How to Find Profitable Trade Ups
Master the CS2 trade up contract system with our advanced genetic algorithm simulator. Discover high-value contracts and maximize your returns.
What is a Trade Up?
A Trade Up Contract in CS2 allows you to exchange 10 skins (or 5 if Covert) of the same rarity for 1 skin of higher rarity from overlapping collections.
- Combine input skins of the same tier
- Receive 1 random output skin of higher rarity
- Output is from collections shared by your inputs
- Float value is calculated from input floats
Genetic Algorithm
Our simulator uses a genetic algorithm to evolve and discover optimal trade up combinations from thousands of possibilities.
- Evaluates millions of skin combinations
- Evolves contracts over generations
- Optimizes for RTP and expected value
- Finds contracts humans would miss
Lock & Ban Skins
Fine-tune every simulation with Skin Rules. Lock skins you want guaranteed in the contract, or ban skins you want excluded from results.
- Lock skins you already own so the simulator builds the best contract around them
- Ban skins you don't want — maybe they're hard to buy, overpriced, or you simply want to avoid them
- Combine both to precisely control which skins the algorithm considers, improving trade accuracy
Market & Float Finder
Switch the skin source to Market and the simulator uses real listings from the float finder — actual float values and prices currently available for purchase.
- Uses real market prices instead of average estimates
- Picks skins with the most favorable float ranges
- Enables true arbitrage — buy at listed price, profit from the trade up
- Combine with locked inventory skins for the best of both worlds
Pro Tips for Profitable Trade Ups
Increase Search Depth
Higher depth values explore more combinations. Logged-in users can access deeper searches for better results.
Focus on Mid-Tier Rarities
Mil-Spec to Classified often have better profit margins than extremes. Start with Restricted for balanced risk/reward.
Consider StatTrak™
StatTrak contracts can yield higher profits due to price premiums, but require StatTrak inputs only.
Lock & Ban Strategically
Lock skins you already own to build contracts around your inventory. Ban overpriced or hard-to-find skins so the simulator only suggests items you can actually buy.
Use Market Source for Arbitrage
Switch to "Market" skin source to simulate with real listed prices and float values. The simulator finds contracts where the math works at current market rates — true arbitrage opportunities.
Combine Inventory + Market
Lock skins from your inventory, then set the source to Market. The simulator fills remaining slots with the best-priced listings available, giving you executable contracts with real pricing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Our simulator uses a genetic algorithm that mimics natural evolution. It creates a population of random contracts, evaluates their profitability, and combines the best performers to create new generations. Over multiple iterations, it evolves toward optimal solutions that maximize your expected return while considering risk factors.
Depth controls how thoroughly the simulator searches for optimal contracts. Higher depth means larger population sizes and more generations, resulting in better results but longer computation time. Logged-in users can access depths up to 200, while guests are limited to 50.
Yes! Logged-in users can switch the "Skin Source" to "Inventory" to run simulations using only skins they actually own. This helps you find the best possible contract from your current collection without needing to buy additional skins.
No, trade up contracts are inherently probabilistic. The simulator finds contracts with positive expected value (EV), meaning they're profitable on average over many trades. Individual results vary due to the random nature of CS2's trade up system. Always consider your risk tolerance and the break-even probability when making decisions.
Locking a skin guarantees it will be included in the trade up contract — perfect for skins you already own. Banning a skin excludes it entirely from simulation results, which is useful for filtering out skins that are overpriced, hard to find on the market, or that you simply don't want to trade with. You can combine both: lock the skins you have, ban the ones you want to avoid, and the simulator optimizes around those constraints to find the most profitable contract possible.
The Market source pulls real listings from the float finder, so the simulator works with actual prices and float values of skins currently on sale. This turns the simulation into an arbitrage tool — it finds contracts where the cost of buying the input skins at listed market prices is lower than the expected output value. You can also lock skins from your inventory and let the simulator fill the remaining slots from market listings, combining what you already own with the most favorable floats and prices available at that moment.