Valve made a duped CSGO skin for the first time since 2016

William Davis Published 12/07/2022

Valve has recreated a Counter-Strike: Global Offensive skin for the first time in eight years.

In the wake of a massive CSGO hack involving an estimated $2 million worth of skins, Valve has duplicated a very special skin. Duped CSGO skins are largely a thing of the past, but the company behind CSGO used the technique to make a very special Souvenir AWP | Dragon Lore. Here’s why the dupe took place and what it means for the average player.

For those unfamiliar with duping, the term refers to existing CSGO skins that have been duplicated or copied in some way. There are multiple ways a skin can be duped, but the most common is for Valve to manually create a copy and distribute it to the affected player. CSGO players used to get duped skins as part of scam compensation, but Valve got rid of the policy in 2016 once skins started becoming extremely valuable.

Valve duped a Souvenir Dragon Lore in CSGO

The catalyst for this event is one of the biggest hacks in CSGO history. Famed collector HFB had his incredibly expensive account ransacked, which possessed multiple Souvenir AWP | Dragon Lores and even the famous starless Karambit. The skins were sold through various websites, but Valve quickly stepped in to rectify the situation. All of the skins were returned to HFB’s inventory with the purchasers getting no compensation. Some of the trade sites used to sell the skins have refunded a few of the buyers.

However, one skin could not be recovered in the normal way. The cosmetic in question also happened to be one of the most expensive in the entire collection. HFB’s Souvenir AWP | Dragon Lore sold for the equivalent of $134,000 on Buff163, a popular Chinese skin trading site. The skin in question has all of its stickers scraped off except for the Katowice 2015 sticker. With a factory new float of 0.0677, the skin is valued at a good deal above its selling price.

While HFB’s other skins were returned to their owner, it appears that the trader who purchased the Souvenir Dragon Lore somehow avoided Valve’s detection. One theory claims he hid it inside of an inventory storage container while another says he transferred it to multiple accounts. Either way, it is now confirmed that there are two copies of the skin. HFB owns one, the unknown trader owns the other.

Duped skins are a hot topic in CSGO, and the fact that Valve is making more is big news for traders. As for average players with some decent play skins, don’t expect Valve to protect you from scammers.

The collection was worth $2 million and was not a scam, but a genuine hack. Valve will probably maintain its current policy of no duped skins, but big CSGO traders should feel a little more secure about their investment.

William Davis

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