Top Counter Strike 2 Skins: Prepare Your Inventory

As we all know, Valve dropped a bomb on gamers earlier this year, announcing that CS:GO will be ported to their new Source 2 engine. This information shocked all players and if this is the first time you’re hearing about it, you’ve probably been living under a rock for the past few months. Either way, Counter Strike 2 is coming, and it’s probably the biggest event in the CS community in years. Therefore, it’s worth preparing for. Today we’re going to show you which CS2 skinsyou should stock up on before the big switch happens.

What You Should Know About Counter Strike 2?

At the end of March 2023, Valve, the developer of Counter Strike, announced that their biggest hit would be ported to the new Source 2 game engine. Given that rumors about this had been circulating in the community for years, the mere fact that the game would be ported surprised no one. What was shocking, however, was that it would not be done in the form of a simple update. Instead, the company decided to publish a brand new game, Counter Strike 2. What’s more, it was supposed to happen as early as this summer.

Counter Strike 2 is expected to be the biggest technical shift in the history of the entire series. The developers announced improvements related to virtually every aspect of the game, including tick rate, visual aspects, and match dynamics.

To show off the capabilities of the new engine, Valve has released several images aimed at demonstrating the look of the new locations and equipment. In addition, selected players and influencers were given the opportunity to try out the beta version of the game to see how the promised changes actually look. All this has made the entire Counter Strike community eagerly anticipate the game’s release.

However, this does not change the fact that there are always some “buts.”

What Happens to Your Counter Strike: Global Offensive Skins?

As soon as the big news was announced, a wave of euphoria merged with a wave of anxiety. Many players, who had invested a good part of their lives in building their dream equipment, were worried about what such a change would mean for their inventory. It’s worth noting that Counter Strike 2’s entry into the market, means in practice not only technical improvements, but also a farewell to Global Offensive. Valve has announced that all owners of the current version of the game will receive a free upgrade to CS2. However, does this mean that all items from your current inventory will be lost?

Fortunately, no. Valve quickly dispelled users’ doubts and ensured that all items would be ported to CS2 for free. Players could breathe a sigh of relief, as well as look forward to enjoying their weapons in higher quality. Indeed, the developer announced that “In addition to supporting legacy models and finishes, all stock weapons have been upgraded with high-resolution models, and some weapon finishes take advantage of these new models”.

Are Skins Really Going to be Unaffected?

Of course, all this seems too good to be true.

Well, and unfortunately there is a chance that it is.

Many influencers who have already played the beta version report that, indeed, the new weapons and skins look great in Counter Strike 2, but it’s not as if they have been carried over seamlessly. It turned out that some iconic guns look slightly different in the new version of the game than in Global Offensive. It’s about minor details, of course, but this already affects their value and (especially) the value of their skins. This applies, for example, to the Mac-10 and M4A1-S, which are both very popular firearms in CS:GO. So players are asking themselves whether things will be the same when the official version of the game comes out, and if so, how this will affect the prices of the mentioned items. We believe that Valve will work with the skins’ authors and together they will adapt them to the new weapon versions. But in reality, only time will tell how this issue will be handled.

What Skins Should Be in Your Counter Strike 2 Inventory?

But moving on, we have prepared for you a short list of items that we can already confirm look great in Counter Strike 2. Get the skins below today to prepare your inventory for this big change and to be able to rock the new version of the game from day one.

1. AK-47 || Gold Arabesque

It may not be the cheapest option to start our list, but we thought it better to kick things off with something powerful. Regardless of the game version, the AK-47 will always remain the most popular weapon in Counter Strike. As for the Gold Arabesque skin, imagine how great it will look in the new high-resolution. The beta version of the game has already shown how great the light works on the maps. As soon as the sun’s rays hit that golden surface of this rifle, no player will be able to take their eyes off you.

• First Added: 21 September 2021
• Highest Steam Price: $5,419,72
• Lowest Steam Price: $2,269.41

2. Desert Eagle || Ocean Drive

The Desert Eagle is a foolproof pistol that will perform well in virtually any situation. By starting your Counter Strike 2 adventure with this weapon in hand, you can be sure of success. Ocean Drive, on the other hand, is a great neon blend that will be perfect for Source 2. The technical capabilities of the new engine and improved graphics will make the vivid colors of this skin look even better than before, and you will for sure turn up the heat on the map.

• First Added: 21 September 2021
• Highest Steam Price: $140.36
• Lowest Steam Price: $11.52

3. USP-S || The Traitor

The Traitor is a skin that already looks brilliant in Global Offensive. Just think how much transferring it to Source 2 will bring. The design on it alone makes this item a real work of art, and if you add the sunlight that will reflect off its golden-red surface, this version of the USP-S is a guaranteed hit. It’s worth keeping in mind, however, that this pistol is among those weapons that reportedly look a bit different in Counter Strike 2, so the prices of its skins can fluctuate a lot.

• First Added: 3 May 2021
• Highest Steam Price: $9.21
• Lowest Steam Price: $56.57

4. AK-47 || Case Hardened

We don’t really like to repeat ourselves, but we can’t help but add this version of AK-47 to our list. Touching on Source 2’s new technical capabilities and natural light on maps, we can’t leave out Case Hardened. This skin was practically created for everything Valve announced in the context of the transition to Counter Strike 2. Its marble surface will attract all the sun’s rays and, like Gold-Arabesque, has the potential to blind opponents. Fortunately, however, this option is much more budget-friendly.

• First Added: 41 August 2013
• Highest Steam Price: $344.66
• Lowest Steam Price: $146.52

5. M9 Bayonet || Doppler (Black Pearl)

Players have been raving about the new look of knives in Counter Strike 2, particularly the Doppler skins. This makes sense, given that light can reflect off the blades. However, no one expected the effect to be so phenomenal. Influencer videos show that the melee weapons in the Black Pearl version look completely different (almost as if they were purple) and present themselves very well in the hands of agents. We have to admit that from what we’ve seen, blades in Source 2 have gone to a whole new level, and if you’ve been hesitant to invest in them, now is the right time to do so.

• First Added: 8 January 2015
• Highest Steam Price: $980.85
• Lowest Steam Price: $973.50

Conclusions

Counter Strike 2 is fast approaching, and players are expecting big changes on the Steam market. Everyone should prepare for this transition and stock up their inventory with the best CS2 skins. Not only will this make you shine on the new and improved maps, but it will also likely bring you big returns. When the game moves to Source 2, there is a good chance that it will attract a whole new group of players, and thus the demand for items will increase significantly.