Talk about splashing the cash
Most of us can be accused of overspending on a game to get that perfect skin, but now, one Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) whizz has shelled out an eye watering $15,000 on one rare weapon skin.
While Sparkles is a well-known CS:GO player and has a popular YouTube channel, he’s grabbed headlines thanks to his impressive endeavour to nab a StatTrak AK47 Fire Serpent in Factory New. Sparkles used the trade-up method and splashed $15,000.
It all worked out in the end, but it’s important to remember, he could’ve still spent all that money and walked away with nothing.
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It was a labour of love for Sparkles as he used the unpopular trade-up method. By acquiring 10 skins from a particular collection, gamers can enter a Trade-Up contract and swap them all for a better graded skin. The problem is, you can’t guarantee what you’ll ultimately walk away with.
Although it’s a risky move to make and some will likely be scratching their heads at why anyone would make such a gamble, Sparkles is a savvy player. As well as making a profit from CS:GO in general, he’ll also earn from his YouTube channel. With people heading in their droves to watch his video, it’s currently sitting at nearly 253,500 views.
This isn’t the first time Sparkles has splashed the cash this year. In April, he spent $14,000 on EMS Katowice 2014 sticker capsules. The CS gods weren’t smiling on Sparkles back then and he walked away with just $3,200 worth of stickers.
It’s amazing to think players are spending this kind of money on a skin - which is a trend that is seems to be on the rise. Back in 2017, the most expensive item sold was a holographic iBuyPower sticker that went for around $4,500. In 2018, a Dragon Lore skin with an autograph from Cloud9’s Tyler “Skadoodle” Latham went for a whopping $60,000.
Sparkles may have won this round, but with CS.MONEY marking the StatTrak AK47 Fire Serpent in Factory New skin at about half of what he paid for it, this way of playing might not be for everyone.
Images via Valve | Sparkles YouTube