Want to climb the ranks in Valve’s latest and greatest tactical, team-based first-person shooter, Counter-Strike 2 (CS2)? Then it’s important to know how the ranking system works for Competitive and the CS Rating for Premier Mode.
Ready to learn more? Let’s take a complete look at the ranking systems and hidden matchmaking rating (MMR) comparisons.
Table of Contents
How Does the CS2 Ranking System Work?
From Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) to CS2, Valve has made a significant change to the ranking system.
You still have the 18 Ranks to climb through in the Competitive mode. In CS2, however, players earn a Rank based on their performance on each map. For example, a player may be Silver 2 on Inferno and then Gold Nova 1 on Nuke. The change in how CS2’s ranking system works allows for more detail about a player’s skills on each map.
The Competitive mode in CS2 features the current Active Duty, Reserve Group, and Defuse map pools. To earn your first Rank in CS2, you must complete 10 matches. Before you do this, you’re considered “Unranked.”
CS2 players can complete more Competitive matches to increase their rank. Matchmaking in Competitive is linked to a player’s hidden MMR, which matches you with opponents and teammates of a similar skill level. As you win more Competitive matches, your Rank will increase. If you lose more often than you win, your CS2 Rank will decrease.
CS Rating & Leaderboards Explained
In CS2, Premier Mode is the only way players can earn CS Rating and climb the leaderboards. It also features the same maps and ruleset as Major Championships and other big CS2 esports tournaments. Speaking of maps, each game starts with a map veto process, and you can only choose from what’s available in the Active Duty map pool.
As you earn CS Rating, you’ll climb the global and regional leaderboards with a numerical value indicating your skill level. The higher the value, the higher your rank in your region and the world. CS Rating is a visible measurement of your performance in CS2 while playing Premier Mode.
Wins and losses in Premier Mode determine if your CS Rating increases or declines, which means it’s also based on team performance. For example, let’s say you have a bad match where you die 15 times and get zero kills—but your team won. In this instance, you will not earn less CS Rating than the person who did well, scoring 18 kills and 11 deaths, on your team.
However, if you consistently perform poorly, your personal MMR will drop. As a result, the game will match you with and against players of your current skill level.
Ranking System Tiers And MMR Range
While you can easily see your CS2 Rank in Competitive and your CS Rating on the leaderboards, MMR is a different beast. MMR is not visible to players, even though it determines how teams and players are matched via CS2’s matchmaking system.
Your MMR is the individual skill rating, and only Valve knows the exact value. Let’s dive into the data on how MMR reportedly compares to CS Rating and CS2 Ranks.
Please note: The CS2 Ranking System ratings and MMR range comparisons are based on research from Scope.gg with data gathered from more than 450,000 CS2 matches. Valve can change MMR values without notice.
Competitive CS2 Ranks & MMR
There are 18 Competitive Ranks in CS2 that you can climb via Competitive Matchmaking, from Silver 1 to Global Elite. You’ll find an outline of all the Competitive CS2 Ranks below, along with their estimated MMR ranges.
| CS2 Competitive Rank | MMR Value Range Estimation |
| Silver 1 | 1000 to 2818 |
| Silver 2 | 2818 to 3728 |
| Silver 3 | 3729 to 4195 |
| Silver 4 | 4195 to 4680 |
| Silver Elite | 4680 to 4999 |
| Silver Elite Master | 4999 to 5561 |
| Gold Nova 1 | 5561 to 6428 |
| Gold Nova 2 | 6428 to 7328 |
| Gold Nova 3 | 7328 to 8271 |
| Gold Nova Master | 8271 to 9231 |
| Master Guardian 1 | 9231 to 9999 |
| Master Guardian 2 | 9999 to 10729 |
| Master Guardian Elite | 10729 to 11825 |
| Distinguished Master Guardian | 11826 to 12899 |
| Legendary Eagle | 12899 to 13981 |
| Legendary Eagle Master | 13981 to 15232 |
| Supreme Master First Class | 15232 to 17693 |
| Global Elite | 17693 to 28617 |
CS Rating & Rank Comparison
CS Rating is a visible value that goes up or down depending on your performance in Premier Mode matches. Many CS:GO players may want to know how the Competitive Ranks correspond to CS Rating. You’ll find estimations of CS2 Rank vs. CS Rating values below.
| CS2 Competitive Rank | CS Rating Value Range Estimation |
| Silver 1 | 1000 to 2445 |
| Silver 2 | 2445 to 3275 |
| Silver 3 | 3275 to 3695 |
| Silver 4 | 3695 to 4108 |
| Silver Elite | 4108 to 4565 |
| Silver Elite Master | 4565 to 4911 |
| Gold Nova 1 | 4911 to 5367 |
| Gold Nova 2 | 5367 to 6177 |
| Gold Nova 3 | 6177 to 7054 |
| Gold Nova Master | 7054 to 7951 |
| Master Guardian 1 | 7951 to 8862 |
| Master Guardian 2 | 8862 to 9734 |
| Master Guardian Elite | 9734 to 10243 |
| Distinguished Master Guardian | 10243 to 11248 |
| Legendary Eagle | 11248 to 12242 |
| Legendary Eagle Master | 12242 to 13750 |
| Supreme Master First Class | 13750 to 15461 |
| Global Elite | 15461 to 30,000 |
Anything above a CS Rating of 30,000 is considered “beyond Global Elite” and signifies being one of the best players in the world.
Is There CS Rating & Rank Decay In CS2?
Yes, there is Rank decay in Competitive and CS Rating decay in Premier Mode. The specific amount of CS Rating you lose while inactive is not publicly available, nor is official information on how fast your CS2 Rank decays. Player reports suggest your CS Rating and Rank start to decay after one week of inactivity.
Pro tip: You may find that the CS Rating value has disappeared from your profile if you haven’t played CS2 in a while. CS Rating can expire due to inactivity. You must win one match to see your CS Rating again.
How To Check Your CS2 Rank & CS Rating
Once you win 10 matches in Premier Mode, you’ll see your CS Rating displayed on your profile in CS2. You can hover over your profile on the home screen to check your current CS Rating. Once you start a Premier Mode match, you’ll also see how your CS Rating will change if you win or lose a game.
Checking your CS2 Rank is just as simple! Navigate to “Play,” then “Matchmaking,” and then Competitive to see your Rank for each map.Want to learn more about CS2? Check out our ever-expanding blog for information on the biggest tournaments, best weapons and skins, and so much more.
And for more CS2 action, be sure to visit our live betting section to place wagers on your favorite esports teams!
