During the development of the game, new items were gradually added to it, and even the familiar skins did not appear immediately. Along with ordinary things that can be exchanged and sold, there are also more unique ones. They can be a reminder to the player of a unique achievement, participation in an operation, or time spent in the game. What are these things?
Items associated with majors and operations
Some items become rare due to the fact that they are associated with time-limited events. For example, experience tokens that were awarded during the Shattered Web operations fall into this category. and “Broken Fang.” They could be used to level up your account. Interestingly, if the token was not used until the next transaction, its design would automatically change, so from a collecting point of view there was no point in trying to save it. Operation stars are structured in a similar way. They could be used to receive rewards, but some players kept them to show off on their profile.
Souvenir tokens are also awarded during the Major for completing Spectator Pass tasks. If you do not exchange them for rewards, they will remain in your inventory and will simply take up space, since they cannot be deleted either. However, some players prefer to keep such a token as a keepsake.
Cases, capsules and keys called "Prototype"
The average player is unlikely to encounter these types of items, as Valve removed them from the game before they were fully implemented. It is not even known for certain why they were added. Their mention was found in the game files, with the comment “Awarded for contributions to the Steam Workshop.” It is possible that these cases were actually added for internal testing purposes. There is still a section for them on the Steam Market, but they have never been bought or sold, and they cannot be found in players' inventories.
A similar fate befell the Prototype capsules. Prototype EMS Katowice 2014 capsules were issued to three players from the teams participating in the event. They cannot be exchanged or used, so they still remain in inventories.
Finally, the “Prototype” keys. are issued to the creators of “Workshop” items that were included in one of the cases. This key differs from the usual one by the green frame of the cell in the inventory. They also cannot be exchanged, so they simply serve as proof of its owner's achievements. After one of the owners of a unique key accidentally spent it, Valve removed this feature. (And the careless owner received a duplicate item from the developers).
Trophies
Trophies – another category of items not available to regular players. In full accordance with their name, they are issued to those who took part in the largest professional championships. Awards go to champions, finalists, and those who reach the semi-finals or quarter-finals. To reach this level, you must literally make the game your job, so trophies remain the rarest and most prestigious items that can be found in your inventory.
