5 Profitable Ascent Collection Trade-Ups for 2025 (Ft. AK-47 | Midnight Laminate & MP9 | Cobalt Paisley)
August 20, 2025
Important Disclaimer: The prices and profitability data in this guide reflect market conditions at the time of publication. CS2 skin prices fluctuate constantly, which can significantly impact trade-up profitability over time. Always verify current prices using tools like CSDelta's Trade-Up Calculator before executing any trade-up contracts. All prices shown are in USD and will be automatically converted to your selected currency.
Important Note: All profit values, chances, and output prices shown throughout this guide already have the 13% Steam fee applied to them. This means the profit calculations and output prices you see are what you would actually receive after Steam's 13% marketplace fee is deducted. This ensures you get the most accurate representation of your actual returns when selling items on the Steam Community Market.
The Ascent Collection, released in 2025 as one of CS2's newest collections, offers exceptional trade-up opportunities with its fresh supply and stable pricing structure. This collection features standout skins like AK-47 | Midnight Laminate and MP9 | Cobalt Paisley, making it ideal for both new and experienced trade-up users. If this is your first CS2 trade-up guide, the quick refresher below covers floats, rarity tiers, and fee-adjusted pricing; otherwise, skip ahead to the featured recipes.
This guide presents five Ascent Collection trade-up contracts, complete with input details, float recommendations, approximate costs, and profit estimates based on current Steam Market prices. Use CSDelta's Trade-Up Calculator to verify real-time market prices—simply open the trade-up, click the reset prices buttons to fetch new market prices, and experiment with different float values and inputs, as the most cost-effective options can shift with market fluctuations.
Quick Refresher: Ascent Rarity Tiers in CS2
Before delving into the trade-up recipes, let's briefly review how rarities stack within the Ascent Collection. A CS2 trade-up contract uses 10 inputs of the same rarity to upgrade into 1 skin from the next higher rarity. For Ascent, the tiers and skins are:
- Classified: M4A1-S | Stratosphere (1 skin total).
- Restricted: AK-47 | Midnight Laminate, USP-S | Royal Guard (2 skins total).
- Mil-Spec Grade: MP9 | Cobalt Paisley, P90 | Reef Grief, Desert Eagle | Mint Fan, P2000 | Royal Baroque, FAMAS | Yeti Camo (5 skins total).
- Industrial Grade: Glock-18 | Ocean Topo, Negev | Sour Grapes, XM1014 | Gum Wall Camo, Dual Berettas | Rose Nacre, Zeus x27 | Electric Blue, Nova | Turquoise Pour, Five-SeveN | Sky Blue, Galil AR | Robin's Egg, M4A4 | Naval Shred Camo (9 skins total).
- Consumer Grade: R8 Revolver | Cobalt Grip, Sawed-Off | Runoff, SSG 08 | Grey Smoke, MP5-SD | Lime Hex, SG 553 | Night Camo, P250 | Plum Netting, Tec-9 | Blue Blast, P90 | Blue Tac, Galil AR | Grey Smoke, MP9 | Buff Blue, MAC-10 | Storm Camo (11 skins total).
StatTrak™ variants are not available for Ascent skins. Souvenirs, knives, and gloves are ineligible for trade-ups. You can use multiple copies of the same skin to reach the 10 inputs.
1. The Headliner: Mil-Spec to Restricted Ascent Trade-Up
This trade-up focuses on consistent returns with Mil-Spec inputs from the Ascent Collection. By combining 8x P2000 | Royal Baroque (Field-Tested) and 2x Desert Eagle | Mint Fan (Minimal Wear), you target the two Restricted outcomes (MW). Optimal average input float: 0.134–0.20.
- Goal: Convert 10 Mil-Spec Ascent skins (8x P2000 | Royal Baroque FT, 2x Desert Eagle | Mint Fan MW) into a Restricted skin. The best outcome is AK-47 | Midnight Laminate MW (+$12.25 profit), while the worst is USP-S | Royal Guard MW (-$7.42 profit). This trade-up has moderate risk with 50% chance of profit.
- Strategy: Use the price breakdowns shown below. Outcomes: 50% AK-47 | Midnight Laminate, 50% USP-S | Royal Guard (both MW). Values include the 13% Steam fee.
