CS2: how to get a Service Medal

To get a Service Medal in Counter-Strike 2, earn match XP with Prime Status, reach Global General (Profile Rank 40), then select Get Service Medal on your main menu profile card. Claiming the reward resets your Profile Rank to 1, so make that choice when you are ready to start levelling again.

This guide covers the 2026 Service Medal, available from 1 January 2026, on the Windows and Linux versions of CS2. The main-menu claim button was added on 6 February 2025; weekly missions followed on 7 May 2025. These routes were checked against the current support pages and later updates through 8 October 2026.

Start with Prime Status

Use a Steam account with Prime Status before working towards the medal. Prime gives you access to Profile Rank XP; the free version earns none in any mode or on any server. You can purchase Prime in-game or through CS2's Steam store page. Check the account you actually use to play before making a purchase.

You can start earning the required match XP in Casual rather than waiting to enter Premier. Premier has its own entry requirements: Prime Status and Profile Level 10. That level-10 gate is for the mode, while the medal's target is Profile Rank 40. Choose an available matchmaking mode and work towards the profile target.

Raise Profile Rank to 40

Look for your Profile Rank above your Competitive Skill Group. This is the track that increases with match XP. Your per-map Competitive Skill Group reflects Competitive results, while your CS Rating belongs to Premier; use the Profile Rank number when checking your progress towards the medal.

Play Casual or Competitive matchmaking and finish the match: match XP is awarded after it concludes. Check the profile progress afterwards and keep earning XP until it reaches Global General, Rank 40. You do not need to reach Global Elite in Competitive to qualify. Global General and Global Elite refer to different progression systems.

Use your weekly mission for extra XP

Open your weekly mission from the Main Menu or Play Menu. You receive one each week, with an XP reward for completing its objective. Read the named mode, map, action and remaining timer before queuing, then play the matches needed to fulfil that particular task. The mission expires after seven days.

Use the objective and reward shown in your own game. The pictured 2025 example asks for Competitive round wins on Grail and offers 900 XP; it is an illustration of the interface, not today's assignment. Compare the mission counter with its target to see what remains. Missions add another XP opportunity alongside ordinary matchmaking.

Claim the medal from your profile card

At Profile Rank 40, return to the main menu and select Get Service Medal on the profile card. This exchanges your completed profile progression for the medal. Expect your Profile Rank to return to 1 afterwards; receiving the medal leaves your Competitive Skill Group and Prime matchmaking eligibility intact.

Make the reset deliberately. Service Medals and other display items stay on the account once added, so treat claiming as a progression decision rather than a temporary preview. The reward for this route is the 2026 Service Medal shown in Valve's announcement, rather than a Veteran Coin or a Major Tournament Coin.

Return to Rank 40 for an upgrade

To upgrade your 2026 Service Medal, earn Profile Rank XP again until you return to Global General and use the medal claim option again. The same Rank 40 reset underpins earning and upgrading this year's medal. Begin the next climb from the reset profile, rather than expecting additional Competitive wins alone to change the medal.

If the claim option is missing, check Prime Status and the displayed Profile Rank first. A rank below 40 means more XP is needed. At 40 with Prime, record the profile card and the missing option for Steam Support. Include whether you are claiming your first medal or upgrading an existing one.