Top 10 Rarest CS2 (CS:GO) Skins: Unveiling the Most Exclusive and Valuable Skins

For a good decade, Counter-Strike has been the number one game when it comes to buying and selling skins, essentially pioneering the skin craze we are seeing today in any AAA game. 

Long gone are the days of getting your brain absolutely melted by spotting one of your teammates whip out the Asiimov magic stick. As of today, there are 38 skin collections in the game, meaning that there’s plenty of choice for each and everyone, no matter what weapon you prefer, what colorway you’re into, or how much money you are willing to spend.

However, there is quite a unique selection of skins you could possibly never put your hands on for a slew of different reasons. In this article, we’ll give you the top 10 rarest CS:GO skins. Buckle up!

What Makes a CS2 (CS:GO) Skin Rare and Valuable?

You may have asked yourself a few times how skin A is much more expensive than skin B, while skin B is objectively much prettier and looks better in-game as well. It’s not that simple. A skin’s price depends on a number of factors and qualifiers, including the skin’s salience, pattern, float, and the popularity of a weapon. 

Salience

A skin’s salience represents the rarity of skin and oftentimes can be determined by the implementation of colors and saturation of said skin. The more vibrant your skin is, the higher the possibility of it being exclusive.

There is a convenient classification developed by Valve, putting every skin into a separate group:

• Covert group (red) which is the most prestigious and desired
• Classified (pink)
• Restricted (purple)
• Mil-spec (dark blue)
• Industrial Grade (blue)
• Consumer/Standard Grade (gray) which is the most common.

There’s also a one-off yellow skin, but more on that later. 

Float Value

What a feeling to score an SG skin after a successful competitive game. This feeling might be completely ruined by inspecting the skin and finding out its float is 1, and the skin is all worn-out, scratched and the paint job reminds you of a neighbor’s 40-yo-Renault.

The float value represents the state of a skin you’ve bought/received. The range of float is between 0 and 1, where 0 represents a Factory New skin, never used in battle, followed by Minimal Wear, Field-Tested, Well-worn, and the least attractive Battle-Scarred, represented by 1.

The lower the float value, the better the condition of your skin. The pattern of skin can also dictate the value of your skin since patterns also have a different rarity. It especially matters when it comes to knife skins.

We also should mention that some weapons are more popular in CS2, which also dictates the price range of skins for that weapon. Finally, the skin with StatTrak technology always costs more than its non-StatTrak counterpart, tracking the number of kills performed with this skin model.

Now, let’s look at the rarest CS2 (CS:GO) skins available on the market. 

The Top 10 Rarest CS2 (CS:GO) Skins

This top 10 consists of some of the most expensive skins, each being worth a fortune. Let’s explore the fascinating stories behind the top 10 rarest CS2 (CS:GO) skins. 

Souvenir AWP Dragon Lore 

To no one’s surprise, the number one spot is comfortably held by the legendary Dragon Lore. But not just any Dragon Lore. The Souvenir AWP Dragon Lore is, without a doubt, the most sought-after skin in the history of CS. What makes it so rare is that it can only be obtained through a discontinued 2016 Cobblestone Souvenir package.

Want to try your luck and buy the case? That’ll set you back about a cool $1,000 minimum for a chance to spin the wheel. You may have seen the Dragon Lore in the hands of the GOAT a few times on stream, and the madman decided to flip it in a giveaway.

The skin itself is very eye-catching, covered with a depiction of a furious fire dragon, and inspired by the northern scriptures and runes. If you’re craving this flaming beast, prepare $15,000 to enter Valhalla.

A calling card of rare CS2 (CS:GO) skins.

M4A4 Howl

This is the rare case when plagiarism creates something beautiful and mysterious. The original M4A4 Howl was the reason for a huge copyright scandal when it was discovered that the author of the skin used someone else’s artwork for his creation.

Having been already accepted into the game, Valve had to sign a check for the original author of the artwork, redesign the skin and reclassify it as Contraband, a one-off skin in this category.

Since any further drops were discontinued, the M4A4 Howl has become one of the rarest skins in the game, ranging between $7,000 to $12,000 

Aside from the shock factor, the skin looks magnificent and menacing at the same time. The new version of the howling wolf would look great alongside some IBUYPOWER stickers – it’s a shame they are also discontinued. 

One of the rarest CS2 (CS:GO) skins due to a copyright scandal.

StatTrak AK-47 Fire Serpent 

The release of this well-known skin dates back to 2013 and it is treasured among the players. While the StatTrak AK-47 Fire Serpent doesn’t exactly look like something out of the Louvre, it definitely is recognizable.

Even though some parts of the skin are completely unpainted, the main visual attraction lies in a mythical creature, inspired by the traditional Latin American culture. You may have seen the Professor rocking one of these in tournaments or on a stream, and this thing is not cheap.

The funky-looking Fire Serpent will set you back between $3,000 and up to $10,000, depending on the float and possible StatTrak implementation. The thing is that the case was discontinued a long time ago, so there’s no feasible way of scoring it from the case, unless you have $50 on one Bravo case, the spirit of ‘Viva Las Vegas’ on your side, and attendance of fortune to get the Covert skin on a first try.

A fan favorite among many pros, including Fallen and Shroud.

