artwork. The Revolver Case launched alongside the controversial R8 revolver, which was quickly rebalanced — making that drop date memorable for longtime players.
2016
Case
Release Date
Operation Wildfire Case
February 17, 2016
Chroma 3 Case
April 27, 2016
Gamma Case
June 15, 2016
Gamma 2 Case
August 18, 2016
Glove Case
November 28, 2016
The Glove Case stands out from this year. It introduced gloves as a new item type, which permanently expanded the high-value item space in CS:GO and later CS2. Glove prices from this case still command strong premiums.
2017
Case
Release Date
Spectrum Case
March 15, 2017
Operation Hydra Case
May 23, 2017
Spectrum 2 Case
September 15, 2017
Only three releases in 2017. Valve began spacing out drops more deliberately. The Spectrum cases are notable for including the Butterfly Knife — a consistent high-demand knife across the entire skin market.
2018
Case
Release Date
Clutch Case
February 15, 2018
Horizon Case
August 2, 2018
Danger Zone Case
December 6, 2018
The Danger Zone Case launched alongside the free-to-play update and the Danger Zone battle royale mode. That date — December 6, 2018 — marks one of the most significant shifts in the game's commercial model, which affected case drop rates for all players.
2019
Case
Release Date
Prisma Case
March 13, 2019
CS20 Case
October 18, 2019
Shattered Web Case
November 18, 2019
The CS20 Case celebrated Counter-Strike's 20th anniversary with classic map-themed skins. The Shattered Web Case accompanied Operation Shattered Web, which introduced character models and a mission-based operation format.
2020
Case
Release Date
Prisma 2 Case
April 1, 2020
Fracture Case
August 7, 2020
Operation Broken Fang Case
December 3, 2020
The Fracture Case includes some of the most visually complex skins released to that point. Operation Broken Fang launched late in 2020 with new content formats including premier matchmaking prototypes.
2021
Case
Release Date
Snakebite Case
May 3, 2021
Operation Riptide Case
September 22, 2021
Two releases in 2021 — a deliberate slowdown. The Snakebite Case included new glove options. Operation Riptide expanded the competitive map pool with permanent additions.
2022
Case
Release Date
Dreams & Nightmares Case
January 21, 2022
Recoil Case
July 1, 2022
The Dreams & Nightmares Case is notable because its skins were entirely community-designed — one of the few cases where the entire pool came from the Steam Workshop. That origin story gives it collector interest beyond skin aesthetics alone.
2023
Case
Release Date
Revolution Case
February 10, 2023
Only one weapon case launched in 2023. The Revolution Case arrived shortly after CS2's announcement period, and it was the last case released under the CS:GO branding before the full CS2 migration.
2024
Case
Release Date
Kilowatt Case
February 6, 2024
Gallery Case
October 2, 2024
The Kilowatt Case was the first major case release in native CS2, landing with significant hype. The Gallery Case followed in October with skins reflecting a fine-art visual direction — a sharp aesthetic shift from the previous release.
2025
Case
Release Date
Fever Case
March 31, 2025
The Fever Case is the most recent weapon case as of May 2026. It represents the current end of the cs2 case release dates timeline for weapon cases.
Sticker capsule release dates
Sticker capsules launched separately from weapon cases and cover three categories: themed community capsules, crossover brand capsules, and major tournament capsules.
