CS:GO is one of the biggest games that Steam has available. Millions of players, thousands logging in at a time to play. You can wait for just a few seconds, and you’ll be in a match. Best of all, it’s free-to-play as well. As per usual, though, Valve needs to make money out of CS:GO. Lord GabeN can’t get the Majors on big stadiums without that sweet, sweet cash, after all. Thus, skins exist, and they’re glorious. Today we’ll go over 20 of the best weapon skins in CSGO. Let’s begin.
For more related guides, here’s how you can play CS:GO Surf.
20 Best Weapon Skins in CS:GO
One thing: we’re not going to go over the weapon skins in terms of their price range. Instead, we’ll also add in some of the more affordable skins that are popular due to aesthetics or pricing. Thus, you might see $50 skins mixed in with $12K skins in this list together. Here are the best weapon skins in CS:GO.
AWP – Dragon Lore
Release Date: July 1st, 2014
Flavor Text: 200 keys could never unlock its secrets
Price Range: $2500 to $12000
When creating the best weapon skins list for CS:GO, you really can’t go wrong if you mention the Dragon Lore. Released in 2014 with the Cobblestone Collection Case, it was gorgeous during its release and was a Covert-grade skin. People went wild for this weapon skin when it was released for a few reasons. Firstly, because it looks so good, and has an air of prestige to it. Second, it’s rarer than anything in CS:GO as it rarely dropped from the Cobblestone Collection Case. Last but not least, the cultural significance of the Dragon Lore is very real. It’s the reason why CS:GO’s skin economy is what it is today.
People would spend thousands of dollars on this skin, especially if it’s Souvenir. However, the Dragon Lore’s price did drop due to the weapon skin being more available at this point. Depending on what CS:GO skin market you’re looking for, you’ll be in for a rough time. The price range for the Dragon Lore goes from $2,500 all the way to $12,000. Of course, this also has to factor in the wear rating, what stickers are on the skin itself, et cetera.
In short, if you have a Dragon Lore in your CS:GO inventory, you’re one lucky dog. Secondly, make sure you’re not hacked. Because if you are and they saw you have a Dragon Lore in your inventory? Well, prepare to kiss that Dragon Lore goodbye.
M4A1-S – Mecha Industries
Release Date: June 15th, 2016
Flavor Text: None
Price Range: $22 to $250
Coming down from $12000 high-range skins we have a more down-to-earth skin in the form of the M4A1-S Mecha Industries. Released in 2016 in the Gamma Collection, Mecha Industries looks a bit like a simple color change. However, there’s more to this skin than meets the eye. Specifically, the gray and white base color scheme with slight red highlighting. The details of the skin give it a futuristic look, but with a hint of rustic in it. It’s an acquired taste, sure, but doable.
Anyhow, the Mecha Industries isn’t as explosive or as pricey as the 1st skin we talked about on this list. However, its understated appearance and affordable price land it a spot on the list. Definitely a suitable entrant in our list of the beast weapon skins in CS:GO.
AK-47 – Aquamarine Revenge
Release Date: May 26th, 2015
Flavor Text: Is there an echo in here?
Price Range: $17 to $250
Next on this list is the Aquamarine Revenge, a flashier entry when compared to the M4A1-S Mecha Industries for the AK-47. The weapon has a black and green finish with a custom image of a dolphin pod colored yellow, blue, and red swimming in the sea. It’s far from the usual military style of the AK-47, but it’s a nice look overall. Eye-catching as well. The skin is released in the Falchion Collection as an exclusive drop. Specifically for those who held passes on Operation Bloodhound. Like the Mecha Industries though, not as expensive as the Dragon Lore. Definitely a welcome addition to our list of the best weapon skin in CS:GO.
AWP – Gungnir
Release Date: November 19th, 2019
Flavor Text: A weapon for the Allfather
Price Range: $4000 to $12000
We have another expensive skin, and as per usual, it’s for the AWP: The Gungnir. Released in 2019 for the Norse Collection, this skin is an absolute beast in terms of looks. The sleek blue and gray body and the awesome-looking weavings? Sublime. You can expect people to gawk at your weapon before you click their heads and delete them from the server.
