Summary
Battling it out on the same map month after month using a set loadout can get boring. That’s where in-game skins and cosmetics come into the picture, and they go a long way in making a game feel fresh and new. Some cosmetics are even tied to specific events, allowing players to showcase their triumphs and mastery in a certain game. Some, on the other hand, can help players stand out in a lobby and express their individuality.
Unsurprisingly, players tend topay a lot of money to obtain exclusive cosmetic items. Some may even cost a fortune and set players back thousands of dollars. And the proof is in the pudding. Here are some of the most expensive in-game skins for different games.
Subnauticais a massive open-world exploratory gameset on an Alien planet. Players are tasked with fending off unknown aquatic life by gathering materials and building a base. Naturally, players can decorate the bases to their liking. One way to do this is by equipping the seabase with custom hull plates.
Hull plates are tradable commodities available on the Steam Marketplace. They were originally given to early game adopters as a token of appreciation. The Diorama Hull Plate, in particular, was given to a user for recreating a pint-sized seabase inside a glass sculpture. A Steam user purchased the hull plate for $260 on July 31st.
PayDay 2had a topsy-turvy run. The game amassed a massive player base, although it wasridiculed for introducing microtransactionsduring the Crimefest event. Notably, the game introduced a slew of skins that didn’t just enhance a gun’s overall look and feel but also added a stat boost.
The Bronco .44 Revolver with Extra Vaganza skin in Mint Condition, for instance, added +3 Concealment stats. Needless to say, these skins sold for a good chunk of change on the Steam Marketplace, with the Judge Shotgun Anarcho in Mint Condition fetching a generous $299.
Tigris is a double-barrel, two-round magazineshotgun that deals massive damageinWarframe. It has a unique firing mechanism, and players can hold the fire button to shoot one shell and release the button to shoot another. Players can also quickly tap the firing button to fire both shells.
What’s more unique, though, is the Phased Tigris skin, which adds a bluish, animated effect to the gun. The skin is quite sought-after and has many sold listings on the Steam Marketplace, with its price peaking at $438. Funnily enough, the skin may not be visible in high-octane gun fights as the game is athird-person shooter.
Launched almost a decade ago,Fortniteremains one of the most popular Battle Royale games. This popularity can be attributed, at least in part, to Epic Games' excellent collaborations with brands to create unique in-game cosmetics. The Galaxy Skin, for instance, was made in collaboration with Samsung to promote the Galaxy Note9 smartphone and the Tab S4 tablet.
The only way to get the skin was to play three games of the mobile version ofFortniteon a Galaxy Note9 or a Tab S4 device. This made the skin quite rare and expensive, as the Galaxy Note9 retailed for an eye-watering $1,250 at the time. It’s impossible to get the skin now, although Samsungdid tweet at Epic Gamesto bring the iconic skin back. Thankfully, Fortnite is no stranger to good-looking skins, and players can equip their character withhundreds of eye-catching cosmetics.
Killstreak fabricators are used to customize weapons inTeam Fortress 2. A basic Killstreak kit adds no visual elements to the weapon and only lets players track their kill streak with a particular gun. However, when paired with Robot parts, players can craft a Specialized or Professional Killstreak Kit Fabricator, which, when applied to a gun, adds a sheen or particle effect to the weapon.
The effects get more noticeable the more kills a player gets in a game. Understandably, Specialized Killstreak Kit Fabricators fetch a good margin, with one selling for a whopping $1,802 on the Steam Marketplace.
Rustis apopular survival shooterwith a lot of pay-to-win skins. Notably, the game’s cosmetics elevate a weapon’s design and can even outfit it with a better iron sight for more advantageous interactions. The Alien Relic SMG is one of the most sought-after weapons in the game.
Designed by prominent Rust YouTuber Rcham, the skin features neon hieroglyphs that glow in the dark. Understandably, the skin costs a pretty penny and routinely sells for over $1,000 on the Steam Marketplace. Its price peaked at $1,809, making it one of the rarest and most expensive cosmetics in the game.
Enduring War Dog is a courier unit inDota 2. Couriers transport items to heroes during battles. Originally, couriers were limited to one per team. Now, every player is assigned their own personal courier. While couriers don’t have any offensive traits, they can gain speed boosts and shields as they level up.
Legacy Enduring War Dog is one of the mythical courier skins in Dota 2. The same sold for a staggering $1,827 on the Steam Market Place on 14th December. Thanks to its passionate fan base, Dota 2 sees its fair share of high-priced in-game items being sold on the Steam Marketplace and other third-party stores. The Legacy Stumpy courier, for instance, was also sold for $1,694 on the marketplace. It’s alsoreportedthat an Ethereal Flame Pink War Dog was sold for a life-changing $38,000 in an auction on the Dota2 subreddit in 2013.
Despite being launched over seven years ago,PlayerUnkown’s Battlegrounds, orPUBG, receives frequent updates and remains amongSteam’s top threemost-played games. During its first major tournament, namely the PGI or PUBG Global Invitational in 2018, the company announced a bespoke Wasteland customization set for fans who attended the event in Berlin, Germany.
The Wasteland Set included a Doomsday Hoodie, Survivalists Slacks, and a Reaper Mask. The items could be traded on the Steam Marketplace, too, and the Reaper Mask fetched a handsome fee of over $1,500. Notably, the cosmetic was sold for $1,949 on the 5th of April.
It’s important to highlight that the Steam Marketplace cap for tradable items is $2,000, and many Counter-Strike skins have reportedly been sold for tens of thousands of dollars in third-party marketplaces. For instance, the Case Hardened AK skin with pattern 661 is valued at $60,000. Similarly, theKarambit Case Hardened knifewith pattern 387 was valued at over $1.5 million.
The Blue Party Hat is a tradable cosmetic that skyrocketed in value. The item was originally given to players participating in a Christmas holiday event decades ago. Since then, it has not appeared in any event and, as such, has become a scarce and extravagant commodity within the RuneScape community.
So much so that one of these will earn sellers well over $4,000. Additionally, the hat has become so expensive that it exceeds the game’s maximum gold cap. Consequently, prospective buyers will have to source the same from the game’s forums.
