How to Trade Up to a Knife in CS2: All Steps and Details to Get Shiny New Gold

The recent update from Valve in October 2025 has brought about one of the most significant changes to Counter-Strike 2's trading economy. For the first time, players can use Covert (red rarity) skins to trade up to a knife in CS2.

Previously, players could obtain knives by purchasing them on the Steam Market/Third-party websites or through case openings, which sometimes burned a hole in their pocket. Now, so long as players have the right skins, any player has a shot at crafting one of these rare items in Counter-Strike 2.

Keeping that in mind, this guide will explain the step-by-step processes to make your day a bit easier if you're looking for how to trade up to a knife in CS2.

How to Trade Up to a Knife in CS2: Understanding the Process

The CS2 knife trade up update introduces the ability for players to trade up to a knife in CS2 using five Covert skins in a trade-up contract. These skins can be standard or StatTrak pieces. Based on what you put there, the knife's rarity will depend on it. On the bright side, if you put in all StatTrak skins, the result will also be a StatTrak knife.

Once you complete the trade-up contract, you will receive either a knife or a pair of gloves from the random collection, depending on what you put initially. While the trade-up system allows players to earn knives through at least five covert skins, you must pray that luck is on your side. Otherwise, you might regret the decision. Continue reading to find out the exact process for how to trade up to a knife in CS2.

How to Trade Up to a Knife in CS2 after the Recent Update

Now that you know the basics, let's take a look at the detailed process on how to trade up to a knife in CS2 in this recent update:

Step 1: Collecting Covert Skins

When learning how to trade up to a knife in CS2, you must acquire five Covert skins. These are the skins that are the rarest in the game and can now be identified by their distinct red colour, thanks to the recent Steam update. You can easily obtain these covert skins in two ways:

• You can spend real-life money from the official Steam community market or any third-party websites.
• On the bright side, if you're lucky enough, you might receive them through case openings.

Following the recent update, Covert items are now significantly more expensive. If you're trying to save money, watch the market for low-priced listings or offer to trade with other players. Oh, in case you're tight on budget, check out our coverage of the cheapest Covert Skins to spend.

Step 2: Choosing the Right Collection

So, how to trade up to Knife CS2? To answer this, you need to choose the right collection for you. The collection will determine the knife you can receive. When you trade up to a knife in CS2, the item you receive will be randomly drawn from all collections of your five input skins.

For example, if you traded three skins from one collection and two from another, your knife or gloves could be drawn from either collection. If you want to increase your odds of getting that specific pattern or finish with a knife such as Doppler, Fade, Ruby, or Sapphire, then use five skins of the same collection.

Step 3: Executing the Trade-Up Contract

Executing the contract is the pivotal part to test your lady luck. Here are the steps to follow when completing the process for how to trade up to a knife in CS2:

• When you have five Covert skins, open your inventory and go to the Trade-Up Contract area.
• Ensure you do not mix up StatTrak and normal skins. Try opting for StatTrak pieces to receive expensive knives/gloves after the trade-up.
• Once you digitally sign the contract, the game will give you either a knife or gloves, depending on your luck.
• Lastly, it is a good idea to verify market trends before making any knife trades in CS2.

It's no surprise that knife prices fell dramatically after the trade-up concept was added to the title. As surprising as it gets, some knife skins are losing as much as 50% of their value.

That was all for this guide on how to trade up to a knife in CS2. Meanwhile, check out our latest piece on CS2 Patch Notes February 5, 2026.