CS:GO skins are the crucial figure behind this eSports title’s popularity, almost a decade after the release. Read on to find out what’s so unique about those in-game cosmetic updates.
The first version of Counter-Strike was released in November 2000, and the game was pretty popular ever since. Yet in 2013, a year after the CS:GO was released, Valve included a revolutionary addition to the game. It was a skin market.
What are CS:GO skins?
Generally speaking, in-game skins are cosmetic updates that most likely don’t affect the player’s stats, except for the nicer-looking exterior.
In CS:GO, skins are visual updates of rifles, pistols, knives and weapons in general. They don’t offer any additional stats or advantages for the player, and the only advantage is in the aesthetics.
- Okay, but why’s all the hype about CS:GO skins?
Neither Valve had an idea that this skin market will enjoy such tremendous popularity from the community. Players seem to love the opportunity to own uniquely colored or textured firearms. And as the best part, they are free to get. You (only) need to be lucky enough at the end of each game, and you might get some of the rarest skins out there.
However, there’s one more, quite crucial addition to CS:GO skins. To make the market even more competitive, Valve added the ability to trade skins, which opened another dimension.
From that moment on, people started buying, selling, trading and swapping skins among each other.
Yet the story doesn’t end here. A trend that’s pretty active recently is CS:GO skin betting.
Gambling with CS:GO skins, really?
Besides being an in-game object, skins have the real monetary value expressed in USD. Once you open the Steam Market, you can see the median sale prices for each of your skins. So instead of a rough classification that defines the rarity, here we have the real-money value that’s transparently listed and visible to anyone.
Plus when we combine this with the popularity of major eSports tournaments, betting becomes a logical next step.
Maybe you want to gamble your skins in order to get some better ones. Or you’re simply into the team you love, so you’d be glad to push their lucky charm by betting weapons on their winnings. Regardless of the scenario, you have the opportunity to add a completely different dimension to your casual plays.
Of course, you’ll be hardly able to bet with your skins using Steam only. Especially if you want to cash the winnings, you certainly need help from third-party websites and operators. The best and most convenient method is heading to some of the CS:GO skin betting sites such as csgoskinbetting.com. Over there you can find rankings, different CS:GO betting categories, and even find bonus codes that give you additional profit.
Yet just like in regular betting, don’t forget to play responsively. Also, never wager the amount (this time in CS:GO skins) that you’re afraid of losing.
How would CS:GO look like in the 2020s if the skin market wasn’t introduced?
Counter-Strike seems like an undying evergreen game. However, it wasn’t like that in 2013, just before the game’s “Arms Deal” update.
Valve and CS:GO were in a tight battle with the game’s popularity, and the fanbase foundations were pretty unstable. One part of the game’s loyal fans didn’t want to switch to CS:GO from CS 1.6. They were in love with the old version, and the updates in the new game were a big turn-off.
On the other hand, a ton of new FPS titles have been released back in the days, and players started transitioning to other games as well.
So in order to save the game, Valve had to include something different and something that will attract the attention of new players, plus the existing ones from CS 1.6. Luckily, the addition of those in-game cosmetics gradually changed the growth pace. And with the help of pro eSports athletes, more and more players switched to the new CS:GO.
- So, how would CS:GO look like in the 2020s if the skin market wasn’t introduced?
It’s pretty challenging to give the answer to this question, yet one is for sure. If the update didn’t happen at all, the game would more likely proceed towards slow-paced death.