The market for skins in CS 2 collapsed dramatically after the update. What you need to know

The information in this material is not an investment recommendation.

The skin market in Counter-Strike 2 has plummeted: its capitalization has decreased by about $2 billion. Until recently, the total turnover of trading platforms reached about $ 6 billion, but after updating the game, this figure decreased to $ 4 billion. The reason for the collapse was the revision by the developers of the conditions for obtaining individual skins. The consequences of this collapse can be found in the Izvestia article.

Changes in the game

• Investments in Counter-Strike skins, which are used to customize weapons and character clothing, are considered attractive non-traditional assets. Their profitability for the period from 2013 to 2024 exceeded 40% per annum. This is better than the performance indicators of an investment portfolio that contained only gold or bitcoin.

• After the update, the cost of in-game items and skins in Counter—Strike 2 plummeted - in less than a day, the market lost over 30% of its value. The reason is that now every user is able to create a knife from five rare skins, which was previously impossible. Before that, such items cost thousands of dollars, and after the upgrade, the minimum price of knives on the trading floor dropped to about $50.

• Prices for premium knives and gloves have collapsed, while the cost of regular skins, on the contrary, has increased dramatically. Investors and collectors who held expensive items as assets suffered the most, while ordinary players got a chance to purchase rare items. Valve has not yet commented on the collapse of the skin market.

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• Before the update, the total market capitalization exceeded $6 billion, but after a few hours it fell to $4.2 billion. The collapse affected almost all product categories, including unique and collectible items. Before this collapse, the CS2 skin economy was considered one of the most stable in the gaming field.

The future of investment

• The sharp decline in the market is due to a change in the market balance between supply and demand. Easier access to premium items has dramatically increased the volume of offers. This, of course, brought down their price. At the same time, it stimulated activity on trading platforms. After all, the number of transactions with cheaper skins has increased dramatically on them. Such fluctuations are typical for virtual economies. They have no centralized regulation, and the price is determined solely by the behavior of the players.

• It is still very difficult to assess whether the current decline will be temporary or develop into a long-term trend. In the short term, the market may stabilize after an initial wave of sell-offs. Players will adjust demand and set new price targets.

• However, in the long-term dynamics, much will depend on the further actions of the developers and the reaction of the community. If Valve decides to make unexpected changes to the skin creation system again, the market may once again face severe volatility.

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Nuances of attachments

• Investing in game items only makes sense in a specific context. They are a form of alternative digital assets, the value of which is shaped by rarity and demand within the gaming community. The main idea of such investments is to speculate on demand and limited supply. Some items are available in limited quantities or become unavailable after certain upgrades, which increases their value.

• Players buy rare skins with the expectation that their price will rise over time, such as with art objects or collectible cards. In-game trading is usually supported by real money through official platforms and third-party websites. This makes the market quite liquid.

• However, compared to stocks, cryptocurrencies, and other investment options, investing in skins carries much more risk and has virtually no system protection. For example, stocks are based on real business performance of companies and are regulated by the state, cryptocurrencies are volatile, but operate within the framework of transparent blockchain technologies. The skin market, on the contrary, depends entirely on the decisions of the developers and the interest of the audience. One update and a change in the algorithm for obtaining items can reset the value of even the rarest assets.

Is it worth investing in skins

• Investing in skins in games requires constant market analysis and an understanding of liquidity. Despite the high returns, the share of investors in these assets remains relatively small, and investments are more suitable for a niche audience.

When writing the material, Izvestia interviewed:

• the video game expert Alexander Kuzmenko.