10 Oldest Skins in CS2: Old-school Weapon Skins
Once upon a time, in the fabled 2010s, someone at Valve had a brilliant idea of giving CS players an option to change the appearance of their weapons and making these “skins” tradable on Steam.
Now, 11 years after the release of the first CS:GO Weapon Case, skins make Valve millions of dollars per year—a vast network of services and entertainment built around cosmetics and customization. Today, we have skins for all tastes, vibes, and pockets, but it wasn’t always like that. When the whole idea of cosmetics was new to the game, there were only a few options to choose from. It’s these old-timers we’re going to talk about today, the truly old Counter-Strike 2 skins with a story to tell.
It’s no wonder that the oldest CS2 skins are also some of the game’s most renowned items, with prices in hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Therefore, we will also include the current prices of these weapons and their different versions.
Let’s roll now!
Please note that the prices mentioned are accurate as of July 2024.
AWP | Asiimov
FT
BS
While far from the oldest, Asiimov may be the most famous item among the old CS2 skins. The famous AWP was released more than 10 years ago and immediately “went viral” in the CS:GO community. Ever since, legends like kennyS, s1mple, pashaBiceps, m0NESY, cadiaN, and others have all used it to great effect. Some of the Asiimovs, like kennyS’ “magic stick,” have become true relics in the CS2 community, revered like named swords of the medieval knights. O tempora, o mores!
Date of release: February 20th, 2014
Cases: Operation Phoenix Weapon Case
Rarity: Covert
Price: $61.52 (BS) — $108.00 (FT)
ST Price: $91.19 (BS) — $204.17 (FT)
AWP | BOOM
FN
FT
Next up, we want to introduce the AWP | Boom—one of the first skins to replace the default weapon’s gloomy camo look with a splash of color. Maybe BOOM isn’t as famous as other skins on this list, but it was a big thing at release. This skin inspired thousands of new players to try out the AWP, and also refreshed the vibe of some well-known snipers. Imagine how powerful they felt playing with a brand new shiny rifle after using the default one for years.
Date of release: August 14th, 2013
Cases: eSports 2013 Case
Rarity: Classified
Price: $71.08 (FT) — $264.37 (FN)
ST Price: $115.50 (FT) — $499.99 (FT)
AK-47 | Red Laminate
FN
BS
Did you know that AK | Red Laminate is one of the oldest skins in CS2? Well, it is! This skin is another great option for players who don’t like overwhelming patterns and color combinations. Red Laminate looks like the default AK with slightly brighter patterned wooden parts. A skin worth long years of appreciation, don’t you think?
Date of release: August 14th, 2013
Cases: eSports 2013 Case
Rarity: Classified
Price: $32.00 (BS) — $300.34 (FN)
ST Price: $83.35 (BS) — $1,095.66 (FN)
AK-47 | Case Hardened
FN
BS
AK | Case Hardened is so famous today that it’s hard to believe the skin has been around since the release of the first-ever case in CS:GO. The current hype around this skin family is unmatched—those are some of the most expensive items in the game. If you’re new to CS, the main visual trick of Case Hardened is that there are different combinations of blue, golden, silver, and purple you can get when you open the skin. Some of the rare patterns can increase the price of a copy by thousands of dollars!. Check our Case Hardened Blue Gem Guide for more info. For now, let’s just appreciate how cool it looks regardless of specific patterns.
Date of release: August 14th, 2013
Cases: CS:GO Weapon Case
Rarity: Classified
Price: $136.00 (BS) — $302.94 (FN)
ST Price: $261.27 (BS) — $680.00 (FN)
USP-S | Stainless
FN
BS
Next up is another simple and recognizable old CS2 skin. USP | Stainless is known for its clean and professional looks. A precise blend of gray and black won’t look out of place no matter what style you go for. The skin appears to have its own dedicated fan base, and has maintained a reasonable cost for the past 10 years.
Date of release: February 12th, 2014
Cases: CS:GO Weapon Case 3
Rarity: Mil-Spec
Price: $2.78 (BS) — $14.70 (FN)
ST Price: $9.07 (BS) — $61.00 (FN)
M4A1-S | Dark water
MW
FT
As for the old-school CT rifles, you can’t get any better than M4A1-S | Dark Water. It's a straightforward skin—a clean gray rifle with a sharp black geometrical pattern, proving that you don’t have to be extra pretty to be valuable. Check out YEKINDAR’s M4 | Dark Water 4k in a match vs BIG!
Date of release: August 14th, 2013
Cases: CS:GO Weapon Case
Rarity: Restricted
Price: $61.45 (FT) — $65.00 (MW)
ST Price: $105.54 (FT) — $113.20 (MW)
Desert Eagle | Hypnotic
FN
MW
Speaking about old CS2 skins that has a lot of popularity despite their limited two-color palette, we can’t help but mention Desert Eagle | Hypnotic. Although this skin is rarely seen in the wild those days, let’s admit that a hypnotic bold black spiral on top of the pistol’s classic silver base is a powerful design for the 1-shot Deagle. And this pistol has been a certified classic for more than 10 years already—it comes from the same old case as the previous skin. And considering the skin’s advanced age, the price is actually very reasonable!
Date of release: August 14th, 2013
Cases: CS:GO Weapon Case
Rarity: Classified
Price: $83.17 (MW) — $77.02 (FN)
ST Price: $200.00 (MW) — $120.49 (FN)
AK | Fire Serpent
FN
BS
Notice how the image covers only a part of the AK, leaving the majority of the gun untouched. This is an artifact of the times when Valve experimented with this kind of things, trying to figure how much a skin should change the default gun. Despite the exceeding amount of newer options, Fire Serpent remains highly popular. Want to try one of these for yourself? Prepare to cash out some real money.
Date of release: September 19th, 2013
Cases: Operation Bravo Case
Rarity: Covert
Price: $445.00 (BS) — $2,096.11 (FN)
ST Price: $787.00 (BS) — $4,641.35 (FN)
Desert Eagle | Blaze
FN
MW
What about some fire? Desert Eagle | Blaze is one of those old-school CS2 skins that, like Asiimov, don’t need much introduction for the game fans. The handle of the pistol is full-black, and the front part is decorated with the famous flaming artwork.
Date of release: August 14th, 2013
Cases: cannot be obtained from cases. This skin is a part of The Dust Collection.
Rarity: Restricted
Price: $496.82 (MW) — $519.00 (FN)
Karambit | Vanilla
FN
BS
We finish today’s article with a knife—the iconic Karambit, one of the most stylish items in CS. Given that it was released back in 2013 (can you believe that?), we couldn’t overlook this skin in our list.
We selected a vanilla finish to highlight the knife’s elegant curve and handle. Look at that! That’s what perfection looks like.
Date of release: August 14th, 2013
Cases: CS:GO Weapon Case, eSports 2013 Case
Rarity: Covert
Price: $1,090.34
ST Price: $1,046.7
