The Counter-Strike 2 skin marketplace, renowned for its considerable transactions, has undergone a notable disruption following a recent update from Valve. This update, aimed at facilitating the acquisition of rare skins, has inadvertently unsettled the secondary market where these skins are exchanged for considerable amounts.

The update enables players to swap standard Covert skins for rare knife and glove cosmetics, leading to a depreciation in the market. In the past, acquiring these rare items necessitated buying weapon cases with real money, with no assurance of obtaining valuable items. The scarcity of items is indicated by color-coding, with gold being the most desirable. The update now allows trading red skins for gold skins, a modification that has significantly transformed market dynamics.

This transition has resulted in a 42% decline in the market cap for trending skins, erasing over $2 billion from the market value in just one week. While newer players enjoy improved access to high-grade skins, long-term investors in the marketplace have incurred substantial losses, with certain items like the M4A1 Hot Rod witnessing a $2000 drop in average price. Valve has not yet addressed the market collapse triggered by this update.