2018 Hottest Video Games Predictions

In a matter of days, we will flip calendars to a new year. There are bound to be a few games that will grow in popularity as we move into 2018, and those are the games we’d like to discuss today. Below are three titles that we predict will be some of 2018’s hottest games!

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds – PUBG

Credit: PUBG Corp.

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds may have made the survival shooter genre-relevant again in 2017. Sure, H1Z1 and DayZ were there, but they never succeeded in raising the genre to the soaring popularity enjoyed by PUBG. PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds was very popular in 2017. As soon as the game entered early access, players all over the world joined in on the fun and never stopped. How popular could this game really be, you ask? At its peak, almost 17 million players were recorded playing worldwide. The trend shows no signs of stopping, either. With its recent release on Xbox One and PC in December of 2017, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds’ popularity will only continue to grow in 2018.

Rocket League

Credit: Psyonix

33 million is the magic number for Rocket League. 33 million copies of Rocket League have been sold across all platforms, meaning that there are AT LEAST 33 million players worldwide. A similarly impressive statistic is that active players per day reach approximately 1.5 million. There are 3.3 million players every week and 6.1 million players monthly. With numbers that amazing, no one is expecting Rocket League to decline in 2018. In fact, we predict that Rocket League will only become even more popular in 2018.

One of the main reasons that we think Rocket League will stay relevant in 2018 is the huge following that it has developed in the E-Sports scene. Rocket League tournaments and majors were held recently and attracted a huge audience. As more players realize that playing the game and actually getting good at it gives them a chance to become E-Sports athletes, the huge player base is going to continue to thrive. New players might even migrate to Rocket League because of its E-Sports scene alone! Big companies are also taking notice of Rocket League’s E-Sports presence and are sponsoring different Rocket League tournaments.

Path of Exile

Credit: Grinding Gear Games

This might be an unpopular opinion, but hear us out. Numbers don’t lie, my friend: POE’s player base increased by 40% in 2017 thanks to Patch 2.6.0. In March 2017, the peak player count soared to 113 thousand. Steam also reported a 150% growth in the number of players in the last 30 days, with a peak of 70 thousand players in-game at once. That’s a huge number considering that the game is not accessible on Steam in some parts of the world, so many Path of Exile players aren’t playing the game through Valve’s gaming service.

War for the Atlas, the latest expansion to Path of Exile, was just released on December 8, 2017. It’s just a matter of time before this release results in a spike in Path of Exile’s player base. New content always means an influx of new and returning players.

Do you agree with our top three predictions for 2018? If not, what are your predictions for the hottest games of 2018? Let us know!

Rocket League Frosty Fest

It is getting absolutely frosty as Christmas Day approaches. There are only three days left ‘til Christmas, everyone! You can feel the holiday spirit all around you, even in Rocket League. Rocket League has a holiday event that is actually already underway! If you haven’t participated in the Frosty Fest yet, don’t worry, you aren’t too late.

Frosty Fest

The Frosty Fest event started on December 11thin North and South America, and on December 12th in Europe. Frosty Fest is formatted like the Haunted Hallows event in October. There will be an added currency,‘Snowflakes,’ which is the counterpart to the Candy Corn currency from Haunted Hallows. Snowflakes can be earned by participating in and finishing an Online Match.

There are also Frosty Fest Event Crates. You can get some of these surprise-filled crates by finishing a particular number of Online Matches, or you can buy them directly from the Rocket League Store. Either way, they can be obtained pretty easily: all you have to do is play, play, and play some more!

Obtainable Items

During the last Haunted Hallows event, players complained that the limit on the number of Decryptorsthey could buy was too low, resulting in a change to this limit during Frosty Fest. Now that the Decryptor limit has been increased, let’s take a look at the many goodiesRocket League player can obtain from Frosty Fest and Frosty Fest Event Crates!

