The Most Expensive Skins In PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds
Who would have thought that when PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds launched in December of 2017, it would go on to become one of the biggest, most lucrative battle royale games on the market? Brendan Greene started by creating mods in ARMA, then pushed forward with the release of his 100-player first- and third-person shooter set on the war-torn island of Erangel.
It's crazy to think that what began as a simple mod would rise to power and sell over 70 million copies since launch. What does that translate into revenue? A staggering $4.3 billion as of December 2020.
A big part of that unfathomably large amount stems from the sale of item and clothing skins available in the game. If you take a look at the Steam Market, you'll note an abundance of skin sets, some of which sell for thousands of dollars, some for a few hundred, and many for pennies.
Here are the most expensive skins in PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds.
Tuxedo Set (Female)
If you enjoy adding a little flair to your battle royale games — or making yourself a bigger target for any enemies creeping about in bushes — then the Tuxedo Set (Female) is right up your alley. This bright pink tuxedo, with black accents and a white undershirt, certainly stands out on any battlefield, and not always for the right reasons. It's a little gaudy, but also a bit of fun.
But for that little bit of fun found in a pink tuxedo suit for female characters, expect to pay over $100 on average. That's what one player paid back in November 2020. They forked over $114.18, to be exact, for the privilege of wearing this pink tuxedo in-game. If you think that price point is a bit ridiculous, it should be noted that some folks want to sell their Tuxedo Set for nearly $200 on the Steam Market.
Unfortunately for recent sellers, demand for the pink tuxedo set seems to have dropped off significantly altogether.
White Hat Ranger Set
Do you want to dress like a Texas Ranger while you rain down doom and gloom on the competition? The White Hat Ranger Set is precisely the skin set you seek for a little role-play, a little flair, and an overwhelming amount of style.
Over on the Steam Market, some folks list their White Hat Ranger Set for an exorbitant price. They want you to pay nearly $200 for a set, around March 2021, but too few players willingly fork over that amount of cash for what amounts to a white cowboy hat — a target sitting atop your head. Most seemingly want to pay less than $135, give or take, and one person even bought the skin set in early January 2021 for $123.03. For that price — and again, this is only a skin set — you could have purchased two AAA games on launch day.
Brown Hat Ranger Set
PUBG players seemingly love cowboy hats, despite them clearly providing a bigger target. Could you really hide in a bush or behind a rock with a ten-gallon hat sitting atop your head? Unlikely. Folks try, though.
In November 2020, one player thought the Brown Hat Ranger Set was worth what many people pay for their utilities at home each month. They spent $137.25 to buy an in-game skin of a brown cowboy hat. That player was lucky, though. Around the same time, folks on the Steam Market wanted over $350 for this skin set, even though most potential buyers aren't willing to pay more than $150.
Until some sellers budge, it looks like this cowboy hat will continue on as one of the more expensive PUBG skins in the game. It may seem like a simple item for all that money, but it's apparently not easy to come by. Some sellers must think that's worth the premium price.
Black School Uniform Set (Female)
Why is the Black School Uniform Set one of the most expensive skins in PUBG? Confidence may be the only explanation here. Too few sellers list the Black School Uniform Set (Female), and as of March 2021, they had an asking price of $1,363 and some change.
Will it sell for that high? Absolutely not. Has it ever? Looking at the lifetime sales on the Steam Market page, it's almost sold for that amount. But just almost. The biggest sale was in January 2018, when one sold for $1,315.31. Some on Steam are happy to pay up to slightly more than that for this skin set, but availability remains rare.
At this point, only those willing to pay well over a grand can get their hands on the Black School Uniform Set. At least the skin's aesthetic fits quite well with the selection of firearms and body armor available in-game, though the bright white undershirt is a dead giveaway to any enemy players headed in your direction.
Instructor Set
Of the many available skins in PUBG, the Instructor Set makes a lot of sense. It's bright and colorful, which is definitely not a boon in a world trying to end your life at every turn. Yet it fits the overall theme and lore of the game quite well. This is a militaristic setting, after all — one with a lot of weaponry, body armor, and vehicles that require thorough and extensive training to use. Assuming the character understands the intricacies of a light-machine gun or a dune buggy is laughable, which is why it's logical to have an instructor around.
For lore reasons or for aesthetic, it matters not. Players want new skins, and they will happily pay ridiculous prices for them. Back in December 2020, an Instructor Set sold for an insane $190.28 on the Steam Market. Besides the one sale in December 2020, most aren't willing to pay such prices. They'll happily pay less than $100, though.
Tracksuit Set
The first map released in PUBG, Erangel, was based off Russian towns and landscapes, so it only makes sense that a tracksuit skin set would be among the most popular fare available on the Steam Market. But here's the thing about the tracksuit — many players hold onto their skin thinking that, due to its style, they could score hundreds of dollars. Most ask would for over $200 for their skin set. Do they receive that much? Not always, no. But sometimes they do. One sold in mid-February 2021 for a staggering $206.38.
Occasionally, someone will step forth to buy the Tracksuit Set for a few hundred dollars. Most, however, want to spend no more than $100 for this set.
It's easy to see why folks are willingly lining up to buy what amounts to an exercise outfit, though. It's slick; perhaps more so than some more expensive skins featured in-game. With its black and white jacket and black-striped pants, this is a fan-favorite for a reason.
