CS2 Float Values Guide: Wear, Ranges and Price

A CS2 float value is a hidden number between 0.00 and 1.00 that sets how worn a skin looks, split into five tiers from Factory New to Battle-Scarred. It never changes after the skin is created, and a lower float usually means a higher price within a tier, though float caps and cult favourites break that rule.

Opening a weapon case and seeing a rare item spin across the screen brings a rush of excitement, but the final market price depends entirely on a hidden mathematical number generated at that exact moment.

You could unbox a highly sought-after covert rifle, but if the paint looks completely chipped and scratched across the main body, the asking price drops significantly compared to a flawless version. This precise visual degradation relies on CS2 float values, which function as permanent numerical grades assigned to every single weapon finish in the game. 

Learning how to read and interpret these specific digits gives you an edge on the trading market, because it lets you spot clean weapons hidden among heavily worn ones.

How CS2 float values work

Every weapon finish drops with a pre-determined number hidden in its code, ranging from 0.00 to 1.00. That number is the CS2 float value, and it represents the exact condition of the item.

These digits dictate how degraded a weapon looks, and they are the primary factor driving community market pricing up or down. Lower float values mean a cleaner look, while numbers closer to 1.00 indicate a worn appearance with chipped paint. Knowing how float values interact with different paint styles lets you shop smarter on the market.

Each condition below includes a best, an expensive, and a budget pick. Prices will naturally move over time, so treat any figures as a general snapshot rather than a guarantee, and always check the current market before buying.

Your float never changes

One of the most common misconceptions among new players is that skins deteriorate as you use them. They do not. The float is rolled the moment the item is created and then locked for the lifetime of the skin, no matter how many hours you play with it, how many times it is traded, or how long it sits in your inventory. A 0.62 Battle-Scarred AK-47 will still read 0.62 in five years.

Factory New condition

Sitting at the top of the hierarchy, items in this category boast a strict condition ranging from 0.00 to 0.07. These represent the most coveted pieces in the entire game because they showcase the artwork flawlessly, making low float values highly desirable here.

You should always inspect the stock screw and the front barrel properly, as those areas reveal wear first even at the lowest digits.

• Best: The AWP Gungnir represents the peak of flawless design, where the pearlescent paint and mythological artwork remain unblemished under 0.07.

• Expensive: Getting your hands on a Factory New AWP Dragon Lore requires spending tens of thousands of dollars, making it an extremely pricey collector's piece where 0.01 float values command massive premiums.

• Budget: The USP-S Ticket to Hell provides a clean aesthetic for just $2, keeping the intricate white text perfectly legible against the black background.

Minimal Wear condition

Dropping slightly down the condition ladder, these items range from 0.07 to 0.15 and often provide the highest value for your money. Many weapons in this tier look practically identical to their flawless factory-new counterparts but feature a significantly cheaper exterior wear rate.

Inspecting CS2 float values in this bracket often reveals items that look practically flawless for half the price.

• Best: The AK-47 Vulcan is a prime example of an item where you save significantly, as the 0.07 to 0.09 range keeps the sporty geometric lines completely intact.

• Expensive: The M4A4 Howl costs thousands of dollars in this condition, yet collectors actively seek 0.07 (minimal wear) float values because they look identical to Factory New without the astronomical price tag.

• Budget: The M4A1-S Decimator brings retro-futuristic synthwave aesthetics for roughly $15, keeping the glowing pink and blue neon lines intact despite the slight wear.

Field-Tested condition

Spanning the largest numerical gap from 0.15 to 0.38, this category contains the highest volume of items actively traded daily. This is where analyzing float values truly pays off, as a 0.15 item looks infinitely better than a 0.37 item despite sharing the exact same text label.

• Best: The AWP Asiimov is the standout here, because its float range starts at 0.18. Factory New and Minimal Wear versions do not exist in the code, so Field-Tested is the cleanest condition the skin can reach, and 0.18 to 0.21 copies act as its hidden Factory New.

