If you watch any pro match, you’ll notice that almost all of them (shoutout to Elige) are using flashy skins. It’s no secret that high tier pros gravitate towards expensive and rare skins, but we wanted to know what the very best CS2 skins are in the pro scene. We’ve taken a look at our internal data, and this shows that you’ll need to have a decently sized wallet if you want to roll with the pros.
The most used skins by CS2 Pros
The most popular skins are calculated based on 553 professional players.
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The best CS2 skins are based on our internal data on what the pros are using. This is by no means a definitive list of the ‘best’ skins (since that’s mostly subjective) nor should it be used as investment advice.
For more info on how to buy CS2 skins, you can read our introductory guide on how to buy CS2 skins.
Desert Eagle Blaze
Arguably the most iconic Desert Eagle skin in the entire game, the Blaze has always been a fan- and pro favorite. Now that it has also become very expensive (thus adding to its prestige) its popularity in the pro scene has only gone up.
The Blaze sports a simple design with a flame pattern at the front which is added on top of a deep black base layer. This skin looked a bit more matte in CS:GO, giving it a Guy Fieri type of vibe, but with CS2’s new engine the flames at the front really come alive. The shininess adds an extra bit of flair and modernity to the Blaze.
This skin used to cost $10 when it first came out, but these days you’d be very lucky to get one for under $500. That’s because it’s part of the Dust collection; a collection of weapons that currently isn’t dropping any longer. This makes it very rare, and with tons of new people picking up the game every single day, the supply will continue to get further and further away from the demand.
And of course, there’s the memes. If we got a penny for every Deagle Blaze with a variation of the ‘420 blaze it‘ nametag then we’d have enough money to buy multiple Desert Eagle Blazes for our entire staff.
Glock-18 Fade
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PistolsGlock-18 | Fade (Factory New)
Fade skins are, along with Dopplers, probably the most iconic skins in the entire game. The Glock-18 Fade was one of the first skins to ever get added to the game. It shot up to a relatively high price rather quickly, so it has always been considered a high tier Glock. It’s unbelievable now, but back in the day $100 for a pistol skin was considered to be very expensive. These days, you have to add a 0 to that number (and then some) if you want to get yourself a Glock Fade.
You can only get the Glock Fade in Factory New and Minimal Wear conditions (see our article on CS2 Skin Conditions Explained for more info) which only adds to its rarity. On top of that, it’s also pattern-based (CS2 Pattern ID Explained) so getting a full fade glock will cost you a lot more than a regular one.
Having a Glock Fade in your inventory is definitely a flex, but be prepared to burn a significant hole in your wallet if you want one for yourself.
M4A1-S Blue Phosphor
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Assault RiflesM4A1-S | Blue Phosphor (Factory New)
The M4A1-S Blue Phosphor is a relatively new addition to the game, but it became extremely popular extremely quickly. If you look at one ingame, it’s not hard to see why. The Blue Phosphor is basically a Sapphire M4A1, with its deep blue hues shining and reflecting no matter where you are on the map.
Like most skins in the game, its value shot up with the announcement of CS2. Unlike most other skins, however, the Blue Phosphor hasn’t come back down a significant amount. That probably has to do with the fact that it seems to be tailor-made for the CS2’s Source 2 lighting. It’s also one of the few skins that’s using the new M4A1-S model, giving it a little extra boost when it comes to its looks.
If you’re looking to build a blue-themed inventory, this is without a doubt an endgame skin. The Blue Phosphor will shine in any inventory, though. It’s quite simply one of the best CS2 skins out there right now if you ask us.
Specialist Gloves Crimson Kimono
The reception of gloves in CS:GO was initially rather lukewarm, but these days they’re a completely accepted part of the skins scene. High tier gloves can cost thousands of dollars, and the Crimson Kimonos in Factory New and Minimal Wear conditions are definitely considered to be high tier. A Field-Tested pair is a bit more affordable, but you’ll still have to put down four figures if you want to don these gloves.
What’s interesting about these gloves is that they are pattern-based. The amount of red that’s on the backside of the hand is random. A max red (or max grey) pair will cost significantly more than a regular pair. If you want to see just how deep the rabbit holes goes on pattern-based skins, you can read this Comprehensive Crimson Kimono Guide on Steam.
M4A1-S Printstream
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Assault RiflesM4A1-S | Printstream (Field-Tested)
Printstream skins haven’t been in the game for very long, but they are undoubtedly already part of the Counter-Strike hall of legends when it comes to skins. Sadly, the CS2 release hasn’t done these skins any big favors. The trademark pearlescent effect that they’re so loved for is much less noticeable in CS2, and this is something that hasn’t been fixed at the time of writing.
However, even without this pearlescent effect the Printstream is a really sleek skin. Its white body allows for a ton of cool sticker crafts to be made on it, and the pleasing black accents that can be found throughout the body quite simply look really cool to a lot of people.
This is a skin that’s already considered to be a legend by many, and it’ll only get better once the pearlescent effect gets to shine in all its Source 2 glory.
Desert Eagle Printstream
The good old Deagle is, along with the AK, the most iconic Counter-Strike weapon. As such, it’s only fitting that this weapon kickstarted the success of the Printstream collection.
The Desert Eagle Printstream was the first gun to get a Printstream finish in the game, so owning one of these means you’re kind of owning a piece of history. This history doesn’t have to cost a lot, either. Compared to the prices of skins that we usually see in the hands of pro players, a Deagle Printstream can be considered ‘cheap’. You can get one for around $30 in Field-Tested.
AWP Asiimov
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Sniper RiflesAWP | Asiimov (Field-Tested)
The AWP Asiimov might be over its peak popularity with dedicated AWPers, but it can still be found in a lot of professional inventories.
