The ability to collect skins has been one of the important elements of the game for the CS:GO community since the early years of the game. It's no surprise that many Counter-Strike: Global Offensive fans are wondering what will happen to skins when the Counter-Strike 2 update goes live. This article was written during the closed beta; on September 27, 2023, CS2 launched for everyone and fully replaced CS:GO, with player inventories carried over.
Will skins be transferred to the new version?
Back in March, when the closed beta testing of CS2 was first announced, the skins market responded to this with some price drops. The fact is that initially it was not clear what would happen to skin collections when switching to the new version. However, the developers quickly clarified the situation: Valve officially confirmed that all inventories will be transferred to CS2. As a result, the market quickly recovered the fall, and the cost of items returned to their original values.
How will the appearance of skins change?
It is interesting that, according to analysts, the game update itself may affect the cost of some skins. On Source 2, the new engine version used in CS2, many in-game items look noticeably better. This is especially true for skins that use special effects in their decoration. For example, Doppler-painted knives shimmer brightly thanks to the new lighting system. This is also noticeable on some skins for firearms, in particular on items with Case Hardened or gradient. It is possible that this effect will affect holographic and metal stickers, which means they may also become more expensive.
In addition, observant beta testers noticed that some skins had changed color details. For example, some rifles have had their sights repainted, which were previously black: the AWP Acheron has a red sight, and the AWP Safari Mesh has it painted in the same pattern as the body. On the SSG 08 Acid Fade, it turned completely acid green. It is unclear whether these changes will remain in the final version of the game, or whether this is a temporary phenomenon. At the beginning of the beta test, the AWP Sun in Leo's sight was also made purple, and in one of the subsequent updates the change was removed. Perhaps the developers will make small adjustments to the appearance of skins based on feedback from players.
How will this affect prices?
Another factor could be that thanks to the improved graphics of CS2, even skins with high floats often don't look that bad. Consequently, you can expect price increases for items with a higher degree of wear and tear.
As such, the transition to a new version of Counter-Strike will not bring any unpleasant surprises to players. However, the prices of some skins may change. By following the updates that developers release, you can guess what these changes will be and make profitable investments.
