The Most Popular CS:GO Skins (April 2023)

CS:GO skins have been on a meteoric rise over the past couple of months, and when CS2 got announced by Valve, hype levels went through the roof. Skin (and case) prices reached incredible heights, and while some ingame items have come down a bit from their peak at the time of writing this article, there’s no telling where this will all stop.
In this article (which we’ll turn into a monthly series) we’re looking at the most popular CS:GO skins out there and (starting from next month) we’ll also look at how their popularity is trending when compared to the previous month. This can be incredibly handy for investors, but it’s also just simply interesting information for people who are into the game.
The List
In this list, we’ll combine trade and sales date from CS.Money. This is one of the largest skin trading websites on the planet, so we feel like this is a good source to base this most popular CS:GO skins list on. If you’re new to CS:GO skins, you can always read our introductory article to get up to speed. In that article we also talk about the different skin tiers and rarities.
1. AK-47 Safari Mesh (Field Tested)

The Safari Mesh is a skin that’s gotten quite (in)famous these days. It’s one of the first skin types to be added to CS:GO way back in the day, and thanks to its low price (it costs under a buck) it’s a very affordable way to get yourself an AK skin. In recent years, though, it has also become something of a cult skin.
What started out as a meme (the Safari Mesh skin being one of the ‘ugliest’ skins in the game lead a lot of people to purchase it as a joke) has now become somewhat serious, as we’re seeing some content creators and collectors using Safari Mesh skins for their crafts (a ‘craft’ in CS:GO is when players apply stickers to a weapon) which might have something to do with its surge in popularity.
The Safari Mesh AK is also pretty much the only AK skin that costs under a dollar in Field Tested condition, and given the fact that a ton of players have been flocking to CS:GO after the CS2 announcement, we might be seeing this skin on top because those players wanted to try out a skin for their AK without spending too much money.
The Safari Mesh is also part of the Dust 2 collection, and with the recent skins hype (and the accompanying price hike of skins in general that came along with it) there might have also been some speculators who bought this skin in the hopes that it becomes rarer and thus more valuable in the future, seeing as Dust 2 has been removed from the official map pool.
Of course all of the above is just speculation, but whatever the case may be: it’s interesting to see a ‘meme skin’ sit on top of this list.
2. AK-47 Slate (Field Tested)

The AK Slate is a skin that’s been extremely popular for a very long time now, and it makes sense to us. It’s not extremely expensive, it’s a clear step up from the default AK skin, and it quite simply looks extremely sleek with that all black exterior.
That exterior is also what makes it such a great skin to craft with: pretty much any sticker will look great on the AK Slate, allowing you to really personalize the weapon and come up with your own unique sticker combination.
Even if you don’t care about stickers, it can’t be denied that the Slate looks extremely classy and stealthy, and if you’re someone who isn’t all that into flashy guns and colorful cartoons then the Slate could be your weapon of choice.
3. M4A1-S Boreal Forest (Field Tested)

Fans of realistic, military-styled gun skins will be very happy when they see the M4A1-S Boreal Forest, and if we’re looking at its position in this list then there are a lot of fans.
As we mentioned in the previous entry: not everyone is a big fan of the colorful, dreamy, and very artistic designs that are usually associated with CS:GO skins, and if you’re one of those people then the Boreal Forest is a dream come true. The dream also lives on, because these realistic camo skins can usually be bought for very little money. The Boreal Forest M4A1-S will cost you less then 50 cents unless you’re buying a Factory New version.
A bargain for fans of military-themed weapons.
4. AWP Safari Mesh (Field Tested)

As we said in the first entry: Safari Mesh skins are on the rise, and the AWP version of the skin confirms that. There could be a number of reasons behind the popularity of this skin, but the fact that it’s the cheapest AWP skin on the market will definitely have a lot of influence on this weapon’s position in this list.
It’s, according to many, not the prettiest skin to look at, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and if you’re looking for an affordable AWP skin then the Safari Mesh is the first thing that’ll come up on your list.
5. AK-47 Elite Build (Field Tested)

If you’re looking at the most popular CS:GO skins it would seem like there are only green-ish and black-ish skins available, If players aren’t going for the most affordable skins of their weapon of choice, they seem to be going for sleek looking skins with a lot of black. The Elite Build fits that description to a tee.
The AK-47 Elite Build is a little bit more futuristic and ‘styled’ than the Slate which can be found higher up, but it’s still not the flashiest piece of equipment you can pull out in CS:GO. With its subtle black/grey camo pattern and orange/gold accents it’s a weapon that reminds us a lot of the (modern) Deus Ex games, and given how much we love those games that’s certainly a welcome throwback.
The Elite Build is a great skin for people who want to get a modern looking AK without spending a ton of money, and due to the darker nature of the weapon you also won’t see a ton of wear and tear when you’re buying it in Field Tested condition. A great budget AK if you’re asking us.
6. AWP Mortis (Field Tested)

