The latest CS2 knife crafting update brought in a lot of new features to the game, allowing players to trade-up CS2 knife skins for the first time in the game's history. While normally you need ten skins of the same rarity to trade-up, crafting CS2 knives requires you to use only five covert skins.

In the past, covert skins couldn't be used for a trade-up, meaning that covert skins that didn't look impressive or were otherwise unpopular were often considered worthless by collectors and players alike, and you could purchase any of them on the Steam market for a couple of cents.

This completely changed with the latest update, and since now every covert skin can potentially be turned into a knife, all covert skins CSGO and CS2 have to offer immidiately skyrocketed in price, with some covert skins' price tag increasing by $100 or more. As soon as players realized that you can turn any five covert skins into a brand new knife, collectors started buying out all red rarity skins instantly.

Looking to get your hands on some covert skins for trade-ups but don't want to ruin your finances? We've got you covered! Here are the cheapest covert skins you can add to your CS2 inventory today!

As always, remember that if you're looking to get any of the skins on this list, make sure to head over to SkinsMonkey, where you can trade CS2 skins instantly for the best deals possible!

Key takeaways:

What Are Covert Rarity Skins?

Covert rarity, also known as red rarity skins, are some of the rarest skins you can open from CS2 weapon cases. Most weapon cases in the game include one or two covert skins in their item pool, and case odds for opening a single covert rarity skin are relatively low.

Most covert skins feature impressive visual designs, which is often reflected in their price tag. While not as rare and expensive as CS2 knives or gloves, most covert skins still command impressive prices on the Steam market, especially after the latest update.

Why Are Covert Skins So Expensive?

As we've already mentioned, covert skins have jumped up in price over the last week, since they can now be used as a crafting material for CS2 trade-ups. This means that every single covert rarity skin in CS2, no matter its visuals, is now a potential material for a brand new CS2 knife.

The market has responded with collectors from all over the world, China in particular, buying out all the covert skins that they can get their hands on. This sudden rush of skin buyouts has led to a sharp increase in the price of virtually any covert skin in the game. Most players and traders have immidiately bought out all the cheapest covert skins in the game, driving up their price significantly.

At the moment, many covert skins have overtaken CS2 knives in price and have become one of the hottest commodities on the CS2 marketplace. If you own a number of covert skins in your inventory, you're in luck, as you might be sitting on a small pile of fortune.

Check out this video by NEON going in-depth on the market changes in CS2 and what do they mean for players and traders:

What Are The Cheapest Covert Skins in CS2?

At the moment the cheapest covert skins in the game are:

Let's now take an in-depth look at all the cheapest covert skins CSGO and CS2 have to offer. Keep in mind that the CS2 market is now in a serious state of flux, and the prices listed in the article are subject to change!

AWP | Neo-Noir

Neo-Noir skins are one of the most popular families in CS:GO and CS2. These awesome purple skins feature a futuristic look, with an awesome graphic design, featuring a neo-noir trademark female cyberpunk fighter, perfect for anyone looking for some serious visual upgrade.

One of the best AWP skins in the game, Neo-Noir is also relatively cheap, especially in the Battle-Scarred condition, which, while not as impressive visually, is still a great budget choice if you're looking for CS2 knife trade-ups.

  • Drops from: The Fever Collection
  • Average price: $32 (Battle-Scarred)

M4A4 | Temukau

One of the best M4A4 skins added recently to the game, M4A4 Temukaku is perfect for anyone looking for CS2 anime skins for their inventory. The skin features a highly detailed drawing of an anime girl, and while many players might consider it out of place in a military-based online shooter, M4A4 Temukaku is an awesome choice if you really want to stand out in any CS2 match.

Most importantly, it's one of the cheapest covert skins in the game, and can be yours for less than $40 in the Battle-Scarred condition, making it a great choice for potential CS2 knife trade-ups.

  • Drops from: The Revolution Collection
  • Average price: $37 (Battle-Scarred)

StatTrak™ M4A1‑S | Player Two

Just like with regular trade-ups, players can also trade-up StatTrak knives, which requires you to use five StatTrak skins in the process. To craft a StatTrak knife, you need five covert StatTrak skins, which can run you up some significant amount of money.

To craft a CS2 StatTrak knife, five cheap covert skins with StatTrak are the best choice. M4A1-S Player Two is currently one of the cheapest covert skins with StatTrak that you can get, making it a great choice for potential CS2 knife trade-ups.

  • Drops from: The Prisma 2 Collection (Prisma 2 Case)
  • Average price: $51.29 (Field-Tested)

USP‑S | Printstream

Another Printstream skin on the list, the USP-S variant happens to be one of the best USP-S skins you can get in the game. While it happens to be one of the best CS2 pistol skins in the game, it's also a great material for knife trade-ups, as it's one of the cheapest covert skins in the game.

While most players shoot for Factory-New variants or better, the Battle-Scarred version of the USP-S Printstream is a great and cheap material for any potential CS2 trade-ups.

  • Drops from: The Recoil Collection
  • Average price: $27.83 (Battle-Scarred)

AWP | Wildfire

Wildfire is one of the most expensive AWP skins in the game in its Factory-New variant, but if you're searching for materials for potential knife trade-ups, the Field-Tested variant is one of the cheapest covert skins you can get in CS2.

