Why Are CSGO Skins So Expensive?

Counter Strike is one of the most popular gaming franchises which has been around for over two decades and today remains the pinnacle of online shooters and gaming in general. From CS 1.6 to the popular new CS2 the game continues to dominate the eSports scene as well as various popularity charts.

While Counter Strike has always been loved by gamers for its fast-paced action-packed gameplay, Counter Strike: Global Offensive introduced a feature, which completely shook the gaming world: CSGO skins.

With the Arms Deal CSGO update players got a chance to modify their CSGO loadouts, open weapon cases, and most importantly, buy and sell CSGO skins! This has created an entirely separate trading market, where players make trades and purchases, often for insane amounts of money.

The most expensive CSGO skins have accumulated crazy prices on the second-hand market. While the cheapest skins are as cheap as a couple of cents, the most expensive skins in the game are worth a literal fortune, with classics such as Karambit Blue Gem reaching millions of dollars in price. The aesthetic appeal of these skins significantly influences their desirability and price, especially among fans who wish to emulate popular personalities in the gaming community.

This might sound crazy to a layman and many players, especially new ones, ask themselves: why are CSGO skins so expensive? If you’re one of them, you’re in luck. Today we’ll answer why CSGO and CS2 skins can be so expensive, and what affects their prices!

Rarity

CS2 weapon skins function effectively the same as many kinds of different collectibles. This means that one of the most important features which affect their price is their particular rarity. New skins are added to the game’s economy by players opening CS2 weapon cases. Each time a player opens a single weapon case, they have a chance to obtain one of the weapon skins inside. Each skin has a rarity grade, which dictates the CS case odds of opening it.

The rarer the skin is, the lower the odds and the more money you would have theoretically spent to open it with weapon cases. That’s why rarer skins with limited availability, like the M4A4 Howl, are almost always more expensive than their more common counterparts. Some of the best rare CS skins can easily cost over $10 000.

The low supply of these rare skins, combined with high demand, significantly increases their market value.

Market Demand

Like any other kind of tradable commodity, CS weapon skins’ prices are dictated by their supply and demand accordingly. While rarity plays a crucial role in determining the skin’s final supply, there are many other factors that can affect its availability. Some skins, like the infamous M4A4 Howl, have been removed from the game and can no longer be opened in weapon cases, meaning that there’s forever a limited number of them available, making them some of the most expensive weapon skins in the game.

Likewise, some unique skin patterns can be in higher demand, making particular versions of the same skin more expensive than the others. Certain skins, alongside sticker capsules, often provide more stability and potential for profit due to factors like limited availability and elevated demand. The demand and supply are very dynamic and can change overnight with new game patches or tournaments where particular skins are featured in big plays.

High prices are influenced by rarity and exclusivity, making these skins sought after as valuable assets.

Float Value

Besides rarity, CS float value is one of the most important factors of each skin in the game and has perhaps the largest impact on the skin’s final price tag. Briefly put, the float value is a particular number, ranging from 0 to 1, which dictates the individual look of this particular weapon skin, as well as its wear rating. Each float value range corresponds to a different wear level that a skin might have.

The lower the skin’s float value, the better wear rating it will have. Most of the time Factory-New variants of each skin are the most expensive, though some of the best Battle-Scarred skins can look better with extreme signs of wear, and sometimes cost more than their rarer variants. Skins can vary in appearance based on their wear rating, with ‘minimal wear’ noted as being less worn than ‘Field-tested’ but not as perfect as ‘Factory New.’

Rare Skin Patterns

In addition to these, other skins also have unique patterns that can affect their value and rarity, making them more exclusive and valuable in the market. Many players are unaware that you can have two skins with the same name, that can have an entirely different look. That’s because each individual skin has its own skin pattern, which dictates how various features are displayed over the in-game model, what color they are and how many of them will be visible on the skin. This is mostly important in the case of CS2 knives, where a different skin pattern can completely change the look of your weapon.

Skin pattern plays a particularly important role when it comes to blue gem karambit knives. It’s one of the best case hardened skins in the game, and each skins individual price greatly varies based on the pattern and amount of blue on the blade. Some rare patterns can be worth over one million dollars. This applies to the AK-47 Case Hardened as well, with the most expensive skin pattern variant worth over $1.5 000 000.

Stickers

CS2 stickers are just as important as skins, especially since the CS2 sticker update was released. While previously players could only place their stickers on predetermined spots on the gun, with the update added to the game players could now create completely new designs, as well as place stickers anywhere they wish on the weapon. While you can slightly scratch off the stickers, after you place them they are there to stay with the weapon skin. This means that they will be transferred in any trading transaction and stay with the gun when it arrives at its recipient’s inventory.

Some of the most expensive CS stickers can have crazy price tags as well. Some of the tournament stickers featuring popular team names can easily have 5 digit price tags, which when combined with already expensive CS skins can create some truly overwhelming combos.

In Conclusion

As you can see, there are some good reasons why CS skins are so expensive. With so many factors affecting the final price, however, you should easily be able to find a skin in a price range that’s affordable for you.