Best Restricted Skins in CS2 for Each Weapon Type

Today, we’re diving into the world of the best CS2 Restricted skins. This category is packed with outstanding skins for all the players’ favorite guns in every weapon tier. We’ll kick things off by covering the best Restricted grade skins in CS2 with pistols, then head over to the rifles, SMGs, and heavy guns. Along the way, while breaking down the top choices in each category, we will check out both the best- and the worst-looking wear conditions of every skin, as well as compare the prices for its standard and StatTrak versions.

Please note that prices were accurate at the time the article was written and may change over time.

Our list doesn’t solely focus on price, though. Instead, it’s all about the presented skins’ authenticity and how much they’re loved by the community. Let’s get started!

USP-S | Cyrex

We’ll start off with pistols, and first up on our list of the best Restricted skins in CS2 is the iconic USP-S Cyrex. The legendary combination of black, red, and white blended with on-point geometric accents makes this pistol a timeless favorite across all CS2 player tiers. The skin is rather old — its introduction date is November 28th, 2016. USP-S Cyrex was a part of the Glove Case, released with the "Brothers In Arms" update. Even a Factory New Cyrex with StatTrak is still surprisingly affordable.

Price: $0.66 (BS) – $2.23 (FN)

ST: $2.25 (BS) – $9.01 (FN)

USP-S | Dark Water

Next, we’ve got the old-school USP-S Dark Water – a perfect choice of cold-headed and confident players. Though this USP-S doesn’t get as much attention as other items you will see on our list of the best Restricted skins,  it’s still a highly sought-after skin and definitely worth its considerable price. Dark Water is a collectible that comes from the CS:GO Weapon Case, the first-ever skin box in the game. Its introduction dates back to August 14th, 2013.

Price: $60.74 (FT) – $65.49 (MW)

ST: $98.24 (FT) – $109.99 (MW)

Glock-18 | Dragon Tattoo

The Glock-18 | Dragon Tattoo is the next of the best CS Restricted skins, another standout pistol from the same 2013 Case that came with the Arms Deal update. Also, it has the same Restricted rarity, it costs noticeably more. Glock-18 Dragon Tattoo features a clean, minimalist design with a dragon motif inspired by Eastern folklore on the barrel. Fun fact: Donk has been using this skin a lot recently, so it's definitely worth checking out!

Price: $81.30 (MW) – $81.91 (FN)

ST: $261.85 (MW) – $330.43 (FN)

Desert Eagle | Crimson Web

We’re moving on to big-boy pistols. When speaking about the cool Restricted skins in CS2, Desert Eagle | Crimson Web is very likely to come to mind. Ever since it first appeared with the eSports 2014 Summer Case during the "Summer is heating up" update, this skin has always been a fan favorite. Known for its distinctive red web pattern, the Desert Eagle Crimson Web is the go-to Deagle skin for countless players — from casuals to numerous pros.

Price: $6.73 (BS) – $89.18 (FN)

ST: $11.56 (BS) – $283.56 (FN)

Desert Eagle | Trigger Discipline

Talking about Restricted skins in CS2 and highlights, it’s impossible to overlook s1mple’s bangers collected with his favorite Desert Eagle | Trigger Discipline: this one, and one more, for example.

Trigger Discipline is pretty new — it was released on May 3rd, 2021, with the Snakebite Case. This skin has a striking design that features bold pink-black contrast with multiple intersecting rectangle shapes, creating an exclusive vibe for the skin’s users. This skin’s vibe is unique, kind of like a dark twist on the Printstream. What do you think?

Price: $0.30 (BS) – $2.48 (FN)

ST: $1.11 (BS) – $8.04 (FN)

Desert Eagle | Blaze

Next up on our list of the most iconic skins ever: the Desert Eagle | Blaze. Known for legendary plays like Happy’s ace vs TSM, NiKo’s miss vs NAVI, and hundreds of other extraordinary highlights, like, jabbi’s 4k against Vitality on Vertigo, it’s been going down in the CS history since the introduction of Blaze in 2013. Released in the "The Arms Deal" update, its striking, powerful design with fire patterns on the barrel of a full black pistol instantly won over the CS community.

Price: $528.00 (MW) – $537.88 (FN)

ST: N/A

AK-47 | Slate

Now, let’s heat things up with rifles, starting with the AK-47 | Slate to warm up. At first glance, this Restricted rifle doesn’t have anything special to it; it is just a pure, simple black gun. And that’s exactly why it stands out! It turned out that the game, at some point, was lacking an affordable, sleek, yet impressive AK-47 skin. Thus, when Slate came out on May 3rd, 2021, with the "Snakebite Case," it was an immediate long-term success.