Community and themed capsule highlights
Capsule
Release Date
Sticker Capsule (first ever)
February 6, 2014
Sticker Capsule 2
February 27, 2014
Community Sticker Capsule 1
May 2, 2014
Enfu Sticker Capsule
April 29, 2015
Pinups Capsule
December 9, 2015
Slid3 Capsule
December 9, 2015
Team Roles Capsule
December 9, 2015
Bestiary Capsule
September 28, 2016
Sugarface Capsule
September 28, 2016
Community Capsule 2018
February 16, 2018
Skill Groups Capsule
November 15, 2018
Feral Predators Capsule
March 28, 2019
Chicken Capsule
June 18, 2019
CS20 Sticker Capsule
October 18, 2019
Halo Capsule
November 26, 2019
Half-Life: Alyx Sticker Capsule
March 23, 2020
Warhammer 40000 Sticker Capsule
May 28, 2020
Poorly Drawn Capsule
February 14, 2021
2021 Community Sticker Capsule
September 9, 2021
Battlefield 2042 Sticker Capsule
November 17, 2021
The Boardroom Sticker Capsule
February 20, 2022
10 Year Birthday Sticker Capsule
August 16, 2022
Espionage Sticker Capsule
February 9, 2023
Ambush Sticker Capsule
February 7, 2024
Warhammer 40000 Adeptus Astartes Capsule
May 22, 2025
Warhammer 40000 Imperium Capsule
May 22, 2025
Warhammer 40000 Traitor Astartes Capsule
May 22, 2025
Warhammer 40000 Xenos Capsule
May 22, 2025
The first Sticker Capsule ever released arrived on February 6, 2014 — more than six months after the first weapon cases. Crossover capsules (Halo, Half-Life: Alyx, Battlefield 2042, Warhammer 40000) are particularly collectible because their supply is limited and the IP connection makes them appealing to audiences beyond the core CS2 player base.
Major tournament capsule release dates
Tournament capsules tie directly to CS Major event dates. They are available only during each major and permanently retire once the event ends. This makes early tournament capsules significantly more scarce than any weapon case.
Tournament
Release Date
DreamHack 2013 Souvenir Package
November 27, 2013
EMS Katowice 2014
March 7, 2014
ESL One Cologne 2014
August 5, 2014
DreamHack 2014
November 21, 2014
ESL One Katowice 2015
February 27, 2015
ESL One Cologne 2015
August 15, 2015
DreamHack Cluj-Napoca 2015
October 21, 2015
MLG Columbus 2016
March 18, 2016
Cologne 2016
June 24, 2016
Atlanta 2017
January 13, 2017
Krakow 2017
July 7, 2017
Boston 2018 (pre-release)
December 20, 2017
Boston 2018 (attending)
January 13, 2018
London 2018
August 30, 2018
Katowice 2019
February 7, 2019
Berlin 2019
August 14, 2019
2020 RMR
January 27, 2021
Stockholm 2021
October 21, 2021
Antwerp 2022
May 3, 2022
Rio 2022
October 21, 2022
Paris 2023
May 4, 2023
Copenhagen 2024
March 13, 2024
Shanghai 2024
November 27, 2024
Austin 2025
May 22, 2025
Budapest 2025 (scheduled)
November 12, 2025
The EMS Katowice 2014 and ESL One Cologne 2014 sticker capsules are among the most valuable collectibles in the entire skin ecosystem precisely because they were released so early and supply was tiny. Their value has little to do with sticker aesthetics and everything to do with historical scarcity.
Why cs2 case release dates matter for traders
Release dates are more than history. They are practical trading signals.
Age-based scarcity: Cases released before 2017 have significantly lower circulating supply because fewer players were active and digital hoarding was not yet common practice.
Anniversary spikes: Cases often see short-term price bumps around their annual release date as nostalgic demand returns.
Operation case depreciation: Operation-specific cases (Phoenix, Breakout, Wildfire, Hydra, Riptide, Broken Fang) become unavailable outside drops once the operation ends, making them more stable long-term than standard active pool cases.
Tournament capsule retirement: Once a major ends, capsule supply is locked. Any sustained demand after closure is met only by existing inventory.
New case dilution effect: When a new weapon case launches, keys and player attention concentrate on the new release, temporarily suppressing prices on recently-active older cases.
Fix: Demand must exist to convert scarcity into price. Old capsules with no collector base can stay flat for years despite limited supply.
Mistake: Buying crossover capsules purely on IP appeal without checking sell-through rate.
Fix: Some crossover capsules failed to maintain interest after the collab ended. Check price trends across multiple months before committing.
Advanced insights: how Valve's cadence shifted
The release cadence data tells a clear story. Between 2013 and 2016, Valve averaged 4 to 6 weapon cases per year, often tied to operations. After 2017, the pace dropped to 2 to 3 per year. From 2021 onwards, the pace settled at 1 to 2 per year.
