As Counter-Strike 2 players wait to welcome the IEM Cologne 2026 Major with open arms, one of the hottest topics that has arisen is how the new CS2 souvenir trade-up works and what its implications are in the grand scheme of things. As mixed reactions surface regarding the trade-up system, we will take a deep dive to understand how it works and how you can make the most of it.
What is the new trade-up system?
The latest Trade Up system allows players to put in 10 skins of a certain rarity to get one skin of a higher tier. Tournament collectables, like souvenir skins, could not be used through this system. However, the Major update will allow souvenir skins to be included in trade-up contracts under specific conditions.
Upon using the new souvenir skins in a trade-up contract, however, they will be stripped of their souvenir tags, which means that the specifics like the tournament name and match details will be gone for good once put into a trade-up contract. You can put it in a trade-up from one of the input collections. The output item is still randomised, but one of the collections is included in the trade-up.
What does it mean for the players?
The new system offers players the opportunity to optimise their inventories, as this will allow them to get rid of the low-value skins that can be used to craft upper-tier and more desirable skins. Including souvenirs has no downsides, but their only function is to yield a higher-tier skin, which may not be as expensive.
Souvenir skins have a value of their own, which often surpasses the value of the output skin despite being from a lower tier of rarity. These skins in themselves have a collectable nature, which makes them rare and unique, and can often become more expensive with time. While it is not always recommended to use them in Trade Up, the factor of chance can turn your fortune at any time.
