Rifle skins in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CSGO) are cosmetic finishes or wears of different textures and patterns that change the appearance of CSGO in-game rifles. These skins have no technical gameplay function as they are primarily used for the weapon’s aesthetics and expression of a player’s personality. The variations in their intricate patterns and even themed designs are drawn from real-world inspirations or fictional themes.
However, other than their differences in physical appearance, the rifle skins come in different qualities and rarity levels to tell them apart from each other. While some are common and somewhat inexpensive to obtain, others are rare, expensive and yet highly sought after. Common rifle finishes are classified as consumer or industrial-grade skins. The rare skins on the other hand are classified as covert or contraband skins. But regardless of the type of rifle skin, they don’t add any game-power effect to the rifle.
Historical Evolution of CSGO Rifle Skins
Since the introduction of CSGO in the year 2012, the game has constantly evolved with the preferences of players. At the onset, all CSGO rifle skins featured a basic set of weapons worn in simple colours and less detailed colour variations. Following the Arms Deal update of August 14th, 2013, there was a significant milestone in CSGO’s concept of weapon skins through weapon cases and keys. Following this, obtaining new skins through case openings and keys purchased in the game store became a thing. Thus, the in-game trading economy came alive through outright buying of rifle wear in the marketplace and trading between players.
The buzz created with CSGO rifle wear enabled the game to grow in leaps and bounds. The game developer Valve and other third-party contributors began to experiment with more diverse and creative designs for rifle finishes. Themes expanded beyond the now boring basic patterns to include those based on historical references, pop culture, and even fantasy elements. StatTrak™ technology and Souvenir skins were introduced to add rarity and value to the rifle theme culture. With StatTrak™ technology, a weapon can track and display the number of kills made with it. Souvenir finishes on the other hand were made available during special esports events which made them a highly coveted treasure among skin collectors and game players.
Valve introduced Operations, limited-time events that came with limited edition skins tied to special events and collaborations around 2015 in the history of counterstrike development. They have also consistently engaged with the community to gather feedback and ideas for new skins. This coupled with improvements in graphics and new game engine capabilities has made it possible for more detailed and visually striking skins.
CSGO Rifle Skin Colour Codes and Their Meanings
In CSGO, Weapons finishes come in distinct quality grades denoted by their colours. This also generally signifies the rarity and value of that particular skin. Here is a list of the different rifle wear colours and what grade of rifle it signifies.
- White Colour – This signifies a common riffle categorized as consumer or base grade. They come in simple designs but with many colour variations.
- Light Blue – They are industrial-grade weapons which are somewhat rarer than consumer-grade weapons. They can be gotten via airdrops as weekly match rewards.
- Medium Blue – Rifles with this colour code are considered averagely rare. They come with elaborate designs and can be obtained mostly through trade-up contracts within the game.
- Purple – Otherwise termed restricted weapon skins. They come at a price which is truly worth it. They are visually striking with unique colours and patterns.
- Pink – Pink-coloured weapons are termed classified weapons in CSGO. Due to their high value and rarity, they are considered gold mines to invest in within the game.
- Red – Any weapon in red colour signifies that it is rare. They mostly include assault weapons, CSGO knives, and pistols. Due to their rarity and value, they often come at expensive prices.
- Contraband – Contraband rifles in CSGO are denoted with an orange colour. They are weapons which were formerly available in the game as drop items but later got removed. An example is CSGO: M4A4 | Howl.
- Gold – The gold colour signifies extraordinary value in CSGO. As a result, they are the most expensive skin type in CSGO.
Where and How to Get CSGO Rifle Skins
In CSGO, rifle skins whether they are consumer/base/industrial grade or covert/contraband skins can be gotten through a variety of means. But do note that rare-quality skins often come at a price and may not be easily picked up during gameplay like common skins.
Random Airdrops
This is the most common means of getting rifle wear in CSGO. Players can get random airdrops at the end of a match. In these airdrops, there will be white and light blue items of consumer/industrial grade.
Cases and Keys
Rifle finishes are also gotten through opening weapon cases that airdrop randomly, However, these cases must be opened with keys. Sometimes, keys are bought with real money or obtained through in-game drops as well.
Through this means, CSGO players can get some rare and high-grade rifle skins with a navy blue colour code.
Trade Up Contracts
There is an element of surprise to acquiring new weapon skins through this means. A player can use the trade-up in-game mechanics to choose about 12 skins of one rarity grade and change them into one skin of a higher grade. It is a high-risk and high-reward method of acquiring skins entirely based on luck or chance. A player can either get a covert high-grade skin or be left with a common base rifle skin.
Marketplace
Rifle skins in CSGO can be bought and sold on the Steam community market. The prices of the rifle wear here fluctuate based on the interplay of supply and demand forces. When some older cases and skins stop dropping randomly, they become scarce and this raises their price in the marketplace.
In addition, CSGO players can also trade rifle wear within themselves through the Steam community market.
Future Trends in CSGO Rifle Skins
In all, the changes we have seen thus far in CSGO rifle skins reflect not only technological advancements and artistic creativity of game developers, but also the evolving tastes and preferences of the CSGO player community. Skins have become indispensable in the game as they personalize the player’s experience, the game’s culture, and economy which all contribute to the growth of the game community. As the game continues to evolve, we will see more improvements made to CSGO rifle skins.