The AWP Mortis is one of our favorite budget AWP skins, and if this would’ve been a tier higher we don’t think anyone would have complained about it. It has a custom scope and detailed artwork that quite simply looks amazing without looking too flashy, and to top it all of it comes in at extremely friendly prices.
The Field Tested version of the AWP Mortis can be bought for around $2.5 at the time of writing this article, and you’re getting a ton of skin for that money. The artwork on the skin is based on the Death tarot card, and it was created by the same person who created community favorite skins such as the AK Empress and the M4A4 The Emperor. Given the fact that those are all covert-tier skins we would say that this AWP is an absolute steal at these prices.
7. AK-47 Asiimov (Field Tested)

The Asiimov skin line is one of the most famous skin lines in the entire game, and due to the fact that the AK Asiimov is a lot newer (and thus less rare) than the absolutely iconic M4A4 Asiimov, it can still be found at relatively affordable prices.
These days, the AK Asiimov seems to be getting more and more expensive due to the fact that it’s unboxed less often and it might go the way of the M4A4 Asiimov soon (though you obviously never know for sure with such as volatile market as the CS:GO skins market) so players who want to get their hands on one might want to start gathering the necessary cash.
If you’re using an Asiimov skin, you’re using an OG CS:GO skin, so if you’re a fan of futuristic designs (the Asiimov is named after Isaac Asiimov, one of the most influential science fiction writers of all time) this might very well be the skin for you. The only downside is that Asiimov skins tend to show scratches rather easily, so make sure you check out the float value and the scratch pattern of the skin before purchasing.
8. AUG Tom Cat (Field Tested)

Recently, some pros have been picking up the AUG here and there in their matches, and that might be what has lead this Tom Cat to land itself in the most popular CS:GO skins list.
The Tom Cat is one of the cheaper AUG skins, but it has an interesting sci-fi theme to it and on the stock of the weapon you’ll see a graffiti cat. The internet loves cats, so maybe we shouldn’t look any further than that in order to explain the popularity of this skin, or maybe it has something to do with the fact that it’s a good looking AUG skin that can be bought for less than 50 cents.
9. Desert Eagle Trigger Discpline (Field Tested)

Players who are looking to add some color to their loadout on a budget will probably end up looking at the Desert Eagle Trigger Discipline at some point. With its pink tip and baby blue accents it’s an impressive looking skin that doesn’t go overboard on the flashy colors due to the black background that the skin elements are placed on.
With a pattern that reminds us a little bit of a Minecraft world looked at from the side, it’s right at home in the world of gaming, and due to its low price point (the Field Tested version costs around $0.70) it’s one of the most affordable Deagle skins that doesn’t fall into the ‘pale green’ category of skins.
10. M4A4 Urban DDPAT (Field Tested)

Further up in the list we see a military-themed M4A1-S so it’s nice to see a military-themed M4A4 skin rounding out our most popular CS:GO skins list for April. What’s interesting is that the M4A1 has a lot of lower tier forest-themed military skins (VariCamo, Boreal Forest, Moss Quartz) on the lower end while the M4A4’s military skins are based on urban warfare (this one) and desert warfare (Desert Storm).
With this gun, the battlefield has moved from the forest to an urban city setting, but in essence this is the same style of skin as the Boreal Forest: it’s based on a real military camo pattern. Users who want an unassuming M4A4 skin that won’t look out of place in the hands of a SEAL Team 6 member will love the Urban DDPAT line.
It’s one of the most affordable M4A4 skins on the market today, so if you want a custom M4A4 skin and you’re on a budget you can always consider the M4A4.
Conclusion – Most Popular CS:GO Skins in April
We’ll never see any skins on this list that cost hundreds of dollars, and that’s quite simply because there aren’t enough people who are willing to part with that much money in order to get themselves a better looking gun skin in a game. It’s still a bunch of pixels, after all.
For that reason, the most popular CS:GO skins will always be skins on the more affordable end. What’s interesting is that skins like the AK-47 Asiimov (which can’t be called ‘cheap’ by any means, at least not when compared to the other skins in this list) have made it to this list. Does that simply mean that it’s an insanely popular skin? Have investors been speculating on the skin? Only time will tell, and luckily we’ll make this a monthly series.
Starting next month, we’ll compare trends to see which skins have moved up (or down) the list, and maybe that’ll show us some interesting patterns. See you next month!