Here is a list of the Rocket League Items that you can buy with Snowflakes:

Antennas:

Holiday Stocking and Peppermint

Decals:

Cold Sweater and Polar Force

Player Banners:

Cold Sweater

Toppers:

Angel Wings, Fallen Tree, Happy Penguin, Holiday Bow and Snowboards

As mentioned above, Decryptors can be bought with Snowflakes, as well. Also, don’t forget about the so-called “Secret Santa Crates.”It can take a considerable amount of game time to acquire these crates, but again, they are also available in the Shop in exchange for real money. Buying the crates will be a lot faster than earning them, but you will have to part with your cash. You are free to spend your time or your money, whichever you prefer.

On This Event

The best thing to do this Frosty Fest is to play as many games as you can while the event lasts. There is still plenty of time to join in, and participating in the Frosty Fest makes the holidays even jollier! You get to join other players in spreading the Christmas spirit while fashioning those new Frosty Festitems. Playing a lot of games is also a good idea because opening Rocket League Crates is more fulfilling when you earn them through playing, instead of just buying them, and it maintains the suspense of what’s inside the crates! It’s like waiting for Christmas day and being unable to sleep because you’re so eager to open your gifts. Of course, if the very last day of the event arrives and you are still missing some of the Frosty Fest items you wanted, then it may be time to buy crates from the Store.

The Frosty Fest event ends on Tuesday, January 2, 2018 at 10 am PST, 1pm EST, and 7pm CET. There is still plenty of time and a lot of fun games to be played! So, what are you waiting for? Join the Christmas fun in Rocket League’s Frosty Fest now!

PUBG performs badly on Xbox One - and X • Eurogamer.net

PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds is - without question - the biggest game in the world right now, so Microsoft's current console exclusivity for the title is obviously a big deal. Equally without question is that the PC game is notorious for its work-in-progress visuals and wobbly performance. With that in mind, some might say that it's somewhat miraculous that any playable version of PUBG is possible on a console right now. From another perspective though, what's clear is that the current build of the game is a long way short of the standards expected from a polished console release.
PUBG on Xbox One starts up promisingly enough with a decent, attractive front-end, but once you've moved on from character creation to your first in-game lobby, you're instantly besieged by low-resolution textures that seem to be failing to stream in properly, combined with performance just above or below the 20fps threshold - depending on whether you're playing on Xbox One or its significantly more powerful 4K counterpart. Continue Reading full story here

Hit the Ground Running: Final Fantasy IX Hints

It has been 17 years since Final Fantasy IX first came out; but despite pushing close to two decades, not everyone who’s finished this masterpiece has mastered it. In fact, lots of gamers glossed over the gameplay and other side content and just wanted to get to play it for the story. Now, you don’t wish to go that route, right? After all, that’s why the title led you here. So without further ado, here are some Final Fantasy IX tips that will make your journey with Zidane and friends easier.

Getting the “Killer” Abilities

In Final Fantasy IX, you have access to passive skills called “Abilities.” Skills require a certain amount of Magic Stone for them to take effect.

From granting you buffs to bypassing certain metagame limitations, there are different abilities meant to make combat easier. Speaking of combat, it helps to make every battle as short as possible. It helps to up your damage, and one good way to do that is to activate “Killer” abilities.

Every enemy has a type: bird, beast, demi-human (just to name a few). For every type, there is a “Killer” ability. To hit many types of enemies harder, get as many abilities of this kind as possible.

With the Synthesis in Mind

In RPGs, players usually sell equipment once they find something better. It’s only common sense to do so since it’s better to turn it into gold rather than let it sit in the inventory and eat a slot. Players usually buy one piece of gear at a time because there’s no point to buy another piece of the same gear since you won’t be using it.

However, the two rules of thumb shouldn’t be applied in the game. Why? Well, two words: synthesis shops, which are specialty shops that for a bit of Final Fantasy IX Gil, fuses two pieces of gear into one strong gear. For example, with Zidane, you’ll be able to synthesize a Butterfly Sword out of a Dagger and a Mage Masher. Although you can always buy either in a shop, it would save you time and gil if you just kept both. There’s also The Ogre, which requires two Mage Mashers. If you already bought two in the first place, then you wouldn’t have to go out of your way to buy another.

