CS2 Premier and CS Rating: seasons, medals, leaderboards and map picks

Premier is the Counter-Strike 2 matchmaking mode built around CS Rating, a visible number that decides where players stand on global and regional leaderboards. This guide covers how to get a rating, what changes from season to season, how medals are earned and how the leaderboards work.

Since Valve’s Sept. 22, 2026 update, Premier matches choose their map in a new way. Details on ratings and leaderboards come from Valve and Steam Support posts dated between 2023 and 2026, so they describe the rules as of those dates.

What Premier and CS Rating are

Valve introduced CS Rating on Aug. 31, 2023, during the CS2 Limited Test. It wrote that the rating “is a visible measurement of your Counter-Strike performance,” and that it determines where you stand on global and regional leaderboards.

Valve described Premier at that time as “our Active Duty Pick-Ban competitive mode.” You can queue alone or with friends. Counter-Strike 2 launched as a free-to-play game on Sept. 27, 2023, and Season One of Premier began the same day.

How to get your CS Rating

Play Premier matches. Valve wrote in 2023 that you can get your rating by playing “either on your own or with your friends.”

When Season Two began, Valve wrote that players needed to re-establish their CS Rating at the start of the season by winning 10 matches. Before that, there was one day of Premier downtime during which ratings were recalibrated for the new season based on Season One performance.

Match length in Premier

Valve moved Premier, Competitive and the Majors to a maximum of 24 rounds in regulation time, with a six-round overtime in case of a tie. Valve’s reasoning: economy and weapon balance updates over the past decade reduced uncontested rounds, so competitive matches can be resolved in fewer rounds. The Aug. 31, 2023 release notes list Competitive mode as 12-round halves.

How Premier picks the map

Valve changed the map selection process in its Sept. 22, 2026 update. It wrote that the change was made “to give players more opportunities to play maps they’ve been learning.” The process now runs in four steps:

1. Team 1 picks one map.
2. Team 2 picks two maps.
3. Team 1 picks a final map.
4. One of the four maps is randomly selected and the match begins.

The practical effect is that a map you pick is not guaranteed to be played. Any of the four chosen maps can come up.

Premier seasons so far

Valve’s posts describe these seasons:

Season 2 ran from its start through the Austin Major.

Season 5 changed how a bomb explosion works. Valve wrote that an explosive wave flows from the bombsite through the map, but that “the shockwave dissipates around corners and doesn’t go through walls.” The health bar flashes a preview of how you would fare after the blast.

Season medals

Valve gives out commemorative Premier medals at the end of a season. Season 1 was handled differently from later seasons.

• Season 1Every player who earned a CS Rating received a Premier Season One Medal. Clicking the medal in your inventory shows Season Statistics, including graphs of your CSR and playtime and map-specific stats.
• Season 2 and Season 4The medal’s color corresponds to the highest CS Rating you reached during the season. The bars reflect your total wins, one bar for every 25, up to five bars.

To be eligible for a Season 2 or Season 4 medal, Valve requires three things:

• an account in good standing
• 25 Premier match wins
• an active CSR at the end of the season

Leaderboards

Steam Support lists nine Counter-Strike 2 leaderboards:

• Friends, which tracks players on your Friends List
• World, the top 1,000 players in the world
• Africa
• Asia
• Australia
• China
• Europe
• North America
• South America

Who appears on them

Players with Prime Status who play Premier matches can be displayed on public leaderboards when they are among the top 1,000 players in their region. Those without Prime Status are not eligible.

You cannot choose your regional leaderboard. Steam Support says your position is determined by the location of the servers you play on the most.

Leaderboard names

A submitted leaderboard name is reviewed and approved by moderation staff. If it is not approved, the status resets and you need to submit a new name. Advertisements of any kind, such as websites or software, are not allowed, and players are expected to follow Steam’s Community Avatars & Profile Names guidelines. Once a name is approved, it is locked for the remainder of the season.

Party and ban rules that affect your rating

Valve’s Sept. 27, 2023 release notes added two matchmaking rules that affect CS Rating:

• Players with a very high established CS Rating are not allowed to party with accounts that do not have an established CS Rating.
• When one or more party members are convicted of cheating and permanently banned, all their associates are penalized with loss of Profile Rank and CS Rating.

FAQ

How many wins does it take to re-establish a CS Rating in a new season?

When Season Two began, Valve wrote that players needed to re-establish their CS Rating by winning 10 matches.

How many wins do I need for a Premier season medal?

For the Season 2 and Season 4 medals, Valve requires 25 Premier match wins, an account in good standing and an active CSR at the end of the season. Each medal bar represents 25 wins, up to five bars.

Do I need Prime Status to appear on a leaderboard?

Yes. Steam Support says players without Prime Status are not eligible, and eligible players must be among the top 1,000 in their region.

Can I choose which regional leaderboard I appear on?

No. Your regional position is determined by the location of the servers you play on the most.

Can I change my leaderboard name after it is approved?

No. Once approved, it is locked for the remainder of the season.

How does Premier choose the map now?

Under the Sept. 22, 2026 update, Team 1 picks one map, Team 2 picks two and Team 1 picks a final one. One of the four is then randomly selected.