The Best M4A4 Skins in CS2 (According To The Pros)

Introduction

For most of CS:GO’s lifespan, the M4A4 was the lesser liked sibling of the M4A1. Things varied from patch to patch of course, but if you wanted the best CT rifle, you’d go for the M4A1. In recent times, the M4A4 has been rising in popularity again. This probably has something to do with the fact that players can now put both the A4 as well as the A1 in their loadout, so if you always rocked the A1 now might be the time to invest in its louder sibling. In this article, we’ll go over the best M4A4 skins according to the pros.

For this guide, we’ll count all skin conditions together. Otherwise, the list can become very repetitive, with multiple of the same skins at different wear levels being listed.

Our Data

There are tons of tier lists out there that are trying to decide what the best M4A4 skins are. Rather than adding on to that, we went for a different approach and used our data on pro CS2 players. This doesn’t make our list ‘better’ or anything like that: skins come down to personal opinions after all. It’s just a different angle on the whole ‘best skins’ debate for our readers to explore.

Before moving on with the list, we’d like to emphasize that this isn’t investment advice. Investing in CS2 requires a lot of knowledge and is -like all investments- not without risk. If you wish to purchase CS2 skins as investments, always thoroughly research your purchases before committing.

M4A4 Howl

The M4A4 Howl is an extraordinary skin in more than one way. For starters, it’s the only Contraband tier skin in the entire game. In case you’re new to skins you can check out our article on CS2 skin rarities, but in short this means that the supply for this particular skin has been cut off many, many years ago.

This was done due to a copyright dispute: the designers of the Howl skin had lifted the wolf design from another artist. In order to prevent any legal backlash, Valve changed the artwork on the skin, banned the designers, and put the Howl in its very own Contraband tier, meaning that no new Howls could be unboxed or crafted.

As a result of this, very few Howls are in existence. Around 7,500 M4A4 Howls are estimated to be out there. For comparison: there are over 22,000 AK Fire Serpents in circulation.

As a consequence of this extremely limited supply, the Howl is a very expensive skin. Expect to part with well over $3,000 for a Field-Tested version. Low float (CS2 Float Values Explained) Factory New Howls can go for $10,000+.

This skin is for people who want to flex, and for gamers who collect very rare skins. If you see someone with a Howl, you’ll know they paid a pretty penny for it.

M4A4 Temukau

Anime and gaming is a marriage made in heaven. Just take a look at how many anime girl mousepads are being released right now (and selling out immediately) or -even easier- look at how many of your teammates and enemies have anime profile pictures and you’ll see this trend for yourself.

As such, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that a heavily anime-themed skin is among the most popular ones.

The M4A4 Temukau is a new skin (it was released in early 2023) but it has already managed to carve out quite a reputation for itself. The very busy artwork features an anime girl fending off a rush, and the rest of the skin has all sorts of details on it that give you the feeling as if you’re walking through a modern Japanese city.

If you’re into anime, this skin is a no-brainer. Fortunately, it also doesn’t cost too much. A Field-Tested M4A4 Temukau can be bought for around $14 right now. Minimal Wear and Factory New versions do ramp up in price quite significantly though, especially if you want a StatTrak version.

M4A4 Asiimov

The Asiimov has been around since basically forever. It was released way back in 2012, and was one of the original high tier M4A4 skins. The Asiimov line has been brought to many other weapons since then, but many people argue that the M4A4 (along with the AWP) still looks the best. We tend to agree.

The Asiimov was named after sci-fi writer Isaac Asimov, and you can see why that is. The design has a sort of 80’s sci-fi look to it. Predominantly black and white, the orange accents really pop to make this a very unique-looking M4A4 skin.

Back when the M4A4 Asiimov released, the game had far fewer players. As such, a relatively low number of skins were unboxed when the case it can be found in (the Winter Offensive case) was actively being dropped to players. Low supply and high demand equals high prices, so you should expect to pay at least $175 for a Field-Tested version.

Interestingly, the M4A4 Asiimov is float-capped. There are no Minimal Wear or Factory New versions available, and the best float value you can find it in is 0.18. This means that most Asiimovs are going to be quite scratched. A low float Asiimov with a nice wear pattern will cost a lot more than a regular one, so if you like clean skins you should be prepared to open your wallet a little further.

M4A4 The Emperor

The whole Tarot skin line is popular in CS2, both with pros and casual players. It’s not hard to see why either. The designers did an amazing job implementing classic Tarot cards into weapon skins, and each version has its own unique aesthetic.

The Emperor features -unsurprisingly- a drawing of an emperor. This tarot card represents (among other things) hard work, discipline, and self-control. If this is the kind of CT player you are, the M4A4 The Emperor just might be the skin for you.

But even if you don’t care about the meaning behind tarot cards it’s hard to ignore this skin. It’s beautifully made and has a ton of neat little details all across the body of the weapon. The deep blue hues are a bit less flashy than some other M4A4 skins out there, but there’s no doubt that this is one beautifully made piece of art.

As an added bonus, it’s also quite affordable. A Field-Tested Emperor can be bought for around $13. If you’re someone who wants to go for value, you’ll be pleased to know that the Emperor doesn’t really start showing any very obvious signs of wear (apart from on the magazine) until you get to Well-Worn. The higher the wear, the darker the body of the gun gets, but there are no huge scratches or anything like that.

M4A4 In Living Color

If you don’t like subtlety, here’s the gun for you. You’ll find just about every color neon on this skin, making this a great choice for people who like a flashy inventory.

In all the neon-colored madness, a drawing of a woman wearing a gas mask can be seen emerging. She’s surrounded by street art in various colors and styles. We see graffiti styles, pixel art, writing, …

If you look at the design head-on it’s quite captivating and (for a skin this busy) easy to ‘follow’ but when holding it in game it can sometimes look like a bit of a colorful mess.

Perhaps that’s where the beauty of this skin lies, though. It’s chaotic, it’s loud, but once you take your time to appreciate it, you’ll notice that there’s a lot more to it than you originally thought. For around $6, you can get a Field-Tested In Living Color, so it’s a very budget-friendly skin to boot.

M4A4 Neo-Noir

The Neo-Noir skin collection has been around for a while now. And it’s without a doubt one of the game’s most popular and recognizable skin lines. Despite not popping up as a ‘dream skin’ for most people, it’s hard to find players who actively dislike the Neo-Noir.

The art style is reminiscent of gritty visual novels and movies like Sin City. On the M4A4, there’s a woman with a katana on her back, seemingly ready to take on a dystopian city during the night.

Aside from the great artwork, Neo-Noir skins are also liked for their colors. The textured white surfaces along with black, magenta, and blue/purple elements make for a skin that’s extremely pleasing to look at.

If you want to get yourself an M4A4 skin that’ll be recognized immediately and you’re on a budget, you should consider the Neo-Noir. A Field-Tested one can be bought for around $7.50 right now. That’s a steal for such a great-looking skin.

Best M4A4 Skins in CS2 – Conclusion

The M4A4 is a lot less popular than the M4A1-S, so if you can only get a skin for one weapon, we’d probably recommend the silenced version. This popularity disparity does mean that M4A4 skins are relatively affordable compared to their silenced counterparts though. Aside from high roller behemoths such as the Howl, most of the skins in this list are actually quite affordable, especially if you tend to go for Field-Tested ones.

When it comes to styles, there’s something here for most people. Pros tend to go for flashy skins, but if you’re someone who’s more of a fan of subtlety and you don’t want a bunch of drawings or figures on your gun you can always go for an all-time classic like the Asiimov.

Lars

Reviews, Community, FPS

Former semi-pro gamer turned writer, product reviewer, and community manager.