Operation Riptide is ending soon, so what happens to new skins?

We’ve known Operation Riptide’s end date for a while, but it still hurts to see it go.

Every Counter-Strike: Global Offensive fan should appreciate Operation Riptide while it lasts. The newest operation introduced a massive amount of fresh content to the game, including five new skin collections and a ton of new agent skins. Frugal players appreciate the chance at earning some skins for themselves through the weekly missions. But all that content is about to disappear. Or is it?

The official end date for Operation Riptide is February 20, 2022. On that date, players will be unable to complete any further Riptide missions or purchase any more stars. Based on previous operations, the Riptide shop will also permanently close. Be sure to spend any leftover stars before February 20. If you have an odd number of stars left, keep in mind that stickers cost just one star each. 

What will happen to Operation Riptide skins when it ends?

In previous CSGO operation shops, all of the skins became permanently inaccessible once the battle pass ended. The Norse, Canals, and St. Marc collections are no longer available to purchase in any way. The price of skins from those collections has skyrocketed as a result. The AWP | Gungnir, for example, has joined the Dragon Lore club as a hyper-exclusive sniper skin. Coveted cosmetics like the AK-47 | Gold Arabesque and Glock-18 | Gamma Doppler will likely surge in price immediately after Operation Riptide’s end date.

But Riptide could be different. Many of the new skin collections are based on existing competitive maps. Dust 2, Train, and Mirage all had pre-existing map skin collections prior to Operation Riptide’s upcoming end. The 2021 label affixed to the new skin lines could mean they will replace the old signature skins. Prime accounts earn a skin drop every time they level up their account on a Valve server for the first time in a given week. These are usually cheap skins, but they are still marketable and can potentially be worth big money if players get lucky with their drops.

If this is the case, expect the older CSGO map skins to rise dramatically in price. The lower-rarity examples are infamously cheap, but certain wraps such as the P2000 | Amber Fade or MP9 | Hot Rod could become collector’s pieces.

There’s also the possibility that the new 2021 skins will drop alongside their older counterparts. If this is the case, expect prices for both collections to drop when Operation Riptide ends.