Tools are the CS2 items that do something to other items: rename them, store them, move their StatTrak counts or take charms off them. They are cheap compared with skins, but each comes with rules that are easy to get wrong, and two of them stopped being tradable in late 2025. Here is how each one works.
Name Tags
The Name Tag dates back to August 29, 2013. It renames one item you own, from a stock pistol to a knife, and since February 2024 the Zeus as well. The custom name appears in quotes in the kill cam, the buy menu and your inventory, and it doesn't have to be unique.
The rules, as the Counter-Strike Wiki lists them:
- 20 characters at most. Letters, numbers and a set of symbols are allowed. A name can't start with a space, and profanity is rejected.
- One tag, one item. An applied tag can't be moved to another weapon. Renaming again takes a new tag.
- Names survive trades. A renamed gun keeps its name when it's traded or sold on the Market.
- Removal is free, but the tag is gone. Use Rename and choose to remove the name. The item goes back to its original name and the Name Tag is not returned.
- StatTrak counts are safe. Renaming a StatTrak weapon keeps its kill count, though the "StatTrak" label is hidden from the name until you remove the tag.
The big recent change: since November 12, 2025, newly purchased Name Tags can no longer be traded or listed on the Community Market. Buy one when you're ready to use it, not to resell.
When buying, remember that a name comes with the gun. If you'd rather avoid, or specifically want, a renamed item, the name tag filter on Buy helps you narrow down listings.
Storage Units
Valve added Storage Units on November 22, 2019, describing them as a way "to store up to 1,000 items which would otherwise exceed inventory limit". Your main CS2 inventory also holds 1,000 items, so units are how big collectors and traders keep everything in one account.
How they work:
- Buy them in the in-game store. Storage Units can't be traded or sold on the Market.
- Name them for free. A unit can be renamed without a Name Tag, which helps when you have several.
- Some items can't go in. Default weapons, Service Medals, Pick'Em trophies and other Storage Units can't be stored.
- Stored items are parked. Anything inside can't be equipped or used until you retrieve it.
- Empty units can be deleted. Since October 2022 you can delete an empty unit, though you don't get your money back.
Moving items one by one used to be slow. Valve added multi-select to the deposit and retrieve screens on June 10, 2026, and the same update added a clear error message when a full inventory blocks you from redeeming Armory items, weekly rewards or Major Shop purchases.
One more rule: since July 2025, items you receive in a trade are Trade Protected for seven days, and during that time they can't be moved into a Storage Unit. Plan bulk moves after the window closes.
StatTrak Swap Tool
The StatTrak Swap Tool arrived on March 31, 2015. Valve's notes said it "swaps the StatTrak value between two of the same weapon". Both counts move: if you swap a StatTrak AK-47 with 5,000 kills and a new StatTrak AK-47 with 10, the new one ends up with 5,000 and the old one with 10. It's the way to carry your kill history onto a skin you've just upgraded to.
Like Name Tags, Swap Tools bought since November 12, 2025 can't be traded or listed on the Market.
Charm Detachments and Sticker Slabs
Two newer tools work on charms rather than guns.
- Charm Detachment. Removes a charm from a weapon and returns it to your inventory. Every charm redeemed from the Armory comes with three free detachments, and more are sold in the store. Our charms guide covers the details.
- Sticker Slab. Added in November 2025, it seals a sticker from your inventory into a charm you can hang on a gun, and you can crack it open later to get the sticker back. See our stickers guide.
Quick reference
| Tool | What it does | Can you trade it? |
|---|---|---|
| Name Tag | Renames one weapon or knife | Not if bought since November 12, 2025 |
| Storage Unit | Holds up to 1,000 extra items | No |
| StatTrak Swap Tool | Swaps StatTrak counts between two of the same weapon | Not if bought since November 12, 2025 |
Sources
- Name Tag — Counter-Strike Wiki
- Release Notes for 11/22/2019 (Storage Units) — Counter-Strike blog (Valve)
- Storage Unit — Counter-Strike Wiki
- CS:GO update adds StatTrak trade-ups and the StatTrak swap tool — GosuGamers
- CS2 Update 2025-11-12 (Valve's notes) — CS2 Meta History
- CS2 Update 2026-06-10 (Valve's notes) — CS2 Meta History