Whether you’re just starting out in CS2 or you’ve been playing the game for years, you’ve certainly encountered the concept of skin wear. But what exactly is skin wear and how do the different levels of wear differ from one another? Sometimes it’s hard to decide whether a certain skin is really worth investing in, whether that exterior quality is worth the price, and whether the transaction is actually profitable. To really get the hang of trading CS2 skins, you need to learn about wear levels. In this post, we’ll explain to you what the different levels of skin wear are, which ones you should pay attention to, and which ones are best to avoid.
Also, make sure you check out our guide to CS2 rarity!
What Are CS2 Skins
Skins have been an integral part of CS2 since the game’s launch. They can be found in the game, organically, through random drops, or by opening CS2 cases. The other ways of obtaining a skin are buying it on the Steam Marketplace or getting it through skin trading. Skins are used to alter the appearance of your weapons and to put a personal spin on them. Some of them were designed by the best community designers and resemble true works of art. Skins vary in their level of skin wear and rarity, both of which, of course, affect the final price. Lower wear levels are generally cheaper when you try to sell CS2 skins. You can get CS2 skins for as little as 1 dollar and as much as 1000 dollar, so the price range can really vary.
What Is CS2 Skin Wear
CS2 Skin wear (aka skin exterior or skin condition) is a special feature that is assigned to each skin based on its float value. Regardless of whether the player acquires the skin through an in-game drop or by means of skin trading, it will always have a pre-assigned float value, therefore a pre-assigned level of skin wear. This particular factor determines the skin’s quality and external appearance. Unfortunately, there is no way of influencing the float value. The only thing the player can decide on is whether to invest in a particular skin or not.
What Is Skin Float Value
As we have mentioned, the skin float value is the determinant of the skin’s level of wear. It is represented by a number that varies between 0.00 and 1.00. Based on what the float value of a particular skin is, we can tell which level of skin wear it falls into.
What are the different skin wear levels
There are 5 different skin exteriors in CS2: Factory New, Minimal Wear, Field Tested, Well Worn, and Battle Scarred. Each of them has a specific float value range assigned to it. Factory New skins are the least damaged and most expensive skins, while Battle Scarred skins are in possibly the worst condition, and will cost the least amount of money. It is worth noting that not every skin is available in all five exteriors.
Now let’s get into a brief description of all 5 levels of skin wear.
Factory New FN
Factory New is the best available condition your weapon can be in. The float value at this wear level varies between 0.00 and 0.07. If the player has managed to come into possession of a Factory New skin, it means that they can enjoy the item in its full glory, meaning, the weapon has no visible scratches, stains, dents, or any other signs of wear and tear. Factory New items are also some of the most expensive CS2 skins, sometimes reaching prices of more than 1000$ dollars for a single item.
Minimal Wear MW
One tier lower than Factory New, there are Minimal Wear skins. Their float value varies between 0.07 and 0.15. At this level of skin wear the player can find some barely noticeable signs of deterioration, such as scratches. It is worth noting, however, that despite the very slight differences in quality, skins in this condition are much more affordable than Factory New skins (price differences often reach up to several hundred dollars). If you can’t afford the Factory New variant, Minimal Wear is the second best you can get your hands on.
Field Tested FT
Field Tested skins (as the name implies) usually look like they already had the opportunity to undergo several tests on the battlefield. Their float value ranges between 0.15 and 0.37. Their appearance may already be heavily affected by various scratches, dents, and dirt. This doesn’t necessarily mean that such weapon skins are worthless. Many players in the trading community still go for Field Tested CS2 skins because of their decent value for money. It is worth noting that at this particular wear level, the range of possible skin float value is extremely broad, which means that items in Field Tested condition, can look either barely scratched or extremely damaged.
Well Worn WW
At the Well Worn level, we are now entering a group of skins whose appearance very visibly indicates their state of wear. This is a good option for people who do not have an overly large budget for buying new skins. However, players need to be very careful when purchasing Well Worn skins, because some of them barely resemble their original version anymore. Although, there have been some lucky people in the CS2 community, who, when buying a skin at this wear level, managed to get an item that looked barely touched. Still, they are some of the cheapest CS2 skins in the game, so they can serve as a cheap visual upgrade if you’re on a budget. The float values of Well Worn skins vary between 0.37 and 0.44.
Battle Scarred BS
The last group of skins, are Battle Scarred skins. Their level of wear and tear is the highest, and most of them look just plain bad. Weapons in this condition are full of scratches and dents. The Battle Scarred skins make up most of the in-game drops. The float value of skins at this level varies between 0.44 and 1.0. Their biggest advantage is, of course, their low price. Don’t be fooled, however, as some of the best Battle-Scarred skins in the game can not only feature beautiful visuals, but also cost some significant money.
Conclusions
The range of skins in CS2 is really huge. At the moment, there are more than 1,000 skins across all collections, and it seems that their output is not going to end anytime soon. Skins are a great way to add some personal touch to your equipment. However, it is important to remember that they are not equal. If you’re not yet familiar with terms like Factory New, Minimal Wear, or Battle Scarred, be sure to read our post. Understanding skin wear will be the key to your success in the world of CS2 skins. Also, make sure to keep your eye on Skinsmonkey, where you can even get free CS2 skins by participating in giveaways!
A true gaming enthusiast, especially Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Rust. At SkinsMonkey, he is involved in creating game guides based on his own experience.
