Top Most Expensive Skins In CS2 (CS:GO)
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CS2 (CS:GO) skins do not impact the game’s mechanics, but they are visually appealing. Alongside vivid colors, they brought the opportunity for players to stand out from the crowd.
While you can assemble a decent CS2 (CS:GO) inventory for about $10, certain skins are astronomically expensive. In this article, we will figure out why certain skins are so valuable, what is the most expensive CS2 (CS:GO) skin, and why players are willing to shell out so much money to get them.
In article you will find:
What Makes a Skin Expensive?
The worth of a skin fluctuates based on the supply and demand in the market at that time. Other factors that impact a skin’s price are its rarity and float which varies the skin’s condition from Factory New to Battle-Scarred. For example, skins in Factory New condition are often worth the highest since they drop rarely and are in pristine shape. In addition, skins for knives and gloves tend to cost more than weapon skins.
Let’s learn what factors exactly impact the price of skin and how much is the most expensive CS2 (CS:GO) skin.
Rarity
Valve came up with 8 levels to determine a skin’s rarity tier. Here is the list of all the grades:
- Consumer
- Industrial
- Mil-Spec
- Restricted
- Classified
- Covert
- Contraband
- Extraordinary.
Consumer grade is the most prevalent, while Contraband grade is the least prevalent as only one skin has been assigned this exclusive grading — M4A4 | Howl, CS2’s (CS:GO) most expensive skin for this weapon. There is a whole dramatic story behind this skin.
Condition
Skins come in one of the five conditions which define their wear level and are measured by their float value. Here are all available conditions and a corresponding float value range of each:
- Battle-Scarred (0.45 to 1.00)
- Well-Worn (0.38 to 0.45)
- Field-Tested (0.15 to 0.38)
- Minimal-Wear (0.07 to 0.15)
- Factory New (0.00 to 0.07).
As a skin’s float value goes higher, more scratches appear on it, and its pattern fades. Skins with the lowest float value cost the highest as they look much better, and vice-versa. Note that once you acquire a CS2 (CS:GO) skin, its condition can not be changed.
Pattern
Each CS2 (CS:GO) skin can have up to 999 pattern variants. The pattern index affects the appearance of the skin by changing the pattern’s placement on the skin or, in some cases, changing colors. Pattern index impacts skins from the Case Hardened skin family the most. Certain patterns of these skins have more blue parts on them than others, making their price go much higher.
StatTrak™
StatTrak™ keeps track of a player’s performance. It shows the total number of frags a player made using a weapon with a particular StatTrak™ skin equipped. StatTrak™ is available for almost every gun and knife skin, but there are no skins for gloves with it. If you decide to get a StatTrak™ variant of a CS2 (CS:GO) skin, be ready to pay a little more.
Applied Stickers
Some of the CS2 (CS:GO) skins have applied stickers which can both increase and decrease the final price of it. While you can’t decrease the wear level of your skins, you can scratch applied stickers to make them look worn. Also, scratching a sticker is the only way to remove it from your gun. Bear in mind, that once you remove the sticker, it can not be restored and re-applied.
10 Most Expensive Skins
Over the years, skins have become a vital part of CS2 (CS:GO). Some players hunt the most expensive cosmetics to gather the highest worth inventory, some want to not only show off their skills but also their skins. Let’s begin our list of the most expensive CS2 (CS:GO) skins.
AK-47 | Fire Serpent (FN)
Valve added AK-47 | Fire Serpent to the game with the Operation Bravo Case in 2013. This skin has an image of a green serpent creature from Mayan mythology on its body.
Today, Factory New AK-47 | Fire Serpent with StatTrak™ costs around $7,300.
AK-47 | Wild Lotus (FN)
If you think that floral designs do not suit the spirit of CS2 (CS:GO), AK-47 | Wild Lotus will certainly prove you wrong.
This skin in Factory New condition will cost you at least $9,000. Unfortunately, there are no StatTrak™ variants for AK-47 | Wild Lotus.
AWP | Gungnir (FN)
Any fans of Norse mythology here? We’ve got a skin for you! AWP | Gungnir is an attention-worthy skin for the most popular sniper rifle in CS2 (CS:GO). Odin’s mighty spear is represented on the skin and adorned with silver wavy lines and curls.
AWP | Gungnir had a spike in price reaching $14,800 in November, 2022. Today you can get it in Factory New condition for a minimum of $9,500.