How to Execute:
- Purchase 8x P2000 | Royal Baroque (Field-Tested, $1.98 each) and 2x Desert Eagle | Mint Fan (Minimal Wear, $4.42 each).
- Submit all 10 skins in a Mil-Spec-to-Restricted trade-up contract.
| Inputs | Outputs |
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2. The Budget Build: Industrial Grade to Mil-Spec Ascent Trade-Up
This low-cost Industrial → Mil-Spec recipe uses 8x Zeus x27 | Electric Blue (FT) and 2x Negev | Sour Grapes (WW). Optimal average input float: 0.196–0.214.
- Goal: Convert 10 Industrial Ascent skins (8x Electric Blue FT, 2x Sour Grapes WW) into a Mil-Spec skin. The best outcome is P90 | Reef Grief (+$0.98 profit), while the worst is P2000 | Royal Baroque (+$0.83 profit). All outcomes are profitable, making this a guaranteed profit trade-up.
- Strategy: Five outcomes at 20% each: P90 | Reef Grief, MP9 | Cobalt Paisley, FAMAS | Yeti Camo, Desert Eagle | Mint Fan, P2000 | Royal Baroque (all MW). Values include the 13% Steam fee.
How to Execute:
- Purchase 8x Zeus x27 | Electric Blue (Field-Tested, $0.31 each) and 2x Negev | Sour Grapes (Well-Worn, $0.25 each).
- Submit all 10 skins in an Industrial-to-Mil-Spec trade-up contract.
| Inputs | Outputs |
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3. The Entry Path: Consumer Grade to Industrial Grade Ascent Trade-Up
This budget starter uses 8x MAC-10 | Storm Camo (MW) and 2x Galil AR | Grey Smoke (MW). Optimal average input float: 0.07–0.0869. You can use any Consumer Grade Ascent items; these are simply example inputs around ~$0.07 in Minimal Wear.
- Goal: Convert 10 Consumer Ascent skins (8x Storm Camo MW, 2x Grey Smoke MW) into an Industrial skin. The best outcome is Negev | Sour Grapes FN (+$0.32 profit), while the worst outcomes are Nova | Turquoise Pour (-$0.16 profit) and Galil AR | Robin's Egg (-$0.13 profit). This trade-up has moderate risk with 55.56% chance of profit.
- Strategy: Nine Industrial outcomes at ~11.11% each (all FN). Values include the 13% Steam fee.
How to Execute:
- Purchase 8x MAC-10 | Storm Camo (Minimal Wear, $0.07 each) and 2x Galil AR | Grey Smoke (Minimal Wear, $0.07 each).
- Ensure your average input float is between 0.07 and 0.0869.
- Submit all 10 skins in a Consumer-to-Industrial trade-up contract.
| Inputs | Outputs |
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4. The Guaranteed Profit: Restricted to Classified Ascent Trade-Up
This guaranteed profit recipe utilizes 10x USP-S | Royal Guard (Field-Tested) to achieve a guaranteed M4A1-S | Stratosphere (Minimal Wear) outcome. Optimal average input float: 0.15–0.187.
- Goal: Convert 10 Restricted Ascent skins (10x USP-S | Royal Guard FT) into a Classified skin. This trade-up has only one possible outcome: M4A1-S | Stratosphere (MW) at +$45.81 profit. Since there's only one outcome, this is a guaranteed profit trade-up with no risk of unfavorable results.
- Strategy: One outcome at 100%: M4A1-S | Stratosphere (MW). Values include the 13% Steam fee.
How to Execute:
- Purchase 10x USP-S | Royal Guard (Field-Tested, $6.01 each).
- Ensure your average input float is between 0.15 and 0.187.
- Submit all 10 skins in a Restricted-to-Classified trade-up contract.
| Inputs | Outputs |
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5. The Grand Finale: Industrial Grade to Mil-Spec Ascent Trade-Up
This budget-friendly strategy uses 10x Negev | Sour Grapes (Battle-Scarred) to achieve guaranteed Mil-Spec outcomes. Optimal average input float: 0.45–0.542.
Goal: Convert 10 Industrial Ascent skins into profitable Mil-Spec outcomes, leveraging Battle-Scarred condition for maximum cost efficiency. With five possible outcomes at 20% chance each, the best outcome is P90 | Reef Grief (+$0.32 profit), while the worst is FAMAS | Yeti Camo (+$0.20 profit). Even the worst outcome is profitable, making this a guaranteed profit trade-up with no risk of loss.
