On the night of October 2nd to 3rd, 2024, Valve introduced a significant update for Counter-Strike 2. New cosmetic items, charms, were added to the game. The update size was approximately 5 GB. In this article, we will talk about the best charms in CS2, including their rarity, prices, and pattern significance.

Charm Acquisition System

Charms can be obtained by purchasing for three credits in the Armory. A random charm from the selected collection will be awarded to you. It can be attached to any of your weapons and later removed using a special separator for $0.99. Removed charms will be returned to your inventory.

Pattern Significance in Charms

Important feature: Each charm in CS2 has unique patterns ranging from 1 to 100,000 (unlike skins with 0-1,000 range). These patterns dramatically affect the charm's appearance — changing colors, textures, and design details.

Some patterns become extremely valuable due to rare color schemes or references to popular skins. For example, Hot Sauce with pattern 1-10,000 is called the "Coca-Cola pattern" because of its distinctive red color.

Selection Criteria for Best Charms

The following factors were considered when compiling the ranking:

1. Visual Appeal — striking colors, unique patterns, or aesthetic design
2. Pattern Significance — how much patterns affect the charm's appearance
3. Market Value — price stability and appreciation potential
4. Rarity — drop rate percentage and exclusivity
5. Uniqueness — distinctive features that set them apart from other charms

Top 14 Best CS2 Charms (Ranked)

Lower Tier Charms

14. Lil' SAS

• Price: $0.66 | Rarity: High Grade
• Patterns: Eyes change from pink to red at pattern extremes
• Significance: Tactical appearance reminiscent of special forces

13. Big Kev

• Price: $0.37 | Rarity: High Grade
• Patterns: Shirt color changes from pink to purple (~65k) to cyan blue (~85k)
• Significance: Character from CS2 agents with distinctive personality

12. Lil' Whiskers

• Price: $2.20 | Rarity: Remarkable
• Patterns: Starts with purples/pinks, transitions to greenish shades
• Significance: Cat-themed design, highly popular among players

11. POP Art

• Price: $2 | Rarity: Remarkable
• Patterns: Vibrant pop art variations with bold color schemes
• Significance: Artistic design that stands out with creative flair

10. Lil' Squirt

• Price: $8 | Rarity: Exotic
• Patterns: Water-themed with blue and aquatic color variations
• Significance: Unique water theme rarely seen in other charms

Mid-Tier Charms

9. Chicken Lil'

• Price: $3.23 | Rarity: Remarkable
• Patterns: Widest color variation among all charms, highlights shift through full color spectrum
• Significance: Most diverse color range available in any charm

8. Lil' Monster

• Price: $17.22 | Rarity: Exotic
• Patterns: Various color variations across pattern range with wild design elements
• Significance: Unpredictable monster aesthetic with dramatic variations

7. Die-cast AK

• Price: $7.94 | Rarity: Remarkable
• Patterns: Complete color changes, gold variant (~5k pattern), spans every color in spectrum
• Significance: Most versatile color range in Small Arms collection

6. Diamond Dog

• Price: $22.72 | Rarity: Exotic
• Patterns: Lower patterns have pearlescent shine, higher patterns are duller
• Significance: Pearlescent quality makes lower patterns extremely valuable

5. Titeenium AWP

• Price: $10.89 | Rarity: Exotic
• Patterns: Four distinct phases — green (15-70k), blue (70-80k), gold (1-15k), purple (80-100k)
• Significance: Four color phases similar to expensive knife skins

Top Tier Charms

4. Hot Wurst

• Price: $44+ | Rarity: Extraordinary
• Patterns: Patterns 1-15k have lower-intensity holo effect, 15k+ have more colorful holo effect
• Significance: Unique holographic effects that change dramatically with patterns

3. Baby Karat T

• Price: $52+ | Rarity: Extraordinary
• Patterns: Bronze (0-50k), golden (50-100k), higher patterns contain more gold
• Significance: Replica of the default T-side knife, iconic terrorist equipment

2. Baby Karat CT

• Price: $34+ | Rarity: Extraordinary
• Patterns: Bronze (0-50k), golden (50-100k), higher patterns contain more gold
• Significance: Replica of the default CT-side knife, representing law enforcement

1. Hot Howl

• Price: $66+ | Rarity: Extraordinary
• Patterns: Lower patterns (1-15k) have vibrant orange with extra shine, higher patterns are duller
• Significance: The ultimate charm — tribute to the legendary M4A4 Howl skin, combining extreme rarity, massive price range, and iconic status

In addition to charms, new skins and stickers were also added to the game. Developers fixed bugs on several maps and updated running, walking, and crouching animations. You can find more details about the update at this link.

Important Note: Charms with rare patterns can reach hundreds of dollars in value, especially extraordinary charms with patterns at extreme values (1-1000 or 99000-100000). The pattern system adds significant depth to charm collecting, making some combinations exponentially more valuable than their base rarity would suggest.