Valve will add clothing skins to CS2

In recent weeks, there has been little news about the development of CS 2 until insider Gabe Follower shared some information. "I think the developers of CS 2 are working on clothing skins and charms. The usual factions are missing because the agents will be customizable," he wrote on social media.

Mentions of CS2 clothing skins appeared in the CS 2 beta, and the addition of legs in first-person view is also linked to future character customization. The biggest hint is the absence of skins for factions – in CS 2, the same models are used on all maps, whereas in CS:GO, there were many characters associated with different attack and defense groups.

The idea of cosmetic clothing for characters has never appealed to Minho "Gooseman" Lee, the creator of CS, who was involved in its development for a long time, even within Valve.

"I wouldn’t want to play a game like that. I think a realistic game should immerse you in the right setting. When someone with pink hair runs by, it ruins the atmosphere," he said 10 years ago.

In CS:GO, pink hair and other cosmetic elements for characters never appeared. However, during the development of the game, concept art showed detailed customization: masks and CS2 clothing items. These fit the game's style and might have been liked by Minho Lee.

There was also more detailed character customization, including gender, skin color, and eye color.

In contrast, Counter-Strike Online, created under Valve’s license for the Asian market, featured extensive customization. It included girls in dresses, characters with bright hair, and other cosmetic items.

CS will soon celebrate a major milestone – 25 years since the release of the first version. It's quite possible that the developers will mark the occasion with a significant update, adding many things already found in the code: clothing skins, pets, unique animations, charms, and an operation.