M9 Bayonet | Crimson Web (FN)
With its blade painted solid crimson red and a pattern of a thin black spider web applied, M9 Bayonet | Crimson Web has gained a lot of recognition in the community. To add more fun, the web pattern on each knife is generated randomly, making every variant of this skin unique.
The StatTrak™ variant of this skin for M9 Bayonet in Factory New condition sells for around $11,000.
StatTrak™ M4A4 | Howl (FN)
The only Contraband skin, M4A4 | Howl is the most controversial skin in CS:GO, and also the rarest. It is a community-made finish that got into the game with the Huntsman Weapon Case in 2014. Shortly after the release, Valve removed the skin from the case due to a copyright infringement and altered its design to bring it back to CS2 (CS:GO).
Although you can’t obtain this skin from a case anymore, there are multiple offers on the market. This is the most expensive CS2 (CS:GO) skin for M4A4. Right now, In Factory New condition and with StatTrak™, it costs a minimum of $13,600.
Butterfly Knife | Gamma Doppler (Emerald Phase, FN)
Doppler and Gamma Doppler skin families are unique as they come in several phases that alternate their color palettes. For Gamma Doppler skins, there are five phases, including Phases 1 to 4 and the Emerald Phase. The latter is the most expensive one.
Factory New Butterfly Knife | Gamma Doppler in Emerald Phase is one of the most expensive skins for knives. This is explained by the rarity of the Emerald Phase and the popularity of the Butterfly knife style. It costs around $22,800.
Sport Gloves | Pandora’s Box (FN)
Sport Gloves | Pandora’s Box skin stands out from the other CS2 (CS:GO) gloves. These are vivid purple athletic gloves with black and dark blue inserts and a simple but eye-catching pattern.
The first skins for gloves appeared in Counter-Strike in 2016, when Valve released the Brothers in Arms update. Today, this is the most expensive CS2 (CS:GO) skin for gloves. The starting price for Sport Gloves | Pandora’s Box in Factory New condition is starting around $32,000. Also, two cases contain this skin: Glove Case and Operation Hydra Case.
AK-47 | Case Hardened (Blue Gem) w/ StatTrak™ (FN)
Player Luksusbums is selling his Minimal Wear StatTrak™ AK-47 | Case Hardened (Blue Gem) in pattern #661 for $400k and this is just the starting price.
661 is a Tier 1 pattern for AK-47 | Case Hardened and is extremely rare. The skin also features four Titan Holo stickers applied, each costing an average of $70,000. This is not only the most expensive CS2 (CS:GO) skin for an AK-47 at the moment but also the oldest. Valve released AK-47 | Case Hardened in 2013 as a part of the first-ever case, CS2 (CS:GO) Weapon Case.
Souvenir AWP | Dragon Lore w/ StatTrak™ (FN)
AWP | Dragon Lore has become a legendary skin since its release in 2014 as a part of the Cobblestone souvenir package. In 2018, developers removed Cobblestone from the Active Duty Map Pool. The map became unavailable in the game and was no longer played in any official matches, meaning you could not receive Cobblestone souvenir packages anymore.
Today, you can get Factory New StatTrak™ Souvenir AWP | Dragon Lore by purchasing it directly for $430,000+ or test your luck and open one of the Souvenir Cobblestone Packages, which are extra rare as well. Who knows, maybe once Valve brings back Cobblestone, we will witness a drop in this skin’s price.
Karambit | Case Hardened (Blue Gem)
Even the common patterns of the Karambit | Case Hardened are already pricey enough. You would have to shell out from $1,000 to $4,000 for a common pattern in Factory New condition. However, we’re not here for ordinary skins, are we?
Pattern 387 of the Karambit | Case Hardened in Factory New condition is considered to be the most expensive CS2 (CS:GO) skin for a knife, as of today. It differs from the other variants due to its blade being solid and vibrant blue.
The owner bought it for $100,000 in 2016 and the price of the Blue Gem has massively grown since then. He turned down an offer for $1.4 Million saying it was too low. Even though the deal did not happen, someone was willing to spend a fortune on a knife skin.
To Conclude!
This concludes our list of CS2’s (CS:GO) most expensive skins. Our top may not be 100% accurate due to constant changes in the market, but we tried our best to keep you up to date. Whether you are a passionate collector or just a player curious for exclusive skins to glow up your CS inventory, we have the best deals for you on Hellcase. Check out skins and cases on our website, including the ones mentioned in the article and many more.
Average CS:GO enjoyer. Knows everything about CS:GO skins, including which ones will suit your weapons best.