An unexpected update to Valve’s popular online shooter Counter-Strike 2 has sent shockwaves through its lucrative in-game skin market, dramatically altering the value of digital cosmetics and rare items.
The update, rolled out Wednesday evening, now allows players to acquire highly sought-after knives and gloves through “trade-up contracts,” a feature previously unavailable for these premium items. This change enables users to exchange lower-tier items for a chance at obtaining rarer ones.
Under the new system, players can combine five “covert” (red) rarity weapons from the same collection in their “trade-up inventory.” This process yields one “gold” item, which can now be a knife or a glove, provided that particular collection includes such an item.
Os contratos não param pic.twitter.com/hpQZtuFgCC
— Dash Skins (@dashskinsbrasil) October 23, 2025
The market immediately reacted to the change. Prices for knives and gloves saw a drastic decline, while the value of “covert” items surged. Some covert items, previously valued around USD $2 to USD $4, climbed to over USD $40 on the Steam market.
Initially, a bug prevented players from trading or selling the knives and gloves acquired through these new contracts. Valve addressed and fixed this issue within an hour of the update’s release.
Players can now commercialize these newly obtained items after a standard seven-day trade lock period. The update marks a significant shift in how players can acquire and trade high-value cosmetic items within CS2.