What factors are considered in Trust Factor matchmaking?

At this time we are not providing the list of factors used in the Trust Factor matchmaking system. We don’t want players to have to worry about any particular action while they’re playing Counter-Strike 2 or other games on Steam. Additionally, Trust Factor matchmaking will get continuous updates, and any list of factors would become outdated very quickly. In general, Trust Factor is determined by looking at a user's past experience in Counter-Strike 2 and on Steam to ensure the system is as accurate as possible.

Can I check my Trust Factor?

Currently there is no way to check your Trust Factor. The goal with Trust Factor is to provide a better matchmaking experience without players having to worry about optimizing anything. Trust Factor matchmaking will try to match similar players, but like skill groups, the range of players on a server will vary depending on the time of day, the player's region, and the maps they are queuing for.

I am being shown a warning before queueing with a player. What does this mean?

Before beginning a Competitive match, players with Prime status on their account will be told if a member of their lobby (who is also opted into Prime) will affect their matchmaking experience due to their Trust Factor. This message will only show to players who have Prime status. The two messages you may receive are:

• Your matchmaking experience may be slightly impacted because Trust Factor of (player) is lower than yours.
• Your matchmaking experience will be significantly affected because Trust Factor of (player) is substantially lower than yours.

Either of these messages indicate a player in your lobby has lower trust score than you and may negatively affect the quality of your match. As a player's Trust Factor improves this message will show to fewer users.

What can I do to improve my Trust Factor?

The only way to improve your Trust Factor is to be a positive member of the Counter-Strike 2 and Steam community. Trust Factor matchmaking will continue to be adjusted, but all players have to do to improve their matchmaking experience is continue playing Counter-Strike 2 and other Steam games legitimately. The more a user plays, the more information the system has and the easier it will be for the system to determine who they should be matched with.

Does Prime status improve my Trust Factor?

Yes. Phone numbers and Counter-Strike 2 Rank are among the factors used in the new Trust Factor matchmaking system. Users who had Prime Status before will benefit from this and their in-game experience. If you have not linked your Steam account with a phone number for Prime we encourage you to do this; doing so will improve your matchmaking experience.

For more information, please see our CS2 - Prime Status and Free to Play help article.

Will new players have a low Trust Factor?

Not necessarily. Trust Factor is impacted by a user's experiences on Steam and in Counter-Strike 2. If you have been a positive member of the Steam Community in the past, you will likely enter Counter-Strike 2 with a high Trust Factor.

I suspect that I have a low Trust Factor because the quality of my matches is poor. What can I do about this?

If you feel like your matches are poor because of Trust Factor, feel free to send an email to the address below with the subject “Trust Factor Feedback”:

CSGOTeamFeedback [at] valvesoftware [dot] com

Please include a description of your experience and your Steam ID so we can investigate; this will help us improve Trust Factor matchmaking going forward.

I suspect that my friend has a low Trust Factor because of the quality of my matches when, and only when, I party up with them. What can I do about this?

In these situations we recommend you have your friend (who you believe to have the lowest Trust Factor) email us at the address previously provided with their Steam ID and information. Be aware that when players are in a party, we use the lowest Trust Factor of any individual in the party for matchmaking purposes.

If you and your friend are opted into Prime Matchmaking you may be told the quality of your match will be affected if their Trust Factor is significantly lower than yours. You may still queue with this user, but with the understanding that the quality of your match may degrade since their Trust Factor is significantly lower.