Unfortunately for people though, this skin is expensive as all hell. Battle-scarred variants can go up to $4000. And unless you got a factory new variant on the box itself, it’s almost impossible to get it. Overall though, if you’re really lucky when you opened the Norse Collection, make sure to lock your account tight. Mixing aesthetics and value, this is truly one of the best weapon skin in CS:GO.
AK-47 – Neon Rider
Release Date: August 3rd, 2018
Flavor Text: Two parts Trapper Keeper, three parts synthesizer
Price Range: $21 to $350
Coming back to a more reasonable price point we have the AK-47 Neon Rider. Released on the Horizon Collection, you can almost expect this skin to be released on a Cyberpunk game due to its color palette. Bright purples, neon pinks, and blues are on the menu for this skin, and the sheer color brightness makes it very flashy. While the battle-scarred variants aren’t as expensive, getting this skin would cost a pretty penny if you want Factory New. If you’re insistent, the StatTrak version is cooler, but more expensive, clocking in at $350.
Overall, another great skin to go for that will put you in the attention of every player on the server. However, we’ve been in the rifles and snipers of CS:GO for a while now. Let’s make a change and talk about knives, shall we?
Karambit – Doppler (Sapphire/Ruby/Emerald Variants)
Release Date: January 8th, 2015
Flavor Text: Getting lost in its color can prove fatal
Price Range: $893 to $1018
Knife skins are expensive. Very expensive. Especially if they look as cool as the Doppler’s Sapphire, Ruby, and Emerald variants. The 3 variant types are incredibly sought after by knife enthusiasts in the CS:GO community for a good reason: they look cool. Hell, even the Phase 1 to 4 versions clock in at the high $800’s if it’s a StatTrak factory new. Thus, the same warning applies: keep your Steam Account locked and secure. You don’t want it to be hacked and kiss your Doppler Karambits goodbye.
Shadow Daggers – Lore
Release Date: September 22nd, 2021
Flavor Text: None
Price Range: $115 to $368
Following the expensive Doppler Sapphire, we have the Lore Shadow Daggers, which look baller as. The gold color and intertwined chain-patterned blades make it a unique look that gives a sense of opulence. Getting knifed on CS:GO is typically an annoying thing to happen to you. But being knifed by something like the Lore Shadow Daggers or the previous entry on this list? Well, the sting might be a bit less.
AK-47 – The Empress
Release Date: September 14th, 2017
Flavor Text: Wealth comes in many forms
Price Range: $20 to $270
Going back to AK’s we have the Empress. Based on the Empress tarot card, the gun lives up to the hype. The combination of red, gold, black, and blue-green makes the gun pop, and the main feature: The Empress, is very clear to see. Overall, a great entry and one of the best-looking AK-47’s on this list.
AWP – Asiimov
Release Date: February 10th, 2014
Flavor Text: Anyone can predict the future… A visionary shapes it
Price Range: $65 to $242
Back to the sniper rifles, we have the Asiimov, a Covert AWP released on Operation Phoenix. This entry isn’t as exorbitantly expensive as the Dragon Lore or the Gungnir, but the aesthetics of the Asiimov is comparable to them both. It’s a really solid entry, and the white, black, and orange coloring is a huge vibe. The white portions of the Asiimov are also great for adding various stickers for the player’s pleasure. All in all, a great weapon skin for the AWP and comes highly recommended.
Stiletto Knife – Tiger Tooth
Release Date: March 14th, 2019
Flavor Text: Like the tiger, it is rare… like the tiger it is deadly
Price Range: $383 to $604
Back to the knives, we have the Tiger Tooth stiletto knife. This is a weird entry, as the more expensive version of this knife is the minimal-wear version rather than the factory-new one. Really weird thing to see. The reason for this is the fact that for some odd reason, the minimal wear version of both OG and StatTrak is rarer. Still a very solid entry, though, and a sight to see in a usual CS:GO match.
