CS:GO Pattern Guide

In this guide, we will explore what CSGO patterns are, the difference between regular and rare patterns, and the effect they can have on your gameplay. Read our CS:GO pattern guide to learn more. 

The patterns in CS:GO represent the way that the particular skin you use appears on a weapon of your choice. One skin can have between 1 and 999 different patterns with slight modifications and major differences, depending on which area of the skin is utilized.

Patterns in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive exist to make your weapons look more realistic– if that is what you prefer, or even to make them more colorful or shiny. Patterns are an easy way to customize your weapons and make them look unique. 

Many people confuse patterns and skins in CS:GO, and we are here to clarify the difference between the two. A skin in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is a cosmetic item that you can equip to your weapon or other in-game items to alter their appearance slightly or considerably. 

You can create your own skins, or you can purchase and download skins that are available online for free and simply equip them for your game. Skins can include different colors, patterns, and highlights on the weapons, making them appear quite different. Patterns, on the other hand, are simply variations of a particular skin that you choose. 

Regular patterns are the variations of skins that won’t particularly stand out at first glance or even upon closer inspection. These are patterns that modify your weapons very slightly, such as adding scratches from use or different colored dots. While the numbers for a skin’s patterns will range from 1 to 999, it’s unlikely that you will see a difference between any two randomly selected numbers, for example 23 and 488. 

Rare patterns are much more sought-after in the CS:GO community. They have distinctive, and often bright coloring, such as a red base and black stripes that make the weapon look bloody, or a bright blue hue that makes the weapon seem like it’s glowing. Naturally, rare skin patterns tend to be more expensive than regular ones. 

Weapon patterns have absolutely no effect on the gameplay unless they affect you personally by distracting you or sharpening your focus. When you play CS:GO, regardless of whether you use the default game skins and patterns or you equip your own specially-made versions, the game will run just the same.

Even if the game is particularly intricate, CS:GO has been coded so that the pattern won’t cause any lagging, glitches, or delays. That is important when you’re playing an online game, such as a competitive match or warzone match, which requires you to move and fire quickly. 

Depending on how effective and noticeable the CS:GO pattern type is, you can divide them into four different categories. 

Almost Unnoticeable Pattern

The almost unnoticeable patterns are visible to the players with the keenest eyes and those who are very familiar with their weaponry in-game. These patterns typically include small details such as smudges, scratches, and minimal shade differences. 

Noticeable Color and Alignment Pattern Differences 

This type of pattern is quite obvious even to the most casual CS:GO players, including discernable color and alignment differences. For example, if pattern 601 of the skin gives the AK-47 a chestnut brown handle, pattern 123 of the same skin would give it a red handle.

Completely Different Pattern

Finally, completely different patterns are the easiest to spot. They belong to the same skin, so they will typically include the same color schemes. However, they include vastly different shapes. So, while CS:GO pattern 476 of a skin might have slasher stripes, pattern 107 will have diamond shapes in the same colors.