Price: $1.77 (BS) – $7.74 (FN)

ST: $7.39 (BS) – $30.96 (FN)

M4A1-S | Basilisk

M4A1-S | Basilisk is another Restricted rifle skin that’s all about minimalistic design and plain self-expression. Players using the Basilisk may not care about fancy Doppler phases, but they will always know the ways to smoke off different positions and will have some insane off-angles to surprise enemies. True game fans, in other words. It was introduced on November 11th, 2014, with the Operation Vanguard Weapon Case. We find Basilisk somewhat a heavy metal version of M4A4 | Howl. Are you with me?

Price: $4.21 (BS) – $8.62 (FN)

ST: $12.42 (BS) – $29.58 (FN)

M4A1-S | Nitro

M4A1-S | Nitro is another rifle that keeps things simple but striking. The Nitro skin for M4 came out on November 27th, 2013, with the EMS One 2014 Souvenir Package. This skin features a sleek black design highlighted by several vibrant orange accents. It’s like the gaming equivalent of a high-performance sports car—eye-catching and exhilarating. Fortunately, Nitro won’t break the bank, so every player can take it for a spin.

Price: $0.21 (BS) – $3.64 (FN)

Souvenir: $209.37 (FT) – $24,999.99 (FN)

AWP | Atheris

Time for some snipers! The AWP | Atheris is another fan favorite on our list of the best CS2 Restricted grade skins. A glowing green design with a snake coiling across the rifle is so powerful that this skin is loved by almost everyone. What’s more fascinating, in Battle-Scarred condition, Atheris even takes on a whole new look: The snake is still there, but now it’s on top of the brushed dark-gray AWP with neon green tips of the barrel and scope.

The AWP | Atheris was released on March 13th, 2019, with the Prisma Case, and everyone who unboxed it immediately understood they’d scored something exceptional. Not in terms of price, however. Despite its striking appearance, the Atheris remains a surprisingly affordable Restricted rifle.

Price: $1.72 (BS) – $10.16 (FN)

ST: $4.65 (BS) – $31.04 (FN)

M4A1-S | Icarus Fell

Take a look at the M4A1-S | Icarus Fell. A bright splash of fresh shades of blue unevenly spread on the rifle’s black base concludes a mesmerizing design that’s very catchy. Once you experience this best Restricted skin, it’s hard not to fall in love—and you won’t feel satisfied until you own one. Speaking of which, be prepared to spend a good amount of money. Ever since it was released on May 26th, 2015, with the Hunter and the Hunted update, Icarus Fell has been available only in Minimal Wear and Factory New conditions, making it a rare and sought-after skin.

Price: $473.80 (MW) – $452.23 (FN)

ST: N/A

MAC-10 | Heat

For SMG fans, the MAC-10 | Heat is a must-have. This one is surely among the CS2 best Restricted skins among SMGs. It appeared on February 20th, 2014, with the Operation Phoenix Weapon Case. In any condition, this gun looks like a literal heated piece of metal ready to melt your hands—perfect for the run-and-gun playstyle.

Price: $1.95 (BS) – $5.17 (FN)

ST: $2.85 (BS) – $13.12 (FN)

MP9 | Bulldozer

Not only does this skin sport the sleek style of a 2000s Ferrari (perfectly matching the typical MP9 fast-paced gameplay), but the MP9 | Bulldozer also brings a touch of humor. It seems that, apparently, the skin’s creators playfully compare the MP9's aggressive playstyle to the brute force of a bulldozer. The skin saw the world on August 14th, 2013, during the "The Arms Deal" update and became one of the most iconic and best-looking skins in CS2 for good.

Price: $66.93 (BS) – $507.05 (FN)

ST: N/A

XM1014 | Ziggy

The heavy weapon category also boasts some of the best CS2 Restricted grade skins. One standout is the XM1014 | Ziggy, a vibrant, multicolored skin dominated by shades of green and purple, with a few elements retaining the classic XM design. Ziggy was released on September 14th, 2017, with the Spectrum 2 Case and soon became a preference for the XM1014 as the other skins available for the shotgun at the time felt dull and uninspiring by comparison.

Price: $0.25 (BS) – $1.11 (FN)

ST: $0.60 (BS) – $2.76 (FN)

Negev | Lionfish

Wrapping up the list with some heavy hitters, the Negev | Lionfish is perhaps the best CS2 Restricted skin if you like to randomly throw rounds. This charming and eye-catching skin was released on February 14th, 2018, with the Clutch Case. Its bold red-and-white striped design is obviously inspired by the lionfish, but given the size of Negev, in-game it looks even more mesmerizing. This is especially true with Factory New Lionfishes, which are the brightest.

Price: $0.18 (BS) – $0.90 (FN)

ST: $0.50 (BS) – $2.48 (FN)

That’s it for today’s roundup. Did you pick your best CS2 Restricted skin? Let us know your favorites in the comments below!