If you play CS:GO, you know that as much as the game is about huge plays it’s equally about rocking rare skins as a flex. Not only do these skins adorn your weapons with eye-catching patterns, but they also act as status symbols to strike fear—or maybe just jealousy—into the hearts of your opponents.
Let’s take a look at ten of the most sought after skins in CS:GO, and exactly why they are so expensive.
Source: steampowered.com
What is CS:GO?
Chances are, if you made it to this page you already play CS:GO. But if you don’t here’s a quick refreshed.
CS:GO, or Counter-Strike: Global Offensive if you want to be fancy, is one of the foremost competitive FPS shooters out there. Developed by Valve, the company behind the gaming marketplace Steam, this iteration of the game was released in 2012 but the game’s history goes way back to 1999 as a mod for the legendary game Half-Life.
Since 2012, CS:GO has been one of the most competitive shooters on the market. Spawning countless streamers, professional players and tournaments the world over. And despite being over a decade old, the game’s community is still going strong today.
How to Get CS:GO Skins
Before we dive into the Skins themselves, it’s worth knowing how exactly you can acquire skins in the game—particularly rare ones. Well, there are four key ways you can do this.
– In-Game Drops: While playing, there is an incredibly slim chance that you may receive a new skin at the end of a match. This chance is, obviously, also lower for the rarest and most sought after skins. However, if you are a frequent player you might find yourself slowly acquiring rare skins over your time with the game.
– Trade: Much like Valve’s other online titles, items are freely tradable between players. This means that if you can find a player who has what you want—and perhaps more importantly, if you have something they want—you can trade for new skins.
– Participate in Tournaments: CS:GO tournaments take place all over the world, virtually every week of the year. Some of these tournaments are organised by Valve and other official partners; if you’re looking for skins these are the tournaments you’ll want to sign up for. Just sign up to CS:GO’s official social media and communication platforms and you’ll be informed when such tournaments roll around.
– Buy Them: If you’re willing to spend some money on the skins you want, there are three key ways you can buy them outright. First, you can purchase them from the in-game marketplace, although this is often quite expensive. Second, you can use the community marketplace. Or third, and often the most affordable way, you can buy off of third-party marketplaces. Speaking of which, if you want to get your hands on rare CS:GO skins you can buy CS:GO skins here.
Top 7 Most Sought After CS:GO Skins (in no particular order)
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Karambit Case Hardened – Blue Gem
Source: afkgaming.com
This knife is hands down the rarest in the game, as it is a unique one-of-one. Some sources have suggested that it could be worth as much as $1 million today. While that may sound crazy, the previous buyer has bought it for almost $100,000 a few years back and has been holding onto it ever since.
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AK-47 Case Hardened – 661 Pattern
Source: www.eldorado.gg
The AK-47 is one of gaming’s most classic guns, building on the legacy of golden AK-47s, this skin features glorious petrol pattern that is somewhat pearlescent. This makes it incredibly sought after—both because the gun itself is great and the pattern is incredibly memorable.
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AK-47 Wild Lotus
Source: csgoskins.gg
If the understated Case Hardened pattern didn’t catch your fancy, but you love the AK-47, perhaps this eye-popping skin will. Featuring bold lotus flowers and a psychedelically green base, this skin was released as part of the St. Marc Collection in 2019. Since then, the skin has gained a cult following due to its unique design and its rarity. With many claiming it being worth around $8,000.
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Butterfly Knife Crimson Web
Source: csgoskins.gg
The Butterfly Knife is one of CS:GO’s most iconic weapons… and this casts it in a brutal crimson red with a black handle. Needless to say, this powerful skin is a status symbol. No wonder it will set you back $13,000.
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Butterfly Knife Lore
Source: csgoskins.gg
Red and black not your colours? No problem. The iconic butterfly knife is also available with a solid gold blade thanks to the Lore skin. Comparatively new, this skin was released in 2021, which has added to its rarity and the FOMO surrounding acquiring one.
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M4A4 Howl
Source: csgoskins.gg
One of the game’s staple weapons, this M4A4 skin casts the gun in blood read with a bold howling wolf on the side. First released in 2014, this has been a sought after skin for a while now—making it one of the largest legacy status symbols in the game.
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AWP Dragon Lore
Source: csgoskins.gg
More of a sniper? Well this AWP skin will set you back over $200,000, but with a price tag like that it goes without saying that this is one of the biggest flexes there is in the game. The skin can only be dropped during the Major tournament, with a ridiculously low drop rate of 0.0004%… Imagine how many hundreds of thousands of games need to play before even getting one drop!
If you’re just starting out, these skins may seem like a far off fantasy. But if you keep playing, competing in tournaments and trading your way up you may eventually be able to play rocking one of these pricey skins.