Counter-Strike 2 Skin Market Exceeds $4 Billion, Growing More Steadily Than Cryptocurrencies

The virtual item industry continues to grow rapidly — the CS2 skin market exceeded $4.3 billion for the first time, according to Pricempire, an analytical platform that tracks prices from 46 trading platforms. Interest in in-game items is showing steady growth amid fluctuations in cryptocurrencies and a decline in the S&P 500 index.

Analysts note that the skin economy does not depend on traditional financial factors. Aldora CEO Just van Dreunen emphasizes that Valve’s digital ecosystem is developing according to its own laws, which are not influenced by political decisions and economic crises.

Counter-Strike 2 is not the only game where in-game items become objects of large transactions. Thus, a Team Fortress 2 fan sold a rare headdress for $40,000, and last summer a unique skin for the AK-47 in CS2 was bought for $1 million.