It’s something that many new players take a while to get to grips with, but managing your CS:GO economy is one of the most important parts of the game. Sure, it can be tempting to rush to buy the most expensive item in CS:GO, but that’s not always the best path to victory! We’re going to show you exactly how to best manage your CS:GO money on the server.

Eco Rounds

Let’s get the elephant in the room out of the way: we’d all like the CS:GO infinite money command to work online, but sadly, it doesn’t. It’d be crazy overpowered, and totally ruin the CS:GO economy.

Instead, let’s focus on the first way you can save up CS:GO money: eco rounds. When you lose a round in CS:GO, you might find yourself a little light in the pockets. So what’s the next step? Newer players might take their CS:GO money and buy right back in. Great in theory, but in practice you just end up with a half-buy and a low chance of winning the round. If it goes wrong, you’re almost certain to lose the next round too.

Sometimes an eco round is the best way forward. Credit: Valve

This is why part of the CS:GO economy involves taking eco rounds every now and then, where you buy little-to-no equipment. It essentially writes off the round as a loss, but it means your team returns with a full buy in the next round. You then get to spend big on the best guns in CS:GO to ensure victory.

You don’t have to take a full eco, either. Sometimes, all you need is a Deagle and a dream to carry you through with some crisp headshots. Make sure you discuss the plan with your team before a round – for eco rounds to work, everyone needs to be on the same page!

Kill Bonuses

Kill bonuses are arguably the most underappreciated element of the CS:GO economy. Every time you get a kill in CS:GO, money is allotted based on the difficulty of using that weapon. You can use this to your advantage.

SMGs can offer greater kill bonuses for more CS:GO money. Credit: Valve

For example, a M4A1-S awards $300 for a kill, while the MP9 awards $600. If you win the pistol round on the CT side, you can technically afford the M4A1-S, but what are you up against? The Ts can’t afford AK-47s, so you’ll still have a brilliant chance of winning the round using an MP9. This allows you to build up more money to use in later rounds, meaning you don’t have to fall upon hard times in an eco round.

It’s about thinking smarter, and being aware of what sort of weapons your opponents have. You shouldn’t run around with SMGs every round – you’ll make a ton of money, but likely lose the game!

Force Buys

Sometimes, you’ve got to speculate to accumulate. In the CS:GO economy, force buys can be the best way to do that. A force buy is when your team doesn’t quite have the CS:GO money to get everything they want, but chooses to scramble together whatever they can anyway. This can be important in crucial rounds that you need to win.

Sometimes a force buy is the path to victory. Credit: Valve

For example, if the enemies are sat at 14 and your economy is in bad shape, an eco round would likely see them reach 15 and be guaranteed a draw. It’s here that you and your team must roll the dice. Force buy, and remain in with a chance of winning the game, or eco and fight it out for a draw. This is just one example of how force buys can be useful for managing your CS:GO money to win rounds.