Sidelined by Sidequests

Steal in every opportunity you get (trust us on this). It may seem impractical and unrighteous, as it’s not a guaranteed success, and it eats a turn that could’ve been spent on dealing damage. Do it anyway! Yes, it gives you a chance to get free items, even gear, so there’s a payoff. Plus, later on, Zidane will learn Thievery, a skill that deals huge damage if Zidane has many successful steals.

Make sure to explore. The world of Gaia has lots of secrets that you wouldn’t discover if you just stick around with the main story.  Daguerreo, for example, is a gothic library, which is an optional and secret location on an island south of the Forgotten Continent. Here, you can get quality gear and synthesis shop items. Also, it’s the starting point for the side quest that will give you Excalibur.

There are also other secret places like Daguerreo, so it’s best that you pay those a visit. Just ride that airship and search Gaia for any curious place because you’re likely to find something interesting.

Final Fantasy IX is one of the richest RPGs of its time. So, if you’re going to play it, then it’s a must that you make the most out of it. With these simple tips, you will. 

Don’t Miss Out on Free Crates in Rocket League’s Halloween Event

Rocket League has rolled out some new currency players can get their hands on for its Haunted Hallows Halloween event that’s been running since October 16. If you haven’t been saving up your candy corn than you better start because with it you’ll be able to open up any crate in the game using decryptors. Players can also use the new currency to purchase a slew of different rewards alongside the free decryptors; including toppers, decals, player banners, and more.

Earning the currency is incredibly simple, just participate in online matches, and complete them as well. I’d say go for whatever items you want the most first. But if you want my personal recommendation, definitely do yourself a favor and get the all of the free decryptors you can first. You’ll only be able to get three of them before the end of the event in November so make sure you go for them as quickly as possible so you can focus on whatever else you might want afterward.

The Haunted Hallows Rewards are as follows:

Topper(s)

●     Scarecrow Jack - 20 Candy Corn

●     Grave Robber - 20 Candy Corn

●     Gargoyle - 20 Candy Corn

●     Undying Love - 20 Candy Corn

Antenna

●     Arachnotenna - 10 Candy Corn

●     Shadow Witch - 10 Candy Corn

Decal(s)

●     BOO! - 20 Candy Corn

●     Twisted Tree - 40 Candy Corn

Rocket Boost

●     Hallowtide - 40 Candy Corn

Player Banner

●     Howler - 40 Candy Corn

Other

●     Decryptor - 50 Candy Corn

●     Haunted Hallows Crate - 50 Candy Corn

Every Haunted Hallows crate that you can purchase with real money will not require you to use a key to unlock it. You can buy the crates in bulk too. They’ll be unlockable as soon as the transaction is complete in-game. Furthermore, you’ll also be earning these crates as you usually do by playing the game naturally. It’s important to note that future events using Haunted Hallows Crates will not cause the earnable items in this year’s crate to change. So, if you’re not looking to spend money on any keys right now than you can totally wait it out until whenever. Purchased crates will also not be tradeable, but the items you can earn from them will be after a short period of time.

If you’ve never been too keen on spending money to get in-game cosmetic items in Rocket League, then the “Haunted Hallows” event will be perfect for dipping your feet into the wonderful world of crates. You can also use the free additional items you get to construct even better items to use when customizing your car in the garage.

The Haunted Hallows event is ending on November 6, so make sure you take advantage of the free goodies before it’s over. With the growing popularity of Rocket League, especially considering the game is launching on a new platform this holiday, Nintendo Switch, it’d be cool to see developer Psyonix do more events like the Haunted Hallows in the future. So those new players will still have a chance at earning more cosmetic goods all year round.

Rocket League is available now on PS4, Xbox One, and PC.

CS:GO New Updates: What To Expect From The Game’s Newest Patches

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive has just received a couple new updates, and players around the world are wondering what changes they can look forward to. What do these patches bring to the table, and how do they change and/or improve gameplay? They may only be considered minor updates compared to the bigger patches that could change game features or mechanics, but they’re still noteworthy enough to be mentioned and discussed in a bit of detail. 

