Skins that have received visual updates in the CS2 beta have seen even higher price hikes. For instance, the MP9 Hot Rod has seen a notable price increase.
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The Counter-Strike community has been eagerly awaiting the release of Counter-Strike 2, which is set to launch this summer. With over a million players rushing to gain exclusive access to the closed beta, Valve surprised fans with another announcement about their next title. Counter-Strike 2 will not only allow all CS:GO players to port over their precious inventories of skins, but it will also add visual updates to enhance the colors and textures of said skins. As a result, the market for CS:GO skins has exploded. Massive Price Spikes for CS:GO Skins as Counter-Strike 2 Release Approaches.
The Steam Marketplace has witnessed a wave of inflation, with markups ranging from 50 to 75 percent across the board. One of the most dramatic examples is the Factory New Bayonet Marble Fade, which sold for around $850 in late March. Now, in late April, it is priced at nearly $1500, representing a 76 percent increase in value.
Skins that have received visual updates in the CS2 beta have seen even higher price hikes. For instance, the MP9 Hot Rod has seen a notable price increase. A Factory New Hot Rod sold for about $35 a month ago, but now the cheapest one on the market is a staggering $70. That’s double the original price, highlighting the impact of the CS2 hype on the skins market.
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The Factory New Glock-18 Twilight Galaxy is another skin that has experienced a significant markup. Initially met with criticism from the community for its lack of pop for a skin based on clusters of stars, the skin has now received arguably the best visual update of them all in CS2. In March, this skin sold for just about $75, but now the cheapest one on the market sits at $315, representing a 420-percent markup in just thirty days.
The ever-popular CS:GO cases have also seen substantial price jumps since the announcement of CS2. The Chroma and Chroma 2 cases have almost doubled in price, and older cases like the Huntsman case have increased from $7.65 to nearly eleven bucks in a month. The hype has led some players to try their luck at opening cases to grab rare items to cash in on the inflated skins market.
March 2023 saw players set the individual record for cases opened in a month at around 39.5 million cases. Players looking to make a quick buck have been opening extra cases in hopes of grabbing rare items to sell at inflated prices.
Counter-Strike 2 is set for a summer 2023 launch, and the closed beta continues to gain more players. Valve is actively tweaking the game and preparing it for launch in the coming months. With skin prices only expected to continue rising until the game’s release, the skins market is experiencing unprecedented hype and inflation.
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