2023 turned out to be a year of change and anticipation. Initially, we eagerly awaited the release of Counter-Strike 2, and after the game’s release, we looked forward to when the game would shine with new content and new Major tournaments. Nevertheless, CS.MONEY Blog didn’t pause and continued delighting readers with various materials. One of the favourite genres is interviews with members of the CS community. In this article, CS.MONEY will recall various interviews that were published in 2023.
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Interviews with Skin Makers
Skins continue to play a crucial role in Counter-Strike, enhancing the gaming experience. At CS.MONEY, we believe that highlighting not only the skins themselves but also giving a voice to their creators is important, considering the fantastic work they do. Therefore, when the Revolution case was released in the game, several skin authors from there were immediately contacted.
Madara, creator of P90 Neoqueen and AWP Duality
Madara found himself in a unique position, with two of his works, P90 Neoqueen and AWP Duality, being added to the game. Moreover, Duality replaced Doodle Lore, which violated copyrights. Hence, the interview was bright and emotional.
“It was absolutely random. My friend called me in the morning and woke me up saying, “You have another Accept!” At first, I thought about Rust, I didn’t believe him because the case had already been released a couple of days ago.
Moreover, I was surprised because it was an old AWP. At that time, my skill was, roughly speaking, on a completely different level: you can see how it was designed and all that. Only now, I’m starting to see how best to implement ideas for CS:GO weapons. And then it was a clumsy vision originating from tattoos. I planned to redo it entirely. Turns out, I was too late. (laughs)“
UAD6, SCAR-20 Fragments Creator
SCAR-20 Fragments is a very distinctive skin that’s hard to confuse with anything else. UAD6 mentioned being inspired by the game Deus Ex and a building by a globally renowned architect in his hometown. He also shared a remarkable story of how it all began.
Michael, SG553 Cyberforce Co-Creator
In his interview, Michael talked about skin-making as a hobby and how he combines his imagination with cold analytical calculation. The story behind creating SG553 Cyberforce was intriguing.
“Initially, we took up AWP: I modelled the skin’s parts, baked them, textured them, then applied Evgen’s drawings, and we posted it. AWP got hyped and saw good reviews in Steam Workshop and on Reddit, and we started working on SG553. Specifically, we had many problems with it because many of its parts were redrawn and redone several times. We tried to make the skin look as compiled and harmonious as possible in terms of composition, and as a result, only the central part remained from the original idea.”
Interviews with Traders
As there exists a particular category of individuals within the Counter-Strike community who use skins as investment instruments, this year, the CS.MONEY blog conducted several interviews with traders.
Krieke, a Blue Gem & Kato14 Collector
When asked about why traders lend their top skins to professional players, Krieke answered the question: “In all honesty, it’s just for the flex. People love to see their own skins on the big screen viewed by thousands of people which gives them validation and pride.”
He also shared his perspective on the trader community: “The community can be great but also very stressful and toxic. I love how Twitter is being used nowadays to share CS:GO content and bring the skins community together to show their love for skins. But with a growing market and lots of competition, there’s also a lot of toxicity and fraud.”
Mitao, a Chinese Titan Holo Collector
In his interview, Mitao discussed the difference between Western and Eastern markets, shared memories of trading with Ropz, and expressed opinions about future CS2 skins. Interestingly, according to the trader, Valve “doesn’t need to do a lot, the current system is ok. If for their own profit, they should do something to boost Steam Market selling because many CS:GO items are far beyond the maximum price Steam can list them for.”
xMercy, an investor with huge passive income
xMercy’s story exemplifies that one can build a career, even starting with ten dollars: “It started in 2014, when I was just a casual CS player. I remember seeing some people with cool skins and getting a knife became a dream. But I didn’t have money at the time to buy one, until I saw a YouTube video about a “trading guide” and I got interested. I started trading on csgolounge with $10, and piece by piece, over the months, it started growing just like a snowball, until I bought my first knife: Gut Boreal Forest FT.”
However, he warns about the risks: “Trading can become a job once you are good with it. But quitting a job to start a living out of trading, is not a good idea. It’s something you start small, parallel to your “normal” job/goals, and if it works out well, maybe it can add a lot to your income.”
Overall, the interviews were very insightful and interesting, providing food for thought.
Chez, a liquid skins professional
Chez’s story shares similarities with his colleagues but also holds differences. While Mitao and xMercy prefer investing in stickers, Chez holds a large inventory of knives and gloves: “You always have a knife in your hands in CS. It’s the most important thing, so people always trade them. The same goes for gloves; even though I have fewer of them, they still bring a lot of profit. That’s why I keep so many knives: when a client comes and asks for a new butterfly, I have to offer him something and show him what I have. Otherwise, what should I show him, the stickers? “Here I have Reason Gaming Holo, Kato14!” And the client is like, “Mmm, cool.” What’s the point? People need knives to play with.”
Chez presents an alternative view of trading, expanding horizons and complementing the view of this sphere.
In 2024, significant changes await us in the world of Counter-Strike, and CS.MONEY Blog will continue covering the most important and interesting events, people, and updates. Thank you for staying with us!
