Short answer: a Name Tag lets you engrave a custom name onto any weapon skin, visible to everyone in the kill cam and your inventory, for $1.99 in the in-game store or a similar price on the Steam Market. Names max out at 20 characters, letters and numbers plus a specific set of symbols, no profanity, and the tag itself is a one-time use, consumed the moment you apply it. One detail catches people out: naming a StatTrak weapon hides the “StatTrak” text in its display name, even though the kill counter underneath keeps working exactly as before.
How a Name Tag actually works
Answer: buy or trade for a Name Tag, then use it once on a weapon skin to permanently engrave a custom name, the tag itself disappears from your inventory the moment you apply it.
| Detail | Spec |
|---|---|
| Price | $1.99 in the in-game store, or buy on the Steam Market |
| Character limit | 20 characters |
| Allowed characters | Letters, numbers, and a specific symbol set, no starting spaces, no profanity |
| Use | Single use, consumed on application |
| Removal | Free, via the “Rename” option, but the removed tag doesn’t come back |
The name survives everything, trading the item, selling it on the market, the new owner sees whatever name you engraved unless they pay to rename it themselves. This makes Name Tags a small but genuine collectible category on their own, certain names carry meaning or nostalgia for buyers even on an otherwise ordinary skin.
The StatTrak quirk almost nobody expects
Answer: naming a StatTrak weapon removes the “StatTrak” text from its displayed title, but the actual kill counter keeps tracking exactly as before, nothing about the underlying stat changes.
This trips up a lot of players who assume renaming a StatTrak item somehow resets or disables the counter, it doesn’t. It’s purely a display quirk, the word “StatTrak” gets replaced by your custom name in the title, and the count itself, and everything else about the item’s StatTrak status, is untouched underneath.
FAQ
How much does a CS2 Name Tag cost?
$1.99 in the in-game store. You can also buy one on the Steam Community Market, usually at a similar price.
Does naming a StatTrak weapon remove its stats?
No. The “StatTrak” text disappears from the displayed name, but the kill counter keeps working normally underneath. It’s a cosmetic display change only.
Can you remove a name once you’ve applied it?
Yes, for free, using the “Rename” option on the item. The custom name is removed, but the Name Tag itself is not returned to your inventory, it was already consumed when you applied it.
Where to go next
See our StatTrak vs Souvenir guide for how the StatTrak system works beyond this display quirk, and our CS2 stickers guide for the other permanent customization you can apply to a weapon.
Play responsibly. Skin gambling is only for adults (18+/21+ depending on your region) and may not be legal where you live. Skins have real monetary value, never wager more than you can afford to lose. Get help at BeGambleAware.org.