September 26 Update: Cheaper Weapons, Fix To Smoke Bug

For the September 26 CS:GO update, one of the first things you may notice is that a couple of the game’s weapons have become a bit more affordable. For starters, the Dual Elites are now priced at $400, and that means you can get your hands on this pistol option in the early goings,  The ubiquitous Revolver is also $100 cheaper as well, as you can now purchase this weapon for only $600.

In addition to the cheaper weapons, Valve has also squashed a rare, but rather annoying bug in the game, fixing the glitch where smoke grenades carom off to the opposite side after bouncing into fire, as if nothing had actually happened. This has proven to be quite a nuisance in CS:GO eSports tournaments, but with the September 26 CS:GO update, Valve has made it a point to extinguish the fire each time a smoke grenade bounces into it. These grenades can now bounce off to lower heights to extinguish flames, which should help in squashing the bug and improving gameplay going forward.

You also may have noticed that bug where bullets aren’t able to penetrate the arms of players. Valve has squashed that one as well, while also including some minor stability updates and cosmetic changes on top of the changes we mentioned above.

September 27 Update: New Options For Chinese Players

The September 27 CS:GO update appears to be more geared toward Chinese players than anyone else in the world, but it’s nonetheless important, as players in China can now opt to play the standard version of the game, while players in other parts of the world can conversely play the Perfect World version. The former is facilitated by the all-new “-worldwide” launch command, which allows Chinese players to play on servers located outside their home country, while the latter can be launched with the “-perfect world” command, which simply allows those outsides of China to enjoy CS:GO’s Perfect World in one go.

Meanwhile, this particular CS:GO update will also allow the game to launch in Perfect World mode by default for Chinese players. If you live in China and have your Perfect World and CS:GO accounts linked together, you can take advantage of the lower-latency Chinese game servers, and use the Perfect World CS:GO Launcher to compete against friends any time you wish. 

 

Path of Exile: The Journey Continues - A Few Things That Beginners Would Find Useful

Hey guys, this is Ryan from Games with Coffee! How’s everybody doing? The fine people from Playerauctions.com have asked me to guest post on their blog and I thought, “Why not?”

About a month ago, I started my journey through the foreboding world of Wraeclast, the setting for the highly popular, free-to-play Action-MMORPG, Path of Exile.

As a mature, distinguished gamer, I try my best to balance my many adult responsibilities with playing games, but Path of Exile has tested me on that balance. With the multitude of skills and equipment available, the interesting trading and currency system, tough enemies, map modifications and the HUGE passive skill tree, this game has me trying to find any time at all in my busy schedule to play it! You can find my first impressions, as well as my advice for beginners of the game here.

On that note, I thought I’d continue to share what quests, items, and currencies I think beginners should continue to look for on their way through the game. Today’s post covers my journey up to the Prison.

Masters Quests

Along the way, I met an interesting NPC named Haku, who gave me a quest to bring a spirit to him under some Haunted Grounds. I accepted the quest, beat down the baddies, got the strange red apparition and returned to the entrance to give to him. I received little in reward but noticed my reputation with him increased. I checked the forums and lo and behold I learned about Masters – important NPC’s who, after gaining several reputation levels, will allow the use of a personal hideout and unlock the ability to craft ultra-useful items that you can either use for yourself or trade with others to get even better gear! These kinds of quests should be on the radar for both beginners and veterans of the game alike, especially if you have items and orbs available to craft their unique wares.

Items and Currencies to Look Out For

As I continued towards the Prison, I’ve been on the lookout for any valuable orbs or items I can trade with vendors or with other players to get stronger and further my game. However, a few of these orbs have uses that beginners should definitely take advantage of. For instance:

Orbs of Alchemy upgrade normal items into rare items. They are perfect for those who have normal weapons or armour whose quality has been improved through the use of Blacksmith’s Whetstones or Armourer’s Scraps. Beginners should use these in conjunction with Whetstones or Scraps on their normal items to create more powerful gear. These are pretty uncommon to find on the field, so if you get one, save it for when you’ve upgraded the quality on your normal items before applying it. Or you could also trade it with vendors to get new skill gems or rare, unidentified items.

