Riot Games could be paying tribute to Counter-Strike (CS) in their newest skin bundle.

This is evident in the game developer’s recent release of the Black Market skin bundle, which features a collection of weapon skins that bear a striking resemblance to some of CS’s iconic default weapons.

If you’re not acquainted with the arsenal of Counter-Strike, allow us to elaborate on the similarities to its FPS counterpart.



Comparing Valorant’s Black Market skin bundle to Counter-Strike’s default weapons

Riot Games announces the Black Market skin bundle
Screenshot by Nigel Zalamea/ONE Esports

The Black Market bundle includes skins for the Bulldog, Vandal, Marshal, Classic, and a Butterfly Knife Melee. 

The Bulldog skin is reminiscent of the FAMAS, with its similar distinctive shape and the straight bar on the top. Meanwhile, the Classic pistol’s design takes inspiration from the Glock-18, while the Vandal looks exactly like the AK-47.

Tarik “Tarik” Celik, a former CS:GO pro who transitioned to Valorant livestreaming and content creation, referred to the Black Market bundle as a set of CS skins due to the striking resemblance in weapon designs.

One of the unique features of this bundle is that the Defender and Attacker weapons have different designs. This means that the Black Market skins will have a different color and design appearance depending on which side you are on during a match.

This feature has been adopted from CS, with Terrorists (attackers) and Counter-Terrorists (defenders) having their own unique weapons. For example, Terrorists have access to the AK47 while Counter-Terrorists can purchase the M4A4 or the M4A1-S.

The Black Market bundle is set to be released on April 12, with patch 6.07. 

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