History of Asiimov Skins in Counter-Strike
The Asiimov skin family was created by one of the notable community skin creators, Coridium. Even though the name implies that the skins were predominantly inspired by the works of Isaac Asimov, in reality it is more of an homage to the father of science fiction. In an old interview, he mentioned that his inspiration for the skin line came from various sci-fi games and movies, such as Mass Effect, Halo and Star Wars. The colors were meant to represent the typical sci-fi color scheme, highly represented in the films of George Lucas.
Introduced way back in 2013, as part of CS:GO emerging skin economy, following the Arms Deal update, the Coridium’s creation became an instant hit. In the very beginning of the skins era, most options were a bit underwhelming and dull, whilst the Asiimov stood out with bold eye-catching style. Over the years, more and more of Asiimov skins were accepted to the game, creating a sought-after collection. The eventual move to the Source 2 engine brought a few subtle touches, making the Asiimov skin series pop with brighter orange tones and improved textures. I got to give credit to Valve, the dynamic lighting makes pretty much every skin look way better.
Contrary to the popular CS-related manifestation of Mandela Effect, the first Asiimov skin released to the public was actually the M4A4 Asiimov. Within 6 months after the release of M4A4 Asiimov, Valve followed up with AWP and P90, eventually followed by P250 and AK-47. Coridium managed to create an entire collection of skins in one theme that became an integral part of the CS:GO skin market. By the way, you can read Coridium’s interview here if you want to get more insight into thought process behind skin creation.
Asiimov Skin Pattern Guide
The condition of Asiimov skin lineup is determined by float values, ranging from 0.00 standing “Factory New”), to 1.00 (stands for “Battle-Scarred”). However, two of the five skins are float-locked out of Factory New and Minimal Wear qualities. The one distinct feature of certain Asiimov skins is the impact of wear on the visuals. Many “Battle-Scarred” skins tend to look extremely poor with barely visible parts of paint and illustrations. That is not the case with AWP Asiimov, because even the Battle-Scarred version retains the majority of its beautiful design intact. If you’re OK with a few scratches and a bit dimmer tint of white, then even the least desirable float Asiimov will be a great addition to your inventory.
All Best Asiimov Skins in CS2
There are currently five Asiimov skins present in CS2 and available at Skin.Land. Let’s go through all five of them and see how they differ.
1. M4A4 | Asiimov
Price Range: $82 - $160 (Non-Stattrak versions)
The OG, the skin that started it all. The M4A4 was the first of the series to be released officially in CS:GO. The skin consists of a white base with orange and black accents, creating futuristic silhouette that makes the gun look way more advanced. What’s important about this skin is that it cannot exist in Factory New and Minimal Wear conditions due to being float-capped. The best state you can get this skin is in Field-Tested quality, giving the skin the look of a weapon that’d seen some action. The M4A4 Asiimov was released on December 18th, 2013 as part of the Winter Offensive Collection. By the way, you can see the process of the M4A4 creation on the official Coridium channel by this link.
2. AWP | Asiimov
Price Range: $73 - $142 (Non-Stattrak versions)
The follow-up that became even more popular than its predecessor, the AWP followed the success of the M4A4 the year later. Just like the M4A4, the AWP is unavailable in Factory New and Minimal Wear conditions, giving the sniper rifle a bit of a rugged look. The white, orange and black colors entwining and stretching across the surface, create a truly unique design that stood the test of time. The Asiimov AWP might as well be called the Railgun, considering its futuristic look combined with the eardrum-shattering sound of the .308 Winchester round. The skin was added to CS:GO on February 20th, 2014 as part of the Operation Phoenix Collection case.
3. P90 | Asiimov
Price Range: $6.5 - $34 (Non-Stattrak versions)
The P90 Asiimov was added to the game the same year of the AWP release, within the Operation Breakout Weapon Case. Its release also marked the first time the Asiimov available in Factory New condition. The quirky design of P90 fits perfectly for the futuristic theme of the skin family, sporting the signature trifecta of white, orange and black palette. While not as iconic as the AWP or the M4A4, this sci-fi submachine gun remains one of the coolest P90 skins in the game to this day. The Asiimov P90 was added to the game on July 1st, 2014 as part of the Operation Breakout Collection.
4. P250 | Asiimov
Price Range: $2.6 - $17
The fourth installment of the Asiimov family was part of the Chroma 3 Case, two years later after the release of the P90. The release of the P250 marked the appearance of a first Non-Covert Asiimov skin, as it was put in a tier lower – the P250 became a Classified-tier skin. Design of the skin retains all the characteristic features of any Asiimov skin, including angular shapes and the traditional white, orange and black colorway. The budget-friendly Asiimov skin was an instant success, due to the overwhelming love towards the Asiimov skin family. The P250 Asiimov was released as part of the Chroma 3 Collection on April 27th, 2016.
5. AK-47 | Asiimov
Price Range: $29 - $190
The last but not least, the AK-47 Asiimov is the latest addition to the Asiimov family, combining all the usual bells and whistles of your typical Asiimov skin. However, the AK-47 design feels more intricate and detailed, with all the bits and pieces that make this skin look even more futuristic. Being the AK-47 skin, and being the Asiimov skin, this version was bound to be something special, thus becoming an instant fan-favorite. This skin is also available in all existing wear levels. The AK-47 Asiimov was added to the game on December 6th, 2018 as part of the Danger Zone Collection.
CS:GO and CS2 Asiimov Skins Price
The Asiimov skins cater to a wide range of budgets, starting from the extremely affordable sub-ten dollar P250 to StatTrak M4A4 that will set you back around 450 dollars. The high cost of skins like the AK-47, AWP or M4A4 is due to several factors, including rarity, weapon popularity and condition limits. While P250 is the only Classified skin in this skin family, the other four are Covert, which already sets the price bar pretty high. However, these skins aren't exactly the most expensive in the game, as a matter of fact, they are pretty far from it. Even though the cultural impact these skins have made is huge, they are pretty outdated by today's standards and thus cannot be sold for thousands of dollars like Dragon Lore and Howl can.
CS2 Asiimov Skins FAQ
Here are the answers to frequently asked questions about Asiimov series:
Where did the Asiimov skin come from?
The Asiimov skin series was created by the community designer Coridium and released from 2013 to 2018 in different collections.
Who made the Asiimov skin?
All five Asiimov skins were made by community skin maker / designer Coridium. He has a long-term collaboration history with Valve, proving himself useful and having more than a dozen skins accepted to the game. Thanks to this collaboration Coridium managed to become a millionaire and a household name in CS:GO/CS2 history.
Why do Asiimov skins start at Field-Tested?
The first two Asiimov skins are float-locked and cannot be unboxed or bought as Factory New or Minimal Wear. As to why, that’s how either Coridium or Valve intended these skins to exist. However, even though the maximum float value is worse, it does not really affect the appearance of the Asiimov skins.
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