This skin was released around ten years ago, and it was very much the AWP to have back then. On the back of its popularity, many more Asiimov skins were released. This made the Asiimov line of skins the first truly iconic line of skins in the world of Counter-Strike.
Many insane highlights were made at the highest level of Counter-Strike with an Asiimov, and it will forever be etched into the memories of OG CS:GO fans for that.
USP-S Kill Confirmed
The Kill Confirmed is one of many great looking covert tier USP-S skins, but with the fact that it released all the way back in 2015 it gets that added oldschool prestige.
It’s pretty affordable (except if you’re looking for a StatTrak version) and it sports a rather violent, but very intricate design. This artwork, along with the vibrant reds that are featured all over the pistol, makes it a true classic among USP-S skins.
M4A1-S Hot Rod
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Assault RiflesM4A1-S | Hot Rod (Factory New)
The Hot Rod is the polar opposite to the Blue Phosphor, which is that other popular single-colored M4A1-S skin. The Charizard versus Blastoise of M4A1-S skins, to put it simply.
The Hot Rod is part of the Chop Shop collection, which came out in 2015. It has pretty much always been a high tier skin and the dream M4 for people who want a full red loadout.
As with the Blue Phosphor, the Hot Rod benefits from CS2’s new and intricate lighting system. However, the Blue Phosphor has a lot of depth to its colored finish, whereas the Hot Rod looks a bit flatter and more metallic. Whether you like one or the other better is of course down to personal preference, but for now the pros seem to prefer the Blue Phosphor.
Sport Gloves Pandora’s Box
Sport Gloves are the most popular type of glove, and purple is a really popular color in CS2. These Pandora’s Box gloves are therefore a hot commodity. They are among the most sought-after gloves in the game, and that also drastically influences their price. If you want a pair of these gloves, you’ll be shelling out over $1,000 even for a Battle-Scarred pair.
If purple is your jam and you don’t want to spend that kind of money on a glove, you can always look towards the Driver Gloves Imperial Plaid.
Sport Gloves Vice
In case you hadn’t noticed: pros generally don’t tend to go for subtle, realistic looking skins. These Sport Gloves Vice are another example of that. The 80’s Miami vibe is hot right now, and so are these gloves.
Vices are among the cheaper Sport Gloves; you can get a Field Tested pair for a little over $1,000 at the time of writing. That’s of course still a lot of money, but if you hunt for a good float (CS2 Float Values Explained) you can get a really good looking pair of Sport Gloves that catches the eye for a relatively modest (when compared to some other gloves, that is) price.
AK-47 Bloodsport
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Assault RiflesAK-47 | Bloodsport (Minimal Wear)
The AK-47 Bloodsport seems to be becoming more and more popular. Its design reminds us of Akira (even though there’s also a movie named Bloodsport) but even if you don’t watch anime you’ll probably appreciate this skin.
It’s a little busy looking for some people but the metallic red/orange main color is a joy to behold, and all of the extra little details on the skin make you feel like you’re competing in a hyper-competitive futuristic sports event. In a way, that’s exactly what the pros are doing, so perhaps it’s only fitting that this skin is so popular.
It’s bright, kind of shiny, detailed, and has cyberpunk/anime vibes. What’s not to like?
AK Fire Serpent
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Assault RiflesAK-47 | Fire Serpent (Field-Tested)
The Fire Serpent is a true ‘marmite skin’: people either seem to love it or hate it entirely. Pros seem to love it though, and that makes sense.
For starters, it’s one of the first skins to ever be added to the game, which gives it a certain street cred. Secondly, it’s become extremely rare, which seems to be a plus for pros who are looking for skins. Finally, it’s also very expensive. A top tier combo for a pro skin, and as such we see the Fire Serpent as one of the most popular CS2 skins.
Despite the fact that the Fire Serpent might look a bit dull to some, especially when compared to what’s out there right now, it’s got a kind of antiquated class. Whether you personally like it or not is of course subjective, but this is without a doubt one of the most iconic skins in the entire game. It’s the father of all high tier skins, and it’s nice to see it still being used to this day.
Butterfly Knife Fade
Believe it or not, but there was a day that the Butterfly Knife was a mid tier knife at best. You would have to look really hard to find a pro spinning one of these around, as most were rocking M9 Bayonets and Karambits.
Those knives are still extremely popular today, but the rise of the Butterfly Knife is absolutely meteoric. It went from being a niche knife to being the Rolex of CS2: if you’ve got money and you want to show it off, buy a Butterfly knife.
The Butterfly Knife Fade was already one of the highest tier knives in CS:GO (excluding rare patterns and the likes) but Fades have received a substantial aesthetic upgrade in CS2, making this even more coveted.
Best CS2 Skins – Conclusion
If you look at the average pro player’s inventory, you’d think that you need to spend thousands of dollars in order to get a cool inventory, but that’s not the case. Pro players are people who spend hours upon hours in the game every single day, and they usually get paid pretty well (in the highest tiers at least) on top of that, so it’s logical that they spend a lot of money on their gear. With that said; there are tons of way cheaper skins that can look as cool as the stuff that the pros are using.
Also note that some pros loan skins for big tournaments. Collectors of extremely rare and valuable skins loan out their items to pro players and in return get the joy of seeing their item being used on CS2’s biggest stage. If you see a pro in a big tournament with a one of a kind knife worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, that doesn’t necessarily mean that its their own personal skin.
Nevertheless, it’s clear what pros prefer. Professional players prefer rare, high tier, and expensive skins. Does that make these skins the ‘best’ CS2 skins? Not exactly, as these things are down to preference. With that said; pros are very influential, so these skins are almost all -in one way or another- extremely popular and well-liked by the general CS2 crowd as well.