Now, these orbs are cool! Applying an Orb of Chance to an item upgrades it to a random rarity. So you can end up with a Magic, a Rare or even a Unique item, just by applying it to a normal item! This is a commonly found currency, so it shouldn’t take very long to find one. I used one on my witch’s Goat’s Horn that I picked up and it transformed into a Rare item! Orbs of Chance can be used on just about any item, regardless of the rarity, but you run the risk of getting an item of lesser rarity. Sometimes, though, the rewards outweigh the risks, especially if you have several orbs on hand. 

If you’re itching to get more of these or other orbs, try looking on the Path of Exile items store on Playerauctions.com. They have a large selection of items and currency available to purchase at a reasonable cost, and all transactions are safe and secure.

Additional Tips 

Here are some extra tips that will help make your journey an easier one:

In the Submerged Passage, take a Sapphire Ring with you. The extra Cold resistance will keep you from getting iced from the Cold-elemental enemies in the area.

Upgrade your flasks as soon as you are able to. I made the mistake of sticking with the initial flasks. I didn’t last very long in further areas.

There’s also a quest in town in which a Quicksilver flask is rewarded. This increases your movement speed for a limited time when used and refills the same way as life and mana flasks. Get it ASAP.

And thus ends my little quest update. If you like what you see here, I invite you to check out my blog. I talk about the games that changed my life, the video game music scene and dispense advice on how to fit gaming into all of life’s major responsibilities, all over a cup of coffee.

So, with that, I bid you all adieu! This has been Ryan from Games with Coffee, reminding you to Keep Gaming and Keep Brewing. See you in Wraeclast!

Disclaimer: This article is written by Ryan Cheddi is a Mechanical Engineer, Freelance Writer and the author of the blog "Games with Coffee"

Treasure Hunter and Celebration Lamps

Treasure Hunter in RuneScape lets players unlock chests for prizes. Keys are bought, earned or found in various ways. You can get some keys daily; others are rewards for completing challenges or quests, or you can get them by leveling up. At any rate, you can get keys in many ways.

Monsters sometimes drop a key token, which is useful to redeem a key, as long as the player doesn't already have 10 or more earned keys. Bonds are helpful to redeem keys even though they have a label as bought keys. Also, you can earn some keys by completing surveys and watching advertisements. With enough keys, players may open chests. Inside, there are colorful gems according to the rarity of the item, which could be any of the following:

• Cosmetic
• Small but useful (e.g., coins)
• Skill outfits
• Alternate colored standard equipment only obtainable through this feature
• Items only available at the super rare slot (most are exclusive to these chests)
• Stuff useful to train certain skills
• Things utilized for experience in any skill
• Objects that are available for this feature for a limited period

Most of these items are not tradable (with some exceptions), which means that those rare things cannot sell for RuneScape Gold. There’s more to Treasure Hunter like Hearts of Ice, but there wouldn’t be space to explain Celebration Lamps.

                                          

Celebration Lamps are Back Again!

For a limited time (until the end of July), Treasure Hunter chests will have Celebration Lamps instead. These lamps offer experience to a chosen skill, providing 5% of that knowledge spread across all available abilities. Every 10 lamps supply a 2% boost to experience gain, making leveling skills faster. The bonus can go up to 10% for a chosen skill (the 10% global buff from the New Year is not a part of this promotion).

The Time is Now

Collect keys today so that you can maximize the time Celebration Lamps are available. The more lamps used, the quicker to gain skills to level up. The higher your skill levels, the more places to explore and monsters to slay. Doing greater things means additional RS Gold to gather, whether it’s a member or a free account. Enjoy the Celebration Lamps while they’re still around. Continue cranking it out on RuneScape.

CSGO Trade? These Prices Cut Like a Knife

Why would anyone bring a knife to a gunfight? To show off, or some prefer those vicious close-encounter kills, which is the case in Counter-Strike Global Offensive (CS:GO). So, why do players utilize a knife? Well, when a blade has high value (not in-game money, but real money in the marketplace) then you might as well flaunt it and raise havoc. Check out these hundred-dollar knives of CSGO skins in the CSGO trade.

