The Most Popular CS:GO Skins (August 2023)
The summer holiday is over, CS2 is in open beta (see: CS Open Beta? Update Adds Inferno and New MM System) and the meteoric rise of skin prices that took place after the CS2 announcement has somewhat cooled down. All of that makes for a perfect recipe to check out the most popular CS:GO skins once again if you ask us.
As you may know, some skins look a lot better in CS2, while other skins have received a bit of a downgrade. With CS2 now being available to a lot of players, does this influence people’s skin buying behavior? Will we see some of the CS2 ‘star skins’ pop up in this list? Read on to find out!
The List
For this list, we have combined sales and trade data from CS.Money, which is one of the most popular skin trading websites in the world. The data that they provide should give us an interesting and representative look into the world of CS:GO skins, so everything you see here is based on their data.
In case you’re new to Counter-Strike skins, we also have some introductory articles for you so that you can get up to speed.
Read: How to get CS:GO Skins – CS:GO Skins explained
Read: The Most Popular CS Knives
1. AK-47 Redline (Field Tested)
Previous position: 1st
The AK Redline has graced the top of our ‘most popular’ lists for a long time now, and it makes a ton of sense if you ask us. With most of the truly top tier iconic CS:GO skins being valued at extremely high prices these days, the Redline is an OG skin that everyone knows which can be bought for less than $40 in Field Tested condition. Of course that’s still a lot of money, but if you look at some other well-known skins that released in the same time period it’s basically a steal.
As as added bonus, it’s also a really cool skin to craft on. The AK Slate is still the best ‘blank slate’ (what’s in a name, right?) AK skin in the game, but due to the red accents of the Redline it’s an insanely good skin to craft on with stickers that have red in them.
2. AK-47 Ice Coaled (Field Tested)
Previous position: 2nd
Usually, it takes quite some time for newer guns to develop a big following in the world of CS:GO skins, but the Ice Coaled is the exception to that rule.
This is a newer AK skin but it has risen to the very top echelons very quickly, and that’s due to two factors if you ask us: it’s relatively affordable and it just looks cool. It’s a skin that immediately grabs the eye with its blue-green fade and if you look closely you’ll notice that there are some really neat little details to be found on the gun as well.
If you’re into futuristic-looking skins and you don’t want to break the bank by going for something like the Asiimov (listed below) then the Ice Coaled is a great purchase. It can be the host weapon for some fantastic crafts as well. We’ve seen amazing creations where people combine multiple holographic stickers that, depending on the light, match either the green or blue on the gun perfectly, making for a mesmerizing weapon.
3. AK-47 Asiimov (Field Tested)
Previous position: 3rd
The Asiimov is without a doubt one of the most iconic weapon skins in the entire game. Being the OG ‘top tier finish’ on the M4A4 and AWP way back in the day, the skin finish has also made its way to the AK some time ago. While some may argue that it doesn’t fit the AK as well as the M4A4, it’s very clear that the majority of skin enthusiasts have a different opinion.
The crisp, clean whites combined with the orange and black tints make this a very unique weapon that you’ll instantly recognize, even if it’s just in the hands of an enemy way out in the distance. One of the big downsides of the Asiimov is that it shows scratches rather easily, so if you want to pick up a scratch-free AK Asiimov you’re probably going to be looking towards purchasing at least a Minimal Wear version, though you can also make some great deals by simply keeping an eye on the float value of Field Tested Asiimovs.
4. AK-47 Legion of Anubis (Field Tested)
Previous position: 4th
The AK Legion of Anubis is a fantastic skin. It’s not the most colorful weapon out there, but this Egyptian mythology-based skin has a ton of amazing details to be discovered in its design, from the grip to the stock.
The Legion of Anubis is one of the most affordable skins on this list, costing just a bit over $10, so if you’re on a budget and you want to get yourself a powerful-looking and fantastically designed AK skin, look no further.
5. AK-47 Neon Revolution (Field Tested)
Previous position: 5th
The Neon Revolution is definitely not everyone’s cup of tea. It looks like some anarchist took out a regular ol’ AK and went to town on it with bright pink and neon green spray cans and paint buckets, so if you’re looking for a clean and precise design, this isn’t going to be it for you.
