The best skins from the Boreal, Ascent and Radiant collections in CS2 are the AWP | Green Energy, AK-47 | Nouveau Rouge and M4A1-S | Stratosphere (the rarest, Classified skin of each collection), while the M4A1-S | Glitched Paint, Desert Eagle | Mulberry and AK-47 | Midnight Laminate stand out among the budget picks. All three collections drop through the weekly drop, so their skins are cheap: most cost under $5, and the Classified ones run from about $3 to $55 depending on wear.
The collections arrived in spring 2025 alongside an updated Train Collection and a new case. Together they hold more than eighty skins, and each collection has its own style. Below are the most interesting skins from each set, with approximate prices on LIS-SKINS.
Best Skins from the Boreal Collection
The main theme of this collection is harsh nature. The designs are dominated by shades of green and brown and camouflage patterns. If you are building a one-color loadout, see our guide to a green inventory in CS2.
AWP Green Energy
The AWP | Green Energy shows that green skins are not just camouflage. The background is an angular abstract landscape, and a straight laser beam or electric discharge runs along the body over it, a fitting image for the sniper rifle's stopping power. Discharge lines also cover the scope, which is painted in a green gradient. It is the rarest skin of the collection: from about $3 in Battle-Scarred and around $6 in Field-Tested to about $30 in Factory New.
M4A4 Sheet Lightning
The M4A4 | Sheet Lightning follows a similar idea in black and brown. The grip, magazine and some parts stay light beige, while the black body serves as a backdrop for lightning bolts. The FLASH lettering and an electrical hazard sign above the magazine carry the theme. Worn copies cost under a dollar, Factory New about $4.
Glock-18 Glockingbird
The Glock-18 | Glockingbird is mostly gray and yellow, with a few green details. A yellow arc runs along the body and follows the pistol's outline in an unusual way. The name plays on "mockingbird," and a black-and-white image of the bird appears on the body. It is one of the cheapest skins here: under a dollar in worn conditions and about $3 in Factory New.
Best Skins from the Radiant Collection
This is the brightest of the three collections. Most of its skins, especially the rarer ones, use red, yellow, purple, metallic surfaces and unexpected optical effects. Many of them clearly draw on cyberpunk and retrofuturism.
AK-47 Nouveau Rouge
The AK-47 | Nouveau Rouge will appeal to fans of vintage-style skins. A golden pattern resembling early 20th-century Art Nouveau ornament sits over brown and white waves. If the Graphic Design Collection is not enough to show off your taste, this AK skin complements it well. It is the Classified skin of the collection and the priciest on this list: about $8 in Field-Tested, around $20 in Minimal Wear and about $55 in Factory New.
M4A1-S Glitched Paint
The makers of the M4A1-S | Glitched Paint went for a bright abstract design. The skin is covered in colored blotches that blend into each other as if airbrushed. The color layout depends on the pattern index, so no two copies look exactly alike. Prices start at about $1, with Factory New around $6.
Desert Eagle Mulberry
The Desert Eagle | Mulberry is minimalist, and its color is what makes it stand out. The dark crimson metallic surface matches the color of the fruit it is named after. It fits nicely next to the Candy Apple and Green Apple finishes, and this shade of red looks more original. Prices run from under a dollar in Battle-Scarred to about $10 in Factory New.
Best Skins from the Ascent Collection
Skins in this set use shades of gray and blue, which makes sense: the artists drew on mountaineering, flight and high-altitude combat operations.
M4A1-S Stratosphere
The rarest skin in the Ascent Collection, and its only Classified one, is the M4A1-S | Stratosphere. Against a starry sky, a planet is circled by several spacecraft heading into orbit. The detailed, dynamic artwork will suit anyone who likes elaborate designs. It costs from about $3 in worn conditions, around $10 in Minimal Wear and about $30 in Factory New.
P2000 Royal Baroque
The P2000 | Royal Baroque is another skin for fans of classical art. Gold patterns on a blue background may look a bit showy, but the skin is striking, especially for the price: it is Mil-Spec, and even Factory New costs under a dollar.
AK-47 Midnight Laminate
Finally, one more option for minimalists. The AK-47 | Midnight Laminate pairs blue-gray wood textures with shiny purple metal, which makes it more interesting than most skins with wooden surfaces. It runs from about $2 in Field-Tested to around $15 in Factory New.
How to Get Skins from Ascent, Boreal and Radiant
These collections reflect Valve's push toward ways of getting skins other than cases. Items from all three sets come in the weekly drop; see our guide to what skins drop in CS2 and our explainer on how case and skin drops work. The skins can be sold, bought and traded like any others, and you can work toward a collection's rarer skins with a trade-up contract. If you like a specific skin, buying it on LIS-SKINS is more reliable than waiting for luck. For the newer collections, see our piece on Arabesque and Spy Tech skins.
