CS2 players frustrated by persistent 'new item' inventory bug

Valve’s latest update for Counter-Strike 2 has left players stuck with a “new item” notification that refuses to disappear. Since the patch went live late last week, players have been reporting that their inventory shows unread items even when there is nothing new to claim. The bug has spread across both the GlobalOffensive and CS2 subreddits as users look for answers and share makeshift solutions.

Several users first noticed the problem after redeeming the Austin Major pass or using points to open collections. Instead of showing the skins they earned, the game simply dropped them into the main inventory and flagged them as new without letting players view them. Even after inspecting every single item, the little number in the corner of the inventory menu won’t budge. Some players say they hear the “new item” sound as soon as they open their loadout, but nothing actually changes on the screen.

Here’s a video shared by one player on X for reference:

“Wat is this bug? it won’t go away. i have nothing new,” wrote u/realbtg. The thread now has over a hundred upvote along with multiple comments from other players experiencing the same. The bug has left many increasingly frustrated as they try to clear the notification by inspecting and reopening items over and over. “jfc I’ve been inspecting every item in my inventory and opening and closing the game. f**k me,” complained another player who has tried every workaround he could find.

Even those who didn’t participate in the latest major or redeem any drops have found the bug creeping into their accounts. A player who bought no passes still saw the notification pop up. Across multiple threads, people are looking for any way to reset the counter, from moving items into storage units to restarting Steam. Some have had temporary success by shuffling skins into a container and then back again, but the fix rarely lasts. Within hours, the notification returns, haunting them each time they fire up the game.

One player suggested restarting:

Restart the game, then you should get the new items animation that got skipped when you got those 3 items

“Valve pushed an update on Thursday, went on weekend, and they will fix it once they’re back in office, chill,” one player said trying to get others to “chill”. Others have a harder time staying calm. “My OCD is going crazy😭” said a player who can’t stand the persistent badge on the inventory screen.

Players who rely on sound cues to know when they have fresh drops find themselves trapped in a loop of false alerts. On the bright side, most agree the bug is purely cosmetic and doesn’t affect gameplay or item ownership.

Until Valve rolls out a corrective patch, players might just have to ignore the badge as best they can. We’ll keep an eye out for any further developments and will update the article if there’s something to share.