CSGO Trading: StatTrak™ M9 Bayonet

To some gamers, first-person shooters are about killing your opponents, racking up points, and earning bragging rights. If you’re that type of player, then the StatTrak™ series of CSGO skins is a good fit for you since they record certain data, including confirmed kills. StatTrak™ M9 Bayonet knives are no different; these blades are made to raise some hell.  

There is the M9 Bayonet Fade, whose blade has a metallic color gradient of purple, magenta, bright orange, and black from the tip to the base. Also, the M9 Bayonet Deep Crimson, which (as the name suggests), features a knife with a dark crimson blade and hilt tip. The M9 Bayonet Fade cost $313 to $454, while the M9 Bayonet Deep Crimson ranges from $184 to $210.

Karambit

The karambit is a bloody and lethal-looking knife that is central to the Southeast Asian martial art called “silat.” Since it has a mean look with an animal claw-like shape, this small but terrible blade has become a favorite CSGO skins choice for those in the CSGO trade.

The M9 Bayonet Fade has a golden blade with black stripes, and also a golden hoop at the tip of the hilt. With its shape and its hue, this karambit evokes the same speed, ferocity, and beauty as of the big cat. On the other hand, the M9 Bayonet Deep Crimson has a scarlet-colored blade and hoop by the hilt, which adds to the sinister vibe that the knife gives off. Both blades are roughly $400, and the Tiger Tooth is fifty bucks more.  

CSGO Skins: StatTrak™ Butterfly Knife

You’ve probably witnessed this knife in action movies before, especially gangster films, or maybe being played by Hit-Girl in Kick-Ass. Regardless if whether you’ve seen it before or not, this style of knife, which originated from the Philippines, made its way to CSGO. The butterfly blade is and priciest knife of CSGO skins.

For the StatTrak™ butterfly knives, there’s the Slaughter and the Crimson Web. The Slaughter doesn’t need an introduction because we’ve already talked about the similar karambit. The Crimson Web is a deeper version compared to the StatTrak™ Bayonet’s Deep Crimson, ironically. Both styles of blades range from $300 to $380 (that’s CSGO trading for you).  

Flip Knife | Lore

One of the most sought-after CSGO skins from the CSGO trading platforms is the AWP Dragon Lore. Sporting that iconic scaly green dragon look, the sniper was made to look like the legendary reptile in one’s hands (similar to the Flip Knife).

With the Flip Knife, its golden curved back is laced with knotwork that runs throughout the length of the blade, while green scales cover the handle of the weapon. Since it doesn’t resemble a dragon, such as its AWP counterpart, it appears to be made from parts of the mythical creature. If you want a blade, forget crafting; instead, invest $260 to $400.

Without a doubt, these knives are steep prices in CSGO trading and can be difficult to come across. Bring these knives to a gunfight and be successful, and you’ll be remembered in the gaming community (just don’t get yourself killed). Get your blade on!

FIFA 18: What to Expect and It’s Release

Image Credit: pixabay.com under CC0 Creative Commons

EA has announced the release of the new FIFA game. FIFA 18 launches in September 2017, for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. A developer even confirmed that a version is going to be available for the Switch. Sure, FIFA has a rocky relationship with portable devices, but here's to hoping that the Switch version is an upgrade from the game's other portable versions.

What’s the Buzz with FIFA 18?

For now, there’s confirmation that FIFA 18 will run on the Frostbite engine, the same engine utilized in Battlefield 1 and Dragon Age. Expect better graphics and sharper details. There’s a season two of the Journey narrative that started in FIFA 17. Continue the voyage of Alex Hunter as he picks up where he left off.

The game is likely to have VR support on the PS4 and PC versions, perhaps only as far as camera point of view. A developer mentioned that they had not found an experience that beats playing the game with a controller, which is why VR won’t replace the controls. The dynamic weather feature in this game adds a new layer of gameplay. Rain might visit an ongoing match, forcing players to switch strategies since the muddy field increases the chances of player injury and slows down running players.

