The Butterfly Knife is one of the most recognizable and sought after knives in CS2. Its distinctive inspection animation, smooth blade opening, and overall prestige make it a highly desirable collector’s item, with market prices reaching tens of thousands of $ depending on the finish and wear condition. Butterfly Knives belong to the highest rarity tier in the game – the Knife / Covert category – which means their drop rate is extremely low. The estimated chance of obtaining any knife from a case is around 0.25–0.26%, and the Butterfly Knife represents only a portion of that pool. Additionally, not all CS2 cases contain this knife type – in practice, only a few specific cases offer a chance to obtain it.
CS2 Cases That Contain the Butterfly Knife
Only the following four CS2 cases contain the Butterfly Knife. Each of them offers a different selection of finishes, but they all share one thing – an extremely low chance of dropping a knife. For this reason, most experienced players treat case openings purely as entertainment rather than a realistic way of obtaining a Butterfly Knife, which in the long run is significantly cheaper and more reliable to purchase directly from the market.
Operation Breakout Weapon Case
The Operation Breakout Weapon Case was the first case in CS history to introduce the Butterfly Knife into the game, which is why it remains highly sought after to this day. It contains a classic, “old school” pool of finishes that many players consider the most iconic. Possible drops include Butterfly Knife Fade, Crimson Web, Blue Steel, Case Hardened, Night, Stained, Urban Masked, and Safari Mesh. These finishes do not feature modern effects such as Doppler, but they are highly valued by collectors, especially in perfect patterns and low wear conditions. Due to the case’s age and limited availability, the cases themselves are expensive, and opening them involves high risk aimed at potentially landing a very valuable drop.
Spectrum Case
The Spectrum Case significantly refreshed the Butterfly Knife pool by introducing modern and exceptionally expensive finishes. This is where Butterfly Knife Doppler, Marble Fade, and Tiger Tooth appear – some of the most expensive and sought after versions of the knife. The pool also includes Rust Coat, Ultraviolet, and Damascus Steel. The Spectrum Case is often chosen by players hoping for a “jackpot,” as the potential value of the best possible drop is extremely high here, although the odds of obtaining a knife remain just as low as in other cases.
Spectrum 2 Case
The Spectrum 2 Case is the direct successor to the Spectrum Case and contains a very similar selection of Butterfly Knife finishes. It also features Butterfly Knife Doppler, Marble Fade, Tiger Tooth, and other well-known finishes from this series. The differences between Spectrum and Spectrum 2 mainly concern the firearm skins, while in terms of Butterfly Knives, the value potential and rarity level are practically identical. For players, there is little difference between choosing one of these two cases if their goal is to obtain a modern finish Butterfly Knife.
Operation Riptide Case
The Operation Riptide Case is the newest case on this list and simultaneously the one that offers the most “premium” set of Butterfly Knife finishes. Its pool includes Butterfly Knife Gamma Doppler, Lore, Autotronic, Black Laminate, Freehand and Bright Water. These are modern skins, often significantly more expensive than the classic versions from Operation Breakout. The Riptide Case is particularly appealing to players targeting high market value and a modern knife aesthetic. However, it is important to remember that the extremely low drop chances make opening this case a very costly form of gambling.
Do All CS2 Cases Contain the Butterfly Knife?
No. The vast majority of cases available in CS2 do not contain the Butterfly Knife. Valve assigns specific knife types exclusively to selected case collections, and they are not randomly rotated between different cases. This means that opening popular or inexpensive cases gives absolutely no chance of obtaining a Butterfly Knife – not even theoretically. If a case is not on the list of those that include Butterfly Knives, the drop is simply impossible.
What Butterfly Knife Finishes Can You Get from Cases?
Each case offers a strictly defined pool of finishes, which directly impacts the potential value of the drop. Older cases, such as the Operation Breakout Weapon Case, offer classic skins without special effects, while newer cases like Spectrum or Operation Riptide include premium finishes featuring effects such as Doppler, Gamma, or Marble Fade. These differences in finishes are the reason why Butterfly Knife prices can vary by tens of thousands of $ despite being the same knife type.
Butterfly Knife Drop Chance – What Does It Look Like in Practice?
The chance of obtaining any knife in CS2 averages around 0.25–0.26%. The Butterfly Knife is only one of several possible knife types available in a given case, which means the actual chance of unboxing a Butterfly Knife specifically is even lower. Statistically, it takes hundreds – and often thousands – of opened cases just to see any knife at all, let alone a specific Butterfly variant.
Is Opening Cases for a Butterfly Knife Worth It?
From a purely economic standpoint – no. The cost of cases, keys, and the extremely low drop rate means that in the long run, opening cases almost always results in a loss. Cases containing the Butterfly Knife are generally treated as a form of gambling entertainment or content creation rather than a rational method of acquiring expensive skins. Players who genuinely want to own a Butterfly Knife most often choose to purchase a specific variant directly from the market.
Why Is the Butterfly Knife More Expensive Than Other Knives in CS2?
The price of the Butterfly Knife results from a combination of several factors: its unique animation, very high popularity among players, the limited number of cases it can drop from, and its prestigious status within the CS2 community. Unlike many other knives, the Butterfly Knife is considered an “endgame skin” symbol, which further drives up its market value – especially in top tier finishes.