While it might be a shame to use such an awesome-looking skin in a trade-up, considering that you can get it under $50 and turn it into a much more expensive CS2 knife, AWP Wildfire is a great choice for that.

  • Drops from: The CS20 Collection (CS20 Case)
  • Average price: $43.92 (Field-Tested)

AK‑47 | Asiimov

The AK-47 Asiimov is one of the best AK-47 skins in the game, and its classic futuristic design has been a trademark of rare CS:GO skins ever since it was released in the game. And while it might be a shame to use such a classic skin in a CS2 trade-up, a Field-Tested version costs less than $30, meaning that it's a great budget choice if you want to craft a CS2 knife.

The Factory-New variants of this skin are some of the most expensive AK-47 skins in the game; the Field-Tested are relatively cheap, and make a great budget choice for traders and collectors alike.

  • Drops from: The Danger Zone Collection
  • Average price: $29.77 (Field-Tested)

StatTrak™ Glock‑18 | Bullet Queen

The Glock-18 Bullet Queen is one of the best Glock skins in the game, which shouldn't be a surprise considering its awesome visuals. Popular among collectors who are searching for yellow skins, Bullet Queen is one of the covert skins that shot up in price in the last couple of days.

While at around $50 it's not the cheapest covert skin on this list, its price tag is still relatively low compared to others, making it a great material for potential CS2 knife trade-ups.

  • Drops from: The Prisma 2 Collection (Prisma 2 Case)
  • Average price: $56.19 (Minimal Wear)

AK‑47 | Aquamarine Revenge

Aquamarine AK-47 used to be one of the most expensive CS2 skins in the game, but the Field-Tested variant can be yours for less than $40, and makes a great material for crafting CS2 knives. While many players have purchased this covert skin for its visuals in the past, right now it's still relatively cheap as a material for CS2 knife trade-ups.

At the moment, the AK-47 Aquamarine skin still remains one of the cheapest covert skins in the game. If you're looking for cheap CS2 knife trade-up materials, better get this one fast, before it sells out!

  • Drops from: The Falchion Collection
  • Average price: $34.43 (Field-Tested)

M4A1‑S | Vaporwave

One of the newer additions to the game, this awesome M4A1-S skin references the Vaporwave culture of the 2010s and is one of the newest entries on this list. Despite the awesome looks, the Battle-Scarred variant is one of the cheapest covert skins in the game.

As one of the newest covert skins in the game, there are many copies of the M4A1-S Vaporwave available on the market. If you're looking to craft CS2 knives, better get a copy of your own fast.

  • Drops from: The Gallery Collection
  • Average price: $52.64 (Battle-Scarred)

StatTrak™ AK‑47 | Neon Revolution

Last but not least, we've got one of the best AK-47 skins in the game. The AK-47 Neon Revolution is a popular choice, though it has remained at a relatively acceptable price tag for a long time now. You can definitely expect it to significantly shoot up in price over the next couple of weeks, as traders and collectors alike are buying out the cheapest covert skins.

If you plan to craft a StatTrak knife, AK-47 Neon Revolution can be bought in the lower CS2 float versions at around $50. While it's difficult to predict if this price will continue to stay this low, it still remains a great input skin for StatTrak knife trade-ups.

  • Drops from: The Gamma 2 Collection
  • Average price: $57.18 (Battle-Scarred)

Where To Buy Cheapest Covert Skins?

If you want to get your hands on some of the cheapest covert skins on the market, you should use a dedicated CS2 trading site, like SkinsMonkey. The best trading site currently available on the market, SkinsMonkey offers you the best deals on any of the skins that you purchase, allowing you to quickly react to possible market fluctuations.

While you can purchase skins on the Steam community market, it comes with many limitations, and you won't be able to get the best prices on the skins you trade. Valve takes a cut out of every transaction, and while it's not a lot of money, considering how expensive even the cheapest covert skins can get, this can amount to a couple of dollars on every transaction. This means that when you buy the cheapest covert skins in bulk on the Steam community market, you will end up significantly overpaying.

In comparison, SkinsMonkey allows you to quickly buy out the cheapest covert skins in bulk, without overpaying on the Valve cut, making it the best way to quickly score the cheapest covert skins for your CS2 knife trade-ups!

In Conclusion

Covert skins are currently the most popular commodity on the CS2 market, and players are buying them out now in bulk, often driving up their prices significantly. If you want to craft a CS2 knife skin of your own, now is the time to trade the cheapest covert skins in the game!

If you enjoyed this article, make sure to check out the rest of our blog, where we offer free CS2 skins giveaways, as well as other guides and toplists, including:

FAQ

What is the covert rarity in CS2?

Covert, also referred to as red rarity, is one of the highest CS2 rarities you can open from weapon cases.

Why are covert skins so expensive?

Covert skins have low odds of dropping from CS2 weapon cases, and have only increased in price since they can now be used in CS2 knife trade-ups. This means that even the cheapest covert skins have risen over $100.

Where can I buy cheap covert skins?

If you're looking to buy covert skins, your best choice is to use a dedicated CS2 trading site, like SkinsMonkey.