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A standard CS2 Trade Up Contract consumes 10 items of the same quality and returns 1 item of the next quality, drawn from a collection represented in the inputs. It is not a guaranteed choice of a particular skin. There is also a separate route: since Valve’s October 22, 2025 update, 5 Covert items can be exchanged for a Knife or Gloves outcome under specific regular and StatTrak rules.
What happens in a standard 10-item trade-up?
Valve’s May 14, 2014 release notes define the standard contract: 10 items of identical quality are exchanged for 1 item of the next-highest quality, from a collection represented among the items supplied. The input items are consumed; the contract returns one item rather than upgrading all 10 individually. Valve’s release notes
For example, if all 10 inputs are the same quality tier, the result is one tier higher. The contract does not require all 10 inputs to come from one collection. With mixed collections, however, Valve’s description only establishes that the result comes from a collection represented among the inputs; it does not, by itself, give a complete probability formula or guarantee a specific collection’s result.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsHow the five-item Covert route differs
Valve added a five-item Covert route in its October 22, 2025 Counter-Strike 2 update. It is an exception to the familiar 10-item rule, and the output depends on whether the Covert inputs are regular or StatTrak. Valve’s update
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| Inputs | Contract result |
|---|---|
| 5 regular Covert items | 1 regular Knife or 1 regular Gloves item from a collection represented among the inputs |
| 5 StatTrak Covert items | 1 StatTrak Knife |
The stated five-item rules do not say that regular Covert inputs can produce StatTrak items, or that StatTrak Covert inputs can produce Gloves. Do not treat this route as interchangeable with the standard 10-item contract.
What determines which item you get?
Input quality and route
First identify whether the items qualify for the standard 10-item contract or the five-Covert exception. For the standard route, all 10 inputs must have identical quality. For the exception, Valve specifies five Covert inputs and distinguishes regular from StatTrak outcomes.
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Collections represented among the inputs
Valve’s standard rule allows inputs from multiple collections and limits the result to a collection represented among them. The same collection relationship appears in the stated regular Covert outcome. These rules identify eligible collection sources, but the cited official descriptions do not establish the exact odds of each eligible outcome in a mixed-collection contract.
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The eligible output pool
A contract does not let you select any item from the next tier. The possible results depend on the eligible items in the represented collection or collections. Before committing inputs, identify the full output pool for the exact contract you intend to use; a collection’s existence alone does not establish that every item in it is contract-eligible.
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Wear labels are not the same as a float calculation
Valve’s Weapon Finishes Guide defines these wear bands: Weapon Finishes Guide
| Wear label | Float range |
|---|---|
| Factory New | 0.00–0.07 |
| Minimal Wear | 0.07–0.15 |
| Field-Tested | 0.15–0.37 |
| Well-Worn | 0.37–0.44 |
| Battle-Scarred | 0.44–1.0 |
These ranges explain the wear labels, but they do not establish how a trade-up’s input floats map to the output float. If a particular wear outcome matters to you, do not infer it from the wear bands alone.
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How to assess a contract before using it
- Confirm the route. Check whether you are using 10 identical-quality items or the five-Covert exception, and confirm whether the Covert items are regular or StatTrak.
- List the collections represented. The output must come from a collection represented among the inputs under the stated rules.
- Check the complete eligible output pool. Determine what the contract can return before valuing a hoped-for result. The official descriptions cited here do not provide a full probability calculation for mixed collections.
- Account for wear requirements carefully. Valve’s wear ranges define labels, not the contract’s float calculation. The cited official material does not establish that calculation.
- Compare current costs and realizable values. Acquisition cost, market prices, and fees can change. Without contemporaneous prices and a supported odds calculation, there is no basis here to call a contract profitable.
Collection content is not proof of contract eligibility
Valve’s March 11, 2026 announcement described the Dead Hand Collection as containing 17 weapon finishes and 22 gloves as rare special items, and said Dead Hand Terminal items were available as a possible weekly drop. That is a dated example of collection content and availability—not evidence that every item in the collection can be used in a contract. Valve’s Dead Hand announcement
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