P250 – See Ya Later
Release Date: September 14th, 2017
Flavor Text: In a while…
Price Range: $4 to $50
Next on this list is the P250 pistol, the See Ya Later. This is the first pistol on this list and has a mechanical look with predominantly green coloring with gold, silver, and black accents. What makes this pistol unique though is the mechanical crocodile mouth and teeth on the gun barrel. Pretty cool if you ask us. The gun can be pulled on the Spectrum Collection released on September 14, 2017. It’s one of the more affordable guns on this list due to being a pistol. Even the StatTrak variant only goes up to $50. However, if you want a more expensive pistol, let’s move to the next entry.
Desert Eagle – Fennec Fox
Release Date: September 22nd, 2021
Flavor Text: All the better to hear you with
Price Range: $124 to $316
The next gun on this list is the Fennec Fox desert eagle skin released in the 2021 Mirage Collection. As you can tell by the name, a fennec fox is painted on the gun’s muzzle. Color-wise, the predominant ones are red, yellow, gold, and orange, with some green in it. It’s a great gun overall and looks very cool.
Glock-18 – Water Elemental
Release Date: July 1st, 2014
Flavor Text: None
Price Range: $4 to $41
Next on this list is yet another pistol, the Glock-18 Water Elemental. Part of the Breakout Collection released in 2014, the Water Elemental has a predominantly russet red color scheme. The water elemental in question, however, is blue and adds a nice contrast to the red coloring. For those that want a bit more pizazz on their Water Elemental skin, there’s also a StatTrak variant that’s a bit more expensive.
AK-47 – Frontside Misty
Release Date: September 17th, 2015
Flavor Text: I like to work in the snow… it always leaves a pretty picture – Javier Alviso, Fist of the Phoenix
Price Range: $11 to $118
The next gun on our list is the Frontside Misty, an arctic-themed AK with light blue, white, and black accents. The gun is part of the Shadow Collection and has a StatTrak variant. Overall, another cool-looking rifle for the Terrorist side of the game. A good pickup for those that just want to have a good-looking rifle.
AUG – Akihabara Accept
Release Date: May 26th, 2015
Flavor Text: Yatta!
Price Range: $324 to $1527
A lot of the rifles on this list are AKs and M4s, but the next one we need to talk about is the AUG Akihabara Accept. This AUG skin is part of the Rising Sun Collection, a collection with 16 Japanese-inspired skins. A unique collection to be sure. This one is decidedly anime because it features an anime magazine cover and even has an anime waifu. A good pickup no matter where you go. If you’re a CS:GO player with a penchant for watching anime, this gun is a definite must-have.
Sadly though, the gun is particularly expensive, running up to $1.5K for even the minimal wear variants.
M4A4-S – Cyber Security
Release Date: December 3rd, 2020
Flavor Text: AVAILABLE NOW AT YOUR LOCAL CYBERNETICS RETAILER
Price Range: $9 to $67
The next M4 gun on this list is the Cyber Security from the Operation Broken Fang update. In terms of aesthetics, it’s pretty simple, with a gold, light blue, red, and black colored design. The accents of does add a great aesthetic to the weapon. However, the weapon’s popularity is due to its affordability, as it can go as cheap as $9, all the way to around $70. A steal in every sense of the word.
USP-S – Whiteout
Release Date: September 22nd, 2021
Flavor Text: It looks pure, but looks can be deceiving
Price Range: $4 to $112
The next gun on this list is our last pistol for the article, the USP-S Whiteout. Released on September 22, 2021, in the 2021 Train Collection, the Whiteout is a weird gun due to its purely white coloring. However, the uniqueness of the gun’s coloring scheme in addition to its Classified rarity lands it a spot on this list.
AWP – Exoskeleton
Release Date: December 3rd, 2020
Flavor Text: Full tilt
Price Range: $1.3 to $24
The last sniper rifle skin we need to talk about is the AWP Exoskeleton, a predominantly monochrome AWP skin from the Broken Fang Collection. However, the monochromatic coloring is its greatest asset. With this sniper rifle skin, there’s no need for any other color, as the skin looks great anyways. The Exoskeleton is another great pickup from the Broken Fang Collection, and there’s even a StatTrak version out for buyers.
