CS2 Float Values Explained
Every CS2 skin carries a number between 0 and 1 that decides how worn it looks and, to a surprising degree, what it costs. Here is how the float system actually works.
When a skin is created in CS2, whether it drops after a match, comes out of a case or emerges from a trade-up contract, the game rolls a decimal number between 0 and 1 and stamps it onto the item permanently. That number is the float value. Low float means a clean skin. High float means scratches, faded paint and, on some finishes, missing texture entirely.
The float never changes. Not with use, not with kills, not with time. A 0.03 Factory New AK-47 bought in 2014 is still a 0.03 today.
The five wear tiers
The float range maps onto five named wear conditions. The names are what you see in the item name and on every marketplace; the underlying number is what actually determines the look.
| Condition | Float range | What it looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Factory New | 0.00 - 0.07 | Clean, full paint, at most tiny edge marks |
| Minimal Wear | 0.07 - 0.15 | Light scratches, mostly visible up close |
| Field-Tested | 0.15 - 0.38 | Clear wear; the widest and most varied tier |
| Well-Worn | 0.38 - 0.45 | Heavy scratching, dulled colors |
| Battle-Scarred | 0.45 - 1.00 | Major paint loss, exposed metal |
Notice how uneven the brackets are. Factory New covers 7% of the scale while Battle-Scarred covers 55%. That is why two Battle-Scarred copies of the same skin can look wildly different, and why collectors chase both extremes: the lowest floats in existence and the coveted 0.999+ "max float" curiosities.
Float caps: not every skin can be Factory New
Each finish defines its own minimum and maximum float, and the game scales the roll into that window. The practical effect is that some skins simply do not exist in certain conditions.
- The AWP | Asiimov has a floor of 0.18, so there is no Factory New or Minimal Wear Asiimov. Its cleanest copies are Field-Tested by name, priced like a premium tier of their own.
- Doppler and Gamma Doppler knives cap at 0.08, so effectively everything is Factory New or a hair into Minimal Wear.
- The Glock-18 | Fade runs 0.00 to 0.08: Factory New only, wear is not part of its market at all.
Before judging whether a float is "good", check the cap. A 0.19 Asiimov is elite; a 0.19 Redline is ordinary.
How float moves the price
Within a single skin, price falls as float rises, but in steps rather than a smooth line. The tier label drives most of it, because that is what buyers filter by. The border cases are where the money hides: a 0.151 Field-Tested copy looks almost identical to a 0.149 Minimal Wear one but can cost 20-30% less, which is why experienced buyers sort listings by float, not just by condition.
At the very top, float turns into its own collectible dimension. Rank-one floats of popular skins trade far above any normal Factory New price, entirely detached from how the skin looks on screen.
Checking a float
In game, the inspect screen shows the wear rating but not the number. To get the exact float you can use the in-game inspect link with a float-checking service, or look the item up on a marketplace that surfaces it (CSFloat shows float prominently, Skinport shows it on every listing). On SkinFolio, every item page breaks prices down per condition across marketplaces, so you can see exactly what the next wear tier up would cost before you overpay for a label.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does float change when I use the skin in game?
No. Float is written once, at the moment the item is created, and never changes. Kills, matches and years of play have no effect. The wear you see is a static texture, not accumulating damage.
What is the lowest float possible in CS2?
The global floor is 0, but in practice floats below 0.0001 are extremely rare and trade at large premiums to the normal Factory New price. Collectors compete for the lowest known float of a given skin, and databases track those record holders.
Why does my Field-Tested skin look better than another Field-Tested copy?
Field-Tested spans 0.15 to 0.38, the widest wear bracket in the game. A 0.16 float sits right at the Minimal Wear border and can look nearly clean, while a 0.37 is close to Well-Worn. Within one wear tier, the float number still matters.
Is a lower float always worth more?
Within the same skin, almost always, but the premium is not linear. The jump from Minimal Wear to Factory New is usually the biggest price step, and float-cap skins distort the picture: if a skin cannot exist below 0.18, its best possible copies trade like Factory New even though the label says Field-Tested.