Strategy: Five Mil-Spec outcomes at 20% each (all Field-Tested). Values include the 13% Steam fee.
How to Execute:
- Purchase 10x Negev | Sour Grapes (Battle-Scarred, $0.15 each).
- Ensure your average input float is between 0.45 and 0.542.
- Submit all 10 skins in an Industrial-to-Mil-Spec trade-up contract.
| Inputs | Outputs |
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FAQ: Profitable Ascent Collection Trade Ups in CS2
Q: Why do some Ascent Collection trade-ups have such different profit margins?
A: Profit margins vary based on input rarity and market dynamics. Higher rarity jumps (like Industrial → Mil-Spec) generally offer better profit margins but require more expensive inputs and carry higher risk if market prices fluctuate. Lower rarity jumps (like Mil-Spec → Restricted) may have smaller profit margins but are more accessible and have lower risk exposure. The key is finding the right balance between potential profit and acceptable risk for your strategy.
Q: How do I know if my float values are actually optimal for these trade-ups?
A: The optimal float ranges in this guide are calculated based on current market prices and Steam's trade-up formula. However, these ranges can shift as market prices change. Always verify current profitability using our Trade-Up Calculator before executing trades. The key is ensuring your expected profit remains positive after accounting for Steam's 13% fee and current market prices. Remember that what's optimal today might not be optimal tomorrow due to market fluctuations.
Q: How long should I hold trade-up outcomes before selling?
A: Trade-up outcomes have a 7-day trade cooldown and trade protection period, meaning you cannot sell them on the Steam marketplace immediately. You'll need to wait for this period to end before listing your outcome for sale. For guaranteed profit trades, you can list them as soon as the cooldown expires. For higher-risk trades, consider the market conditions when your cooldown ends - if prices have dropped, you might want to wait for recovery. Most users list outcomes within 24-48 hours after the cooldown expires to lock in profits and avoid market volatility.
Q: Can I use these same strategies with other collections?
A: The core principles apply, but each collection has unique characteristics. Ascent Collection is profitable because its outcomes maintain consistent value ratios across rarity tiers. Other collections might have different profit margins or higher outcome variance. Always research the specific collection's market prices, outcome distribution, and liquidity before applying these strategies. Some collections might be profitable for certain rarity jumps but not others.
Q: What's the minimum amount needed to start with these trade-ups?
A: Cost requirements vary significantly based on the rarity tier you're trading from. Industrial → Mil-Spec trade-ups generally require the lowest total cost, while Restricted → Classified trade-ups typically require much higher amounts. Start with lower-cost strategies to learn the mechanics and build confidence. Remember that lower costs mean smaller absolute profits, but they also reduce potential losses. As you become more comfortable with trade-ups, you can try higher-value strategies with better profit margins.
Q: How do I handle trade-up outcomes that are worth less than expected?
A: First, verify the current market price - sometimes outcomes appear to lose value due to temporary market dips. If the outcome is genuinely worth less than expected, consider holding during market recovery or selling at a small loss to preserve funds for other opportunities. For guaranteed profit trades, even the worst outcome should still be profitable. For higher-risk trades, always have a plan for handling unfavorable outcomes before executing the trade-up.
Q: Are there any hidden costs beyond Steam's 13% fee?
A: The main cost is Steam's 13% fee, but consider these additional factors: market price fluctuations between trade-up execution and outcome sale, potential listing fees on third-party marketplaces if you choose to sell there, and the time your funds are tied up in the trade-up process. Some users also factor in the time spent monitoring prices and executing trade-ups. However, for guaranteed profit trades, these additional costs are typically covered by the profit margin, making them negligible concerns.
Ready to Enhance Your CS2 Inventory?
The Ascent Collection presents some of the most compelling and profitable trade-up opportunities in CS2 for 2025. By meticulously planning your inputs, comprehending float mechanics, and applying the strategies detailed in this guide, you can increase your inventory value over time while minimizing risk.
Check our weekly blogs for more cutting-edge CS2 skin investment guides and trade-up analyses. Good luck with your trade ups!