Most Expensive CSGO (CS2) Skins
It really isn’t a secret anymore that Counter-Strike skins are pricey, but it is still hard to believe how much certain ones are worth. Over the past decade, the market for CS2 skins has exploded, and the rarest skins have surpassed the price of luxury cars. Let’s check out the ten most expensive CS2 skins and what makes them valuable.
AK-47 | Gold Arabesque - $11,000
The AK-47 | Gold Arabesque screams luxury with its fully golden design, making it stand out as a highly sought-after collectible item. Regular versions of this skin range in the thousands, but getting a Souvenir Gold Arabesque in Factory New condition will cost you close to the $11,000 mark.
AWP | Gungnir - $12,200
Another skin with a five-digit price tag is the AWP | Gungnir. Named after Odin’s legendary spear, this AWP skin is adorned with intricate pearlescent and ivory designs over an icy-blue theme. The Gungnir is the rarest skin in the Norse Collection, which is notoriously known as one of the most expensive collections in the game.
AK-47 | Wild Lotus - $13,700
The second AK-47 skin to make it into this list is the AK-47 | Wild Lotus, costing over $13,000 in its best condition. This rifle skin features a floral pattern, making it stand out among other typical skins. Due to its limited availability as the rarest skin in the St. Marc Collection, the AK-47 | Wild Lotus is exceptionally rare, and its high desirability explains its high price on the market.
M4A4 | Howl - $12,500
The M4A4 | Howl is one of the most infamous skins in the game’s history, mainly due to it being the only skin in the Contraband category. The Howl boasts a depiction of a furious wolf, but it was later revealed the skin artist plagiarized the design. Due to a copyright dispute, the M4A4 | Howl was removed from the game and can no longer be unboxed. The scarcity for it has skyrocketed prices over the years.
Sport Gloves | Vice - $14,400
The first set of gloves to make it to the list of most expensive CS2 skins is the Sport Gloves | Vice. Known for its flashy neon pink and blue design, the Vice gloves are one of the most stylish options for collectors, as they pair perfectly with numerous high-end loadouts. With how float values work on gloves, getting a Factory New pair for these bad boys is extremely difficult, which explains the high price point of over $14,000 in its best wear.
Butterfly Knife | Doppler (Sapphire) - $14,600
The Butterfly Knife is arguably the most popular knife type among Counter-Strike players, so it’s no surprise to see one of its skins topping this list. In its Sapphire variant, the Butterfly Knife | Doppler features a lavish deep blue pattern and is extremely difficult to obtain. The combination of rarity and allure pushes its price well above other knife skins, sitting just under the $15,000 mark.
Sport Gloves | Pandora’s Box - $45,000
For a similar reason to the Vice gloves, the Sport Gloves | Pandora’s Box has reached abnormal prices due to its ultra-rare availability in Factory New condition. Aside from its scarcity in its best condition, the Pandora’s Box gloves consist of a sleek purple design that is yearned by most collectors in Counter-Strike. This pair of gloves scream luxury. However, it is still surprising to see that the Pandora’s Box gloves have reached the $45,000 price point.
Souvenir AWP | Dragon Lore - $400,000
Things start to escalate here. The Dragon Lore is perhaps one of the most iconic skins in Counter-Strike’s rich history, and the Souvenir version of it is a true collector’s item. The Souvenir AWP | Dragon Lore can only be obtained through a Souvenir Cobblestone Package, and the odds of pulling it is close to 0.0256%. This skin’s highest recorded sale price reached the $400,000 mark, largely due to a combination of Factory New condition and favorable tournament stickers.
AK-47 | Case Hardened (Pattern #661) - $1,000,000
At the million-dollar mark, we have the AK-47 | Case Hardened, but not any regular Case Hardened. It’s the AK-47 with the number-one pattern – pattern index 661. This near-full blue pattern, known as the Blue Gem, is the reason behind its astronomical value. In June 2024, a StatTrak Factory New version of this skin and pattern sold for $1,000,000, breaking the record of the most expensive sale in Counter-Strike trading history.
Karambit | Case Hardened (Pattern #387) - $1,500,000+
Finally, we have the holy grail of Counter-Strike skins. The Karambit | Case Hardened, specifically in pattern number 387, holds the record as the most expensive skin ever. The Blue Gem variant of the Karambit | Case Hardened features a full-blue pattern on the play side, making it the rarest and most valuable skin in the entire game. Though the number-one version of this skin is yet to be sold, the owner received an offer for $1,500,000, which he declined and said the amount was “too low”.
