How to Level Up on Steam

Toby Marshall

14 November 2022

Steam is the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive platform. However, it is also an excellent platform for finding plenty of other titles if you like to play games online. If you are familiar with any of these games and you have your own Steam Account, then you may well have noticed in your Steam Profile the section that says ‘level’.

Steam has created such a system as a means of intertwining the platform along with the games that you use it to play. Levelling up is a pretty simple process. As a player, you can earn XP by completing various tasks and missions – and the main task will be badge crafting. As soon as you have earned enough XP, you can level your Steam Account up. Of course, there are all sorts of different strategies you can employ to increase the speed at which you can level up your account. So, let’s take a look at all the Steam level-up tactics you can employ.

Badge Crafting: A Quick Fix to XP

Getting to your very first level when you open up an online Steam Account is quick and easy. You just need 100 XP points and you are on the first rung of the ladder. This is the case for all Steam levels up to level 10. For each 100 XP you get, you take another step up. However, to reach level 11 you need 200 XP, which is the case up until level 20. Then you will need 300 XP to move up… and so the pattern continues. The higher you get, the harder it is to level up.

The quickest way to start earning those XP is by crafting badges. You can create a badge by collecting trading cards and foil cards which can be done through your game. You can also buy and trade these cards. You will be able to see all of the currency trading cards and badges by clicking on your account name and then on ‘badges’.

However, this can only be done if you are playing a game that supports earning badges. These can be found by using the filter on the Steam search along with the Steam Trading Card modifier. As soon as you have bought one, downloaded it and started playing it, you will start to benefit from card drops.

To start creating your game’s first-level badge you will need to have collected a certain number of cards. When you have played the game and have earned the maximum number of card drops then you will need to either start buying or trading cards with others. They can be purchased from the Steam Marketplace.

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The good news is that this won’t be an expensive task. Usually, a single card costs just a couple of cents, so completing your badge won’t be too arduous. Moreover, if you do end up receiving duplicate cards from a drop then you can buy them and use those funds to buy the ones that you need from the Steam Market.

You can also find Booster Packs around. These are sometimes handed out to players randomly and can include three random cards from a specific badge set. The way to ensure that you are eligible to be on the receiving end of one of these packs is by using the Steam platform a minimum of once per week.

How To Upgrade Your Badges

Every badge you create can level up numerous times on Steam, a maximum of 5-times. That means that with only one Steam game, you could get as much as 500 XP. It’s not difficult to see how this can add up pretty nicely if you start crafting badgers for several different games.

Every time you finish crafting a badge, you will be rewarded with 3 random items. These items can then be sold on the marketplace and you can then use these funds to purchase more cards. It may be that you receive an item that no one wishes to buy. In this instance, you will have the chance to change it into gems. You can then accumulate these gems and use them to purchase more Booster Packs.

For the most popular Steam games, a Booster Pack is normally worth about 1,000 gems, so it may take you some time to collect enough gems. However, in the case that you have lots of unsellable goods and items, it’s worth a go.

Crafting a Steam Sale Badge

Another excellent way of levelling up your Steam account is via Steam sale items. The reason for this is because, for every badge you manage to craft during the course of a Steam sale, you will be given the specific trading cards of that sale which you can use to craft into a badge.

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Unlike the standard badges, a Steam sales badge could be upgraded an unlimited number of times, not limited to just five. So, you may well find it worth waiting for the arrival of the next sale before you start crafting your regular Steam badges. You will then be able to put them towards the Steam sale trading card as much as is possible.

If you can successfully take advantage of this, then it can help your levelling up speed immensely. What’s more, it is also the best time to purchase more Steam games and get hold of more craftable Steam badges.

Alternative Options to Earn XP

Aside from crafting badges, there are a number of other ways you can earn XP. These will also be excellent ways to reach your next Steam level.

Firstly, you can earn a Pillar of Community badge. This is earned by completing tasks that have been set by Steam such as playing a certain game, adding friends or even just posting a game screenshot. When you have completed some of these tasks, you can get the level 1 badge for reaching 100 XP and then upgrade it for a further 100 XP to level 2.

In addition, there is the Game Collector badge. These badges award you with a certain number of XP when you purchase a certain number of games (obviously free games won’t generally count). Hypothetically, it could be right up until you have bought every single game there is in the Steam store! However, the more games you purchase, the fewer XP reward points you will get every time. However, for the first few games you buy, it can be pretty rewarding.

What’s more, you can earn XP simply for having an open Steam account for a certain period of time. When you reach a certain milestone, you will earn Years of Service badges. Each year your Steam account is open and active, you will be given 50 XP… without lifting a finger.

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Steam Level-Up Rewards

OK, so we know how to level up, but what is the point of levelling up? Well, there can be some excellent incentives for levelling up your Steam account and the higher you get, the better they get!

Each time you reach the next Steam level, you will be given 5 additional friends slots. So each time you reach the next level you can add even more friends to your Steam account. Then, when you reach special level milestones – such as levels 10, 20, 30 and then 40, you will be given an extra 20% chance of being given a Booster Pack, which then makes it easier to reach the next step on the ladder.

So, should there ever be a time when you are losing a bit of enthusiasm for playing games on the Steam platform, you can simply step away from the games and just focus on levelling up your account instead. You can then enjoy some pretty decent perks when you do!

Hopefully, now you are more versed in what levelling up is and the best ways to start levelling up. We should have equipped you with all the Steam tools you need to start crafting the badges, collecting cards and completing missions to earn all the rewards that come with it.

How to Level Up Steam Account FAQS

Who Can Level Up their Steam Account?

Any player that isn’t just a limited user will be able to earn a Steam level which is based on the current badges and games attached to the account. You will need to create a Steam user profile in order to see what your current Steam level is. A limited user cannot qualify for levels and remains on level 0.

How Can I Increase XP on My Account and Level Up?

There are several ways to earn XP and level up on Steam, including:

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Buying Steam games
Crafting and earning badges
Upgrading the current Steam badges in your Steam library

Why Upgrade My Steam Account?

There are benefits to upgrading your Steam account. Each time you go up a level you will be able to add an extra 5 friend slots. The highest number of friends you will be able to add to your account goes up to 250. Moreover, for every 10 levels you gain, you get one Showcase slot. You can use these to display a unique showcase on your profile. This currently goes up to a maximum of 20 although this may be increased in the future.

Although I Have Badges, My XP is Stuck at 100 and I’m on Level 0 – Why?

This could be that you are a limited user and will not qualify for levelling up.

Why Did My XP Only Increase By a Small Amount When I Bought A Game?

Steam users will always be awarded the right amount of XP when they buy a game. However, the more games they buy, the smaller the rewards become, so the chances are that you have already purchased several Steam games.

Author Toby Marshall