Do you remember how lame most of the CS:GO skins were ten years ago? And compared to what we can drop from, for example, Recoil Case or Revolution Case? We have gone from a picture of a lightning bolt stretched over an AWP to pseudo-3D skins with pearlescent effects. Obviously, it’s not a ceiling. Today CS.MONEY Blog tries to answer if there could ever be animated skins in CS:GO and how it would happen.
CS:GO Skins Race
It’s no secret that one of CS:GO’s main popularity pillars is skins. From August 2012 to August 2013, the game’s peak online stayed the same; it was approximately around 50,000 players. But from August 2013, just the month Valve added skins, to August 2014, it grew almost six times and reached the mark of 280,000 players online. Surely, this growth was not only related to skins. For example, we had the first CS:GO major and esports was overall on the rise. But one can’t deny the influence of skins.
Since then, Valve has been throwing more luxurious skins into the community. The best example is the most notorious gun of them all, the AK-47. First, there was Red Laminate. A simple skin, no frills, just wooden parts with a slightly changed colour. Then came Redline. Texture, a few bright lines and… that’s it. And they’re still iconic, by the way. But let’s look at something from recent cases. For example, Ice Coaled. Gradient, magazine transparency effect, flirting with gun shapes, pearlescent. Put Ice Coaled and Red Laminate side by side, and you won’t even tell these two skins are of the same rarity!
In this situation, the next thing Valve can do is to take the skins one step higher. Pseudo-3D features like AWP Derailed conflict with stickers. And we can see all sorts of holographic effects or pearly lights on skins everywhere.
Why CS:GO Can Have Animated Skins…
Considering what we mentioned previously, animated skins are a possible option. First, they have a huge advantage. Steam Workshop artists have already presented several works in the likes of these. And, well, they do not look ready to be added. The main problem with animated effects is that such skins would be animated entirely. That is, the whole pattern moves along the gun model, which does not look very cool.
But hey, good news. CS:GO’s Source Engine already has games that use animated skins. Take Apex Legends, for example. In Apex, many skins and models are partially animated. This means we don’t need Source 2 to have animated skins in the game.
Animated skins can appear in CS:GO for two simple reasons:
- Animated skins look dope
- The engine can cope with it
But there are also two reasons why animated skins are unlikely to appear in the next case.
… And Why Valve Won’t Bring Animated Skins In CS:GO
So, we already have examples of animated skins for CS:GO in the workshop, and the Source Engine works fine with them, so what’s stopping Valve from adding them? First, these skins need to look more promising. They need to be done much better. If the development team is currently porting the game to Source 2, then it is unlikely that anyone will spend time and energy on such skins. Therefore, this is a very likely scenario and the first argument against animated skins in CS:GO.
Second, animated skins are a huge leap forward compared to existing skins. If you can feel the difference between Ice Coaled and Red Laminate mentioned earlier, imagine the gap if animated skins drop by. And here’s the problem, Valve can choose other, more modest options for upgrading newer skins.
Finally, there is another argument against which we did not take into account, but it cannot be ignored. Skins in CS:GO look great right now. The recent Revolution Case does not brag about some kind of revolutionary design or new technologies regarding skins. But they just look great. And if it’s not broken, why fix it?
Summing up, what we see among animated skins in the Steam Workshop is more like a concept rather than likely candidates for the next case. And the future of skins, including animated ones, is covered with fog because everything depends on Valve. And they don’t tend to tell the community about their plans.
By the way, have you already gotten new skins from Revolution Case? Anyways, you can always buy or sell them at CS.MONEY Market. No trade bots, cash withdrawal and cut fees!