Falchion Knife – Marble Fade
Release Date: March 16th, 2017
Flavor Text: The blade is made of many colors, but soon it all looks red
Price Range: $279 to $290
The next weapon skin on this list is the last knife we need to talk about, the Marble Fade Falchion Knife. As per usual, knives in CS:GO are expensive as all hell, but the Marble Fade is surprisingly affordable. For a knife that is. Its color gradient is pretty nuts too, with red, yellow, steel gray, and metallic blue. Overall, this knife is one of the more colorful knives on CS:GO just from how many colors there are on the knife itself. If you want a unique-looking knife for general play, definitely get the Marble Fade.
The Marble Fade Falchion Knife is found on Spectrum and Spectrum 2 cases. Do note though that you’re going to be put on the mercy of our Lord Gaben if you want to roll for the knife.
M4A4– The Emperor
Release Date: March 14th, 2019
Flavor Text: Lead with your head, even if it means ignoring your heart
Price Range: $7.5 to $369
Last but not least is the AK-47 Empress’ counterpart, the M4A4 Emperor. As you can guess, the Emperor is inspired by the Emperor’s tarot card and has a black, white, gold, and blue color scheme. The Emperor is prominently displayed on the M4A4’s body in the middle and acts as a focal point on a stylized ray exuding out from his portrait. Very aesthetically pleasing if you ask us.
Price wise though, it’s a bit on the polarizing scale depending on what type of Emperor M4A4 you want to get. The OG factory new Emperors are pretty cheap, clocking in at around $105, give or take. However, StatTrak Emperors are a bit more expensive, especially the factory-new ones, clocking in at around $369 and more on Steam. Overall though, definitely one of the best weapon skins in CS:GO.
How to Get the Best Weapon Skins in CS:GO
There are many ways to get weapon skins in CS:GO, especially the best ones. However, we won’t go over them in-depth in this article. We will, however, list down the ways to get them legitimately. Here are the methods:
- Earned through random drops on community/official servers.
- Trade Up Contracts. Give up 10 skins of the same rarity type to get 1 higher rarity skin.
- Opening various containers in-game. Specifically Weapon Cases/Souvenir Packages.
- Buy them directly on the Steam Marketplace.
- Player trading.
The last one is particularly important, as there are currently various skin trading websites for CS:GO skins. However, a few of these websites tend to be pretty sketchy, and it’s usually recommended to just buy on the Steam Marketplace. If you’re insistent, make sure to do your research before going to these websites. There are already stories about people getting scammed out of your money due to carelessness after all. Remember to protect yourself when buying the best CS:GO weapon skins available.
Are There Rarity Tiers for Skins in CS:GO?
Of course, we wouldn’t talk about the best weapon skins in CS:GO if said skins don’t have a rarity. In CS:GO, there are eight color-coded rarities that players can get. Well, it’s 7 technically. But we’ll talk about the last rarity below.
- White: Consumer Grade rarity items usually dropped after a CS:GO match. Not that valuable, but they’re useful as Trade Up Contract fodder to get better skins.
- Light Blue: Industrial Grade items and the 2nd most common items on CS:GO. They usually drop as weekly rewards after matches and cost more than Consumer Grade skins. As per usual though, Industrial Grade items can be used on Trade Up Contracts to get rarer skins.
- Blue: Mil-Spec Grade items are obtainable as drops from all weapon cases, and thus, very common. They’re still usable on Trade Up Contracts though, as 10 of these can get 1 Restricted skin.
- Purple: The Restricted Grade skins. These are the more difficult skins to get in comparison to the previous grades. They’re usually gained through weapon case openings or Trade Up Contracts.
- Pink: Classified Grade skins, the rarer skin type and typically pretty expensive. They’re still gained through Trade Up Contracts, but you’ll need to give quite a bit to reach this point. Not really recommended if you ask us.
- Red: Covert Grade skins, considered to be the rarest weapon skins in the game. They’re usually knives, AWPS, a few pistols, and assault rifles. They can also fetch a really pretty penny.
- Orange: Contraband tier skins. Reserved for skins that are removed at some point in CS:GO’s history. Only 1 contraband tier skin has ever been made: The M4A4 Howl.
- Gold: Extraordinary tier skins. Every item here is a rare item of the highest order and costs lots of money to buy.