If you’re a bit of an anarchist yourself, though, this might be right up your alley. Because it has ‘anarchy’ written on it in neon green, for one, but also because it looks like it’s been pulled straight out of some Suicide Squad concept art book. A very unique approach to CS:GO skins for sure.
6. AWP Chromatic Aberration (Field Tested)
New entry
The AWP Chromatic Aberration is a new entry on the list. It’s colorful, pretty unique, and on the more affordable end (which definitely can’t be said for all AWP skins) so if you’re a sniper player who likes colorful skins that don’t go overboard, this might be a good one to consider.
The zebra-like pattern of black that runs through the pink-purple fade might not please everyone, but if you’ve got a neon-themed inventory (or you don’t have a theme and you just like cool and affordable AWP skins) this is a very logical option, and even if you don’t it’s quite simply a really solid budget AWP.
7. Desert Eagle Printstream (Field Tested)
Previous position: 7th
Despite the fact that Printstream skins notoriously don’t look very good in CS2 right now (the pearlescent effect that makes them so well-liked isn’t very present in CS2 just yet) the Desert Eagle version of this already iconic skin line maintains its position on the list.
In fact, if you’re a fan of this skin line (and you’re convinced that Valve will fix the pearlescent effect down the line) it might be a great time to grab yourself a Printstream: the price is slowly climbing back up, but just a couple of weeks ago it hit an almost all-time low. Whether that’s down to the fact that all skins have gone down in value after the initial CS2 announcement boom or down to the fact that it doesn’t look all that great in CS2 (yet?) is a question we can’t answer, but if you like these clean, minimalistic-futuristic skins, now might be your time.
8. AWP Neo-Noir (Field Tested)
Previous position: 8th
Despite the fact that we’d argue that the Neo-Noir skins usually don’t look all that great when holding them in an actual match it’s still one of our overall favorite skin lines in the entire game.
Each Neo-Noir skin seems to tell a story, and the nostalgic, graphic novel type of vibe that the Neo-Noir line puts out, combined with the extremely high level of artistic craftsmanship when it comes to the drawings, make them a true work of virtual art.
Our favorite feature of the AWP Neo-Noir is the white-black-pink scope. It quite simply looks amazing and gives the rifle a very sleek and stylish look when you pull it out or you get out of your scope after fragging some poor soul.
In what’s perhaps the most crowded field to compete in (AWP skins) it still manages to stand out and be a thing all on its own.
9. AK-47 Frontside Misty (Field Tested)
Previous position: 9th
The Frontside Misty is affordable, very different from the stock AK skin, and is instantly recognizable when someone is using it. Those are all good reasons to end up on this list and as such, the Frontside Misty keeps its position among the top 10 most popular CS:GO skins.
If you want an affordable futuristic-ish AK skin that stands out, this might be a great shout. It’s definitely not as iconic as something like the AK Vulcan but it’s a great alternative option if you like that color scheme.
10. USP-S The Traitor (Field Tested)
New entry
The AK Empress might have tumbled out of the top 10 in August, but that means that the USP-S The Traitor can claim a spot for itself.
This tarot card-inspired gun was cooked up by the same artist behind the AK Empress, the M4A4 The Emperor and the AWP Mortis, so if you like those guns you can round off your collection with this fantastic USP-S skin. The only thing missing to get a complete ‘basic tarot loadout’ is a Glock skin, but hopefully that comes along in the future.
Conclusion – Most Popular CS:GO Skins in July
It seems like the release of what’s basically an open beta for CS2 hasn’t had a huge impact on CS:GO skins yet. Most of the top 10 has remained in place, though we do have two newcomers in the list in the form of the USP-S The Traitor and the AWP Chromatic Aberration.
Thousands upon thousands of new players are taking their first steps in the world of CS2 as we speak and are checking out their skins for the first time, so we’re curious to see if this big wave of new players will influence September’s top 10. Check back soon to know if it did!
