The new Genesis Terminal in CS2 is doing a wonderful job of blending player decision-making and randomness in an attempt to acquire new skins. While this is a welcome change in CS2, the community has pointed out how it can be a well-constructed way to increase the prices of the skins. In this article, we will explore the Genesis Terminal and understand how to use it.
How does the Genesis Terminal work?
You can obtain a Genesis Terminal through Weekly Drops or purchase it directly on the market. Once you have it, the game gives you 72 hours to act. Otherwise, the Terminal expires.
- Open the Terminal: The terminal pairs you up with a trader, who is willing to sell his item at a fixed price, which you must pay with a Steam balance if interested. You will have 5 offers, one rolling after another, as you must choose if you want to buy it or simply reject.
- Decline an offer: Since you have only 5 offers at hand, the Terminal will expire if you have rejected all 5 presented to you after opening.
- List it on the Steam Market: Unless you are interested in getting a skin, selling it on the Steam Market is another option open to you.
In case you are thinking about using these terminals, there are a few things you must be wary of.
- Offers are randomized, and you cannot choose a particular skin.
- Rare items like knives and gloves are not part of the skins on offer.
- Skins coming from the system will be subjected to a trade ban.
Looking at the big picture, one can say that this is Valve reshaping the Night Market from Valorant with a few twists of their own. As long as CS2 boasts an independent market for its skin, it remains highly unlikely that the Genesis Terminal becomes a popular destination to buy skins.
The limitations far outweigh the benefits, given that the prices aren’t any cheaper than the market, which would prompt players to buy from here. Skin enthusiasts still prefer 3rd party websites for getting their skins, given that it allows them to bypass the Steam tax, and all of the aforementioned reasons combined make the Genesis Terminal an item of mixed opinions.