Tomorrow marks the start of the Perfect World Shanghai Major for CS2, where sixteen teams will battle it out. However, we’ve already seen all of them recently at the RMR tournaments. Traditionally, esports players take this opportunity to show off their best skins on the server. Today, the CS.MONEY blog will tell you which skins became popular and how the skin trends differ in each region.
Don’t forget, we have an ongoing Battle Pass event, and it’s a great chance for you to get cool skins for free! Just complete the tasks and play CS2!
Most Popular CS2 Skins in Each RMR Region
Surprisingly, each region has its own distinct preferences, although there are universal favorites. In any region’s RMR, you’ll see the M4A1-S Printstream and USP-S Kill Confirmed on top, simply because these are considered some of the best skins for their respective weapons. However, the situation with the AK-47 is less clear. In the Asia-Pacific RMR, the AK-47 Redline was a top pick — an affordable yet stylish skin perfect for cool crafts. In the Americas RMR, the AK-47 Bloodsport reigned supreme, and we dare say it was seen more often in this region than in all others combined. Europe, on the other hand, favored more expensive skins, such as AK-47 Fire Serpent, AK-47 Gold Arabesque, AK-47 Wild Lotus, and AK-47 Case Hardened.
Most Popular CS Skins across all regions
We looked at the most popular skins for the top weapons: AK-47, M4A1-S (the M4A4 was used much less), Glock-18, USP-S, and AWP. In addition to the universally beloved M4A1-S Printstream and USP-S Kill Confirmed, the top 5 also included USP-S Printstream, AK-47 Bloodsport (thanks to the Americas RMR) and Glock-18 Water Elemental (which was particularly popular in Europe). Why two USP-S skins? The theory is that for AK-47 or Glock-18, there are multiple tier-S skins, so the preferences are more evenly distributed. We’ll discuss all of them later in this article.
Most Popular AK-47 Skins at the RMR in Shanghai
Due to its massive popularity in the Americas RMR, the AK-47 Bloodsport takes the top spot. Right behind it is the AK-47 Redline, which was also frequently seen everywhere, possibly due to its accessibility and “old school” appeal. Finally, in third place is the AK-47 Fire Serpent, which appeared slightly more often than many other worthy skins.
Most Popular AWP Skins at the RMR in Shanghai
Let’s shift our focus to the most popular sniper rifle. The AWP is unique in its class because it’s typically used by just one or two players per team, meaning it doesn’t rack up as many appearances overall. When we collected data on the most popular AWPs during the previous major, the meta was a bit different. AWP Dragon Lore and AWP Chrome Cannon are still in the top rankings, but this time, the AWP Asiimov takes the top spot. Could this be a legacy of KennyS? We should also mention another expensive skin that was frequently seen on the servers — AWP Desert Hydra. While cheaper than Dragon Lore, it has a dedicated fanbase in all regions.
Most Popular M4A1-S Skins at the RMR in Shanghai
When it comes to M4A1-S, there is one clear dominator — M4A1-S Printstream. We saw a huge variety of skins at the RMR, but the next three spots were filled by skins that all share one characteristic: they have no patterns on the body. These skins benefitted from the Source 2 update, looking fantastic, and then the distribution is purely based on color preferences. In second place was M4A1-S Fade, followed by M4A1-S Hot Rod in third, and M4A1-S Blue Phosphor in fourth. All three are very worthy skins.
Most Popular USP-S Skins at the RMR in Shanghai
The ranking for USP-S skins looks pretty similar. There is one clear favorite, USP-S Kill Confirmed, followed by another strong contender, USP-S Printstream, which was a distant second. After that, the competition was a bit closer, with USP-S Neo-Noir and USP-S The Traitor being slightly more popular. Honorable mention goes to USP-S Cortex, a bright and affordable skin that rounded out the top five.
Most Popular Glock-18 Skins at the RMR in Shanghai
The pistol category for the attacking side was a bit different. The top three Glock-18 skins were easy to identify, though the distribution within the top 3 was quite close. Nevertheless, in first place, we have the Glock-18 Water Elemental —a vibrant skin that attracts attention with its red and blue contrast. In second place is Glock-18 Fade, whose popularity is no surprise, especially considering the popularity of M4A1-S Fade. Rounding out the top three is Glock-18 Dragon Tattoo — a prestigious, high-end skin with a design that doesn’t distract from the game. Plus, the dragon is a national symbol in China, so it makes sense that player might want to earn loyalty of the audience. And the code for Battle Pass might bring you closer to a free CS2 skin. Here it is: EQE60LZC
Things may shift during the major itself. Collectors will likely be more willing to loan out their prized skins, and we might see a move towards more expensive skins. The games begin tomorrow, so get your popcorn ready — world-class Counter-Strike awaits us!