• Expensive: The AK-47 Fire Serpent remains a legendary piece, and finding one with low float values in this bracket ensures the serpent artwork stays visible while saving you hundreds of dollars.

• Budget: The AK-47 Redline gives you a sleek carbon-fibre look. Its float range starts at 0.10, so Factory New is impossible and Minimal Wear only exists in a narrow 0.10 to 0.15 window, which makes a 0.15 to 0.18 Field-Tested copy the value pick at the clean end of the bracket, where the carbon body hides wear well and only light scuffing shows on the red accents, at a fraction of what a Minimal Wear copy costs.

Well-Worn condition

Ranging from 0.38 to 0.45, this narrow category often gets ignored by the player base, leading to some incredibly strange pricing mechanics. Sometimes, evaluating float values reveals that these items actually cost more than cleaner counterparts due to extreme scarcity and lower unboxing volumes.

• Best: The Moto Gloves POW! showcase exactly why careful inspection proves mandatory, as finding a 0.38 pair occasionally yields knuckles that look surprisingly clean.

• Expensive: The AK-47 Case Hardened stays pricey even at these numbers, as the blue gem patterns remain highly visible despite the metal turning slightly darker.

• Budget: The Glock-18 Water Elemental brings a splash of bright red and blue for just around $20, as this range gently darkens the background rather than heavily chipping the paint away.

Battle-Scarred condition

Occupying the largest portion of the spectrum from 0.45 all the way to 1.00, items here range from slightly beaten to unrecognizable. Interestingly, some items become significantly more valuable as they approach the maximum limit due to a niche community desiring extreme wear.

Tracking CS2 float values closer to 1.00 can sometimes yield good profits.

• Best: The AWP Medusa represents the pinnacle of this category, as higher digits oxidize the weapon and turn the dark blue background into a highly desired greenish tint.

• Community favourite: The AWP Asiimov flips the usual logic on its head. Past roughly 0.75 the white paint erodes badly, and above 0.90 the scope goes almost completely black, producing the skin traders call the Blackiimov. Copies that far gone are a minority of all Asiimovs in circulation, and the purest ones command a clear premium over an ordinary Battle-Scarred one.

• Expensive: The AWP Prince maintains an astronomical price tag even when heavily degraded, because the brass sections tarnish beautifully while the main artwork stays readable.

• Budget: The MAC-10 Calf Skin costs under $1 but provides a very fun interactive element, as the leather material begins looking realistically torn and aged at high CS2 float values.

How to find the float on a skin

For items you already own, CS2 shows you the number directly. Open your inventory, select the weapon, and inspect it. The wear rating appears next to the item details, written out to several decimals, so a Field-Tested skin might read 0.2996 rather than just Field-Tested. That number, not the exterior label, is what you quote when you sell.

On Skinscanner, most skins are listed with their float value right next to the cheapest price for that exact float, so you can see what a specific condition really costs across marketplaces before you buy.

Here, the same skin is €90.89 with a 0.34459 float and €91.35 at 0.32293. A better float for roughly the same price, which is exactly why the float matters when you buy or sell a skin.

How to choose the exact rating for your purchase

Making an informed decision on the marketplace means looking past the text labels the game client gives you. You have to evaluate how the specific finish reacts to wear, since every item behaves under different visual rules. Checking the float carefully stops you from buying a scratched item when a clean version costs a few cents more.

Some finishes use a custom paint job style that flakes off aggressively, so aim for the lowest number you can afford. Other finishes use a patina or gunsmith style that darkens the metal or adds grime, which means you can safely buy higher wear ratings.

Also remember that pattern seeds affect value the same way floats do, since they dictate the exact placement of artwork, colours and scratches on your model.

Ready to Shop by Float?

Once you know what to look for, checking a skin's exact float takes seconds instead of guesswork. Compare live CS2 skin prices by float and condition across every major marketplace on Skinscanner, where we list the float right next to the price for most skins.

Want to get sharper at spotting value? Join the Skinscanner Discord and start earning SSG Points through daily tasks and weekly tournaments, redeemable for skins straight from the community database.