This matters because slower release cadence means each new case carries more weight. The Kilowatt Case in February 2024 generated outsized attention because it was the first major CS2-native case after the game's full rebranding. The Fever Case in March 2025 continued that pattern.
The shift also means older cases are no longer being replaced at the pace they once were. Active pool dilution is slower, which gives certain skins from 2021 to 2023 cases more runway to appreciate than equivalent skins from 2015 to 2017 had.
Tournament capsule timing has also evolved. Early majors in 2013 and 2014 had minimal capsule infrastructure. By 2021, majors shipped with sticker capsules, autograph capsules, patch packs, and multiple souvenir packages — all indexed to cs2 case release dates logic. The Austin 2025 major introduced souvenir highlight packages for individual maps, a format that adds another collectible layer to the tournament capsule category.
Using Skinbase to research cs2 case release dates and prices
Skinbase tracks case and capsule prices across multiple marketplaces simultaneously. That makes it practical for release-date-aware research — you can see how an item's price on Steam compares to third-party markets and whether age-driven scarcity has translated into real spread or remains a theoretical observation.
Useful starting points on Skinbase:
Browse to search directly by case or capsule name and compare listings.
CS2 Marketplaces to see current fee structures across venues, which matters when estimating net return from holding decisions.
Indexes to track broader market conditions around major events or new case launches.
Future trends in cs2 case and capsule releases
Near-term: Budapest 2025 capsules are scheduled for November 12, 2025, making that the next confirmed major capsule drop. Expect sticker and autograph capsule formats similar to Austin 2025.
Medium-term: Valve's shift toward longer gaps between weapon case releases looks durable. One or two cases per year seems to be the new standard. Each release will likely carry more market impact than was typical in the 2013 to 2016 era.
The souvenir highlight package format introduced at Austin 2025 may expand to future majors. If it does, each major will produce more distinct collectible items, adding complexity to tournament capsule market dynamics.
Crossover capsule frequency is harder to predict. The four Warhammer 40000 capsules from May 2025 suggest Valve is willing to return to successful IPs. Future crossovers with gaming, entertainment, or community artists remain plausible on a similar cadence.
Tools and resources
Tool
Purpose
Link
Skinbase Browse
Search cases and capsules with live marketplace prices
cs2 case release dates are the official dates when Valve added each weapon case, sticker capsule, or tournament capsule to Counter-Strike 2 (and formerly CS:GO) through game updates or major events.
Why do cs2 case release dates matter for trading?
They determine scarcity, anniversary demand cycles, and how operation cases versus active pool cases behave over time. Age and release context explain much of the price spread you see between similar-rarity items.
What was the first CS2 case ever released?
The first cases were the CSGO Weapon Case and the eSports 2013 Case, both released on August 14, 2013, as part of the Arms Deal update.
Which case type is hardest to get after release?
Tournament and operation cases are the hardest to source after their windows close. Operation cases stop generating from drops when the operation ends. Tournament capsules retire permanently after each major. Both are supply-capped in a way that active pool cases never are.
How often does Valve release new CS2 cases?
The pace has slowed over time. From 2013 to 2016, Valve averaged 4 to 6 weapon cases per year. Since 2021, the pace has been 1 to 2 cases per year, with each release generating more concentrated market attention.
Where can I check live prices for specific cases and capsules?
Use Skinbase Browse to search by name and compare prices across multiple marketplaces in one view.
Are crossover capsules (Halo, Warhammer, Half-Life) more valuable than regular sticker capsules?
Generally yes, especially over time. Their supply is fixed and demand comes from fans of both CS2 and the partner IP. However, sustained appreciation requires ongoing collector interest — not all crossover capsules hold value equally after the initial launch window.
Conclusion
cs2 case release dates form the backbone of the skin economy's historical record. Knowing when each case and capsule launched gives you the context to understand price behavior, spot scarcity signals, and make better-informed decisions about buying, selling, or holding. Use the tables above as a reference, cross-check current prices on Skinbase, and factor release timing into any strategy that spans more than a few weeks.