Karambit Case Hardened (Blue Gem) 

The Karambit Case Hardened Blue Gem is so enigmatic, you wouldn’t believe it. This skin is the most expensive in the game, and hence, the rarest. This particular pattern on the knife is what makes it special, having a predominantly blue color cover the blade. It is an extremely rare occurrence, and the sense of exclusivity is what makes it so sought after.

The price for this baby ranges between $1,300,000 and $1,600,000, and the owner of this one-off skin allegedly turned down a few lucrative offers. 

A Tiffany diamond of rare CS2 (CS:GO) skins.

Glock-18 Fade

This Glock-18 Fade doesn’t look like a regular Covert skin with tons of vibrant colors on every part, as the only painted part of this skin is the slide However, many consider it to be the prettiest Glock-18 skin due to this purple-pink-yellow gradient. It is a highly desirable, yet very exclusive skin.

It was released in a 2014 Assault Collection, which is now obviously discontinued, making it extremely hard to acquire. The price starts from $1,000, but the good thing is that it only comes as a Minimal Wear or a Factory New skin, so you’re definitely buying something fresh for this price. 

A simple but beautiful pistol skin.

AK-47 Case Hardened (pattern 661) 

Yet another AK-47 skin on the list, but this one is quite different. As the Case Hardened AK-47 isn’t the rarest or the most exclusive Kalashnikov skin line. What makes this entry in our list special is this particular 661 pattern, also known as the “scar pattern.”

While the usual Case Hardened can be acquired for a respectable $350 Factory New, this unique pattern drives up the price to an insane $150,000. If you happen to have a few Arms Deal Collection cases and you unbox the “scar pattern” AK-47, then consider yourself rich. 

One of the rarest CS2 (CS:GO) skins ever.

StatTrak M4A4 Poseidon

The Greek mythology was well explored in CS with the Gods and Monsters Collection, giving you a rare M4A4 Poseidon skin with quite an unusual appearance. The artwork depicts fearsome Poseidon smiting down two annoying eels (don’t quote us on that). 

Unfortunately, this collection is no longer available, which means that the supply of these skins is quite low. They are nowhere near as expensive as Howl, but also very limited. If the God of the Sea-inspired M4A4 is what floats your boat (we can’t help it), you can cop one for about $1,500 right now. This skin seems like a good investment. 

A rare skin with a unique artwork inspired by Greek mythology.

AK-47 Wild Lotus

A more recent AK-47 skin, compared to Fire Serpent, but also extremely rare. The Wild Lotus AK-47 is one of the most, if not the most beautiful skin in CS history. The gorgeous mint green color combined with beautiful flowers and leaves makes this botanical theme work extremely well.

This skin was released not so long ago, in 2019, and you may test your luck with the St. Marc Collection cases. Unfortunately, this skin isn’t available with StatTrak, and the price starts at approximately (sic) $7,000. 

One of the most beautiful skins in the game will cost you a fortune.

Souvenir Tec-9 Nuclear Threat

The Souvenir Tec-9 Nuclear Threat is another rare pistol in this list, but what makes it unique is that it can only be unboxed from Souvenir packages received by spectators during the esports events, specifically during pro games on Nuke.

We must remind you that Nuke is far from being popular, so the cases are a rarity itself, let alone this Tec-9, going for about $400 – 500 Factory New. This price feels like a breath of fresh air after all those in a 10k+ territory, but the available offers are very limited. The radiation theme is subjective and may not be to everyone’s liking, but you will definitely catch some unwanted attention with this green mean machine.

Radiation signs and the swamp green colorway make it for unique CS2 (CS:GO) skin.

Souvenir SSG 08 Detour 

Now, for our fellow old-timers in the chat, this skin is pretty close to everyone’s heart. If you’re old enough to have followed the CS pro scene since the very beginning.,

You probably remember the legendary play from the iconic DreamHack Winter 2014 Quarter Finals, when Fnatic was losing 3-13, and the OG Olofmeister pulled off the insanely creative boost, killing the shocked LDLC team in a sewer with a default Scout, turning the course of the game and ultimately winning it 16-13.

This SSG 08 Detour was dropped to the lucky players at the end of the game with unique stickers, making it an extremely sought skin for many collectors worldwide. The lore behind Souvenir Detour makes it a prized possession, as this play is one of the most iconic in the history of CS, alongside Olofmeister’s heroic burning defuse and S1mple’s angelic drop-down no scope. 

The legendary play that made Detour SSG part of the history of the game.

Why are Rare CS2 (CS:GO) Skins So Valuable?

There are countless skins for every weapon in the game, but the ones that stand out usually cost a pretty penny and are extremely hard to get a hold of. For some, they portray certain status, while others seek out a good investment. As time goes by, many discontinued collections become more and more expensive, driving the value of certain skins to thousands of dollars.

A small investment a few years ago could have made you some crazy profit in 2023, especially since Counter-Strike 2 is coming out soon, potentially stirring the entire market up. 

The factor of exclusivity plays a huge role in CS community, and if the skill is something to be developed for years, the sense of exclusivity can be purchased in an instant. 

Wrapping Up!

We hope you’ve enjoyed our read and found something new and fascinating. The topic of rare skins is pretty broad, so we’ll definitely explore it further in our blog. Make sure to check our services if you’re looking into adding a few items to your skin collection. 

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