Improvements to Make

Some FIFA fans are disappointed with certain game mechanics that will hopefully not happen in FIFA 18. The flaws include “scripting,” where the AI goes from having a brick wall as a defense to wet tissue paper at a certain point during a game. The player is almost always guaranteed a win. Sometimes the other extreme happens where the AI’s defenders are too good, and strikers miss goals more than they should. Sure, the game needs a challenge, but this just feels off and artificial.

There’s a tendency for the game to favor weaker players in online matches. While this could be the result of the game’s servers trying to compensate for ping and the player’s respective connection strength, players think it’s somewhat unfair. Free kicks might see an improvement, as well as input delay. One complaint to address for the Journey is the dialogue choices. FIFA gamers have felt that the choices didn’t affect anything and would like it to influence gameplay more.

All Aboard the Hype Train

With the release of FIFA 18 on the horizon, will farming FIFA coins be worth it? Well, it depends on the publication of the new game. If the game ends up worse than its predecessors, it might still be worth it. If not, the same farming strategies might not be useful anymore. EA's sure to have some guard against the common strategies, except maybe the sites where players sell FIFA coins. Anyway, there’s still a few months left to figure things out. For now, enjoy FIFA 17 because EA has promised that FIFA 18 will be the best FIFA game ever.

A Primer on CSGO Skins

You may be wondering what CSGO skins are and why gamers, who play the game are raving about them. The article is to help you understand what they are, and why skins are a big deal.

 What Are CSGO Skins?

They are cosmetic items that change how your weapons appear. Even though the skins don’t power up your weapons, there are some tactical benefits. On the other hand, decking out your weaponry with color variations could be a motivational way to keep your head in the game.

Valve introduced the skins feature in the “Arms Deal” update for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive to allow players to customize their weapons. In fact, Valve has also introduced a feature that enables players to rename their weapon for a fee, and there are stickers for further modification. Some skins can now keep track of confirmed kills. Also, the update invites players to collect and trade with each other. Not too long ago, a new feature made waves that let players create personal skins through the Steam Workshop.

Where Can I Get Cheap CSGO Skins?

The easiest way to get them is to play the game because they drop after matches on official Steam servers. Skins can come from cases that may drop after matches, though you would need to purchase a key to open it. You can buy the keys officially or from other players in the Steam Marketplace. However, those sources are random. You don’t know what you’ll get. If you’re looking for a specific skin to utilize, it might be better to search for someone selling that specific skin.

Some sites host player to player trading. The Steam Marketplace is one that’s accessible through the Steam app; otherwise, you can search for “cheap CSGO skins.” You’ll get some hits online, but it’s hard to determine which network is the most reliable. Some of the portals have scammers, so trading on those puts your identity and funds at risk.

What to Do with Skins?

Aside from the fact that you can enhance your skins, you can gamble with them. Yes, you read that right. Certain sites that are selling skins are betting sites. Some gamers buy skins with real money to bet, similar to buying poker chips. With Valve, players were betting on match outcomes (identical to betting on horse races). The opportunity to win big is an irresistible draw, which led to some suing Valve for their losses and for letting it happen. In response, Valve banned gambling last year. On the other hand, the ban made other platforms make their operations more secretive instead. As long as people put value in these virtual things, CSGO gambling sites won’t die.

What's worse is that a big portion of CSGO players are adolescents. Some CSGO gambling websites don't have an age requirement, which could make teenagers more accessible for spending their parent’s money. Also, the youth might not know when to stop spending because gambling can be addicting.

However, you can opt to sell skins. Perhaps, you’ll be able to profit more reliably than gambling them away. Besides, you can continue playing the game to get more. If so, buying skins won’t be necessary; instead, you can keep selling or trading them.

What Now?

The key take away about CSGO skins is that they’re a lucrative resource, which can generate real money, but it’s mostly useful for betting on matches. You can sell, buy, and trade if it aligns with your goal(s). Some players enjoy tailoring their weapons (CSGO knives, rifles, SMGs, or pistols) while others collect them to sell or trade. Whether you’re buying, selling, or trading, explore the CSGO website. If it looks sketchy, pull out. Good news: you don’t have to browse online for CSGO skins because you’re already in the safest, fastest, and quickest player-to-player network.