Ivory School Uniform Set (Female)
In what can only be described as an absolute shocker, the number one most "expensive" skin listed on the Steam Market held its spot for quite some time, at least in terms of asking price in March 2021, and it isn't actually the rarest or most expensive skin in the game. As of March 2021, only one owner of the Ivory School Uniform Set (Female) stepped forward with an asking price of $1,932. It's unlikely anyone will willingly buy a schoolgirl uniform for that high price, though.
In November 2020, one player purchased the whole Ivory School Uniform Set (Female) for use in-game. He paid a semi-reasonable $228.36, not $2,000. Looking back at the lifetime sales, provided by Valve, the Ivory School Uniform Set (Female) never sold for more than $1,450. Now, that's still a shocking amount of money to drop on an in-game clothing skin, but at least it's well below the usual asking price.
PlayerUnknown Set
Can you remember a time when the PlayerUnknown Set was the all-time most expensive, most coveted in-game skin in PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds? Take a look back at the lifetime activity on the Steam Market. Back in 2018 and 2019, the skin set sold for many thousands of dollars. The all-time high in September 2018 was $1918.27. These days, the entire set can be yours for the low, low price of around $250, give or take. At least, that's what folks hope to gain.
In February 2021, one player bought the PlayerUnknown Set for $242.63 — a still impressive amount to pay for an in-game skin. But hey, at least's they didn't pay nearly $2,000 for the same skin. Perhaps if you wait it out for an even longer period, the whole set will drop in price even more.
Ivory School Uniform Set (Male)
Do you remember the movie Battle Royale from 2000? In it, a group of Japanese students, taken by the government, are forced to fight amongst themselves until only one is left standing. Being students, they all wear the typical Japenese uniform, which includes an overcoat, slacks, and dress shoes for men. You can see the inspiration from the film's attire in many of the skins available in PUBG. The Ivory School Uniform Set (Male) is most like the Japanese movie and its apparel.
The Ivory School Uniform Set (Male) sells for quite a bit of money. In March 2021, the asking price was around $181. A semi-reasonable amount, considering some of the skins for sale on the marketplace. But is anyone paying that amount? Actually, yeah. In September 2020, one player purchased the skin set for $265.06 — certainly more than those March 2021 asking prices. Was this an outlier? Absolutely. Most players don't want to pay anywhere over $100 for the skin set nowadays.
Blue School Uniform Set (Female)
The developer of PUBG appears to love the look of school uniforms in its game. They have many available for sale, but the Blue School Uniform Set (Female) is a popular one amongst the community, too.
In March 2021, stock was limited but available. There were a handful of skins ready to scoop up, if the money was there. The sellers in March 2021 sought, at minimum, $365. Most folks won't pay more than $200, though. Most. In November 2020, one player bought the Blue School Uniform Set (Female) for $367.74. It's not unreasonable to think someone in the future may buy the skin set for a similar price, though most players are holding out hope for a much, much lower price tag.
And why not? The Blue School Uniform Set (Female) is a fun skin. The layered skirt, blue overcoat, white button-up, and black undershirt really hit the right notes for such an outfit. The dark coloring is easily beneficial on the battlefield, too.
Reaper Mask
There is no denying the Reaper Mask is one of the cooler skins available in PUBG. The metallic finish, the frightening attention to detail; this deathly mask brings terror to the arena. But what is even scarier than the look is the price tag. In March 2021, a Reaper Mask sold for $595.82. The asking price around that time was roughly $600. The seller got their money, and the buyer walked away with one of the most expensive skins in PUBG.
Would you pay that amount for an in-game skin? It's easy to see why anyone would. The Reaper Mask meshes well with most other skin sets, and even some of the stock clothing options, and is quite memorable. Think about the perspective from an opposing player, gunned down in their prime by this beast wearing what equates to a grim reaper's face over his own. That's alpha, and a fantastic way to lose a battle royale match.
Survivalist Slacks
What is the most expensive pair of pants you have ever purchased for yourself? Think about that number, then multiple it by, oh, around 10.
In March 2021, a hardcore PUBG player purchased the Survivalist Slacks, available via the Steam Market, for an astounding $642.43. A six-hundred-dollar pair of pants. Okay, they aren't just pants, are they? On the female characters, the pant legs are pulled high to reveal thigh-high black socks, plus the pants feature the same ammo pouches and low-hung suspenders with spikes adorning their length. On the male characters, the same features are present, but the pant legs appear fully pulled down to the ankles.
For a fancy pair of in-game pants, some players want you to pay a minimum of $630 as of March 2021. In this case, their asking price is not over-the-top, considering how much one pair of Survivalist Slacks sells for on the regular.
Aviator Set
On the Steam Market, the Aviator Set is a popular skin set, and yet, it has not ever reached the top spot on the community market. Why? Well, for starters, this is an incredibly rare skin set, with only a handful out in the wild available for sale due to low drop rates. Secondly, as of March 2021, only one available skin was listed with an asking price of over $1,000. Too few want to pay that much, with most players requesting to pay around $100 instead.
That being said, one player did purchase the Aviator Set in May 2020 for $848.32. They spent almost $1000 on a skin set that one could argue is kind of awkward and a little dopey. The hat and goggle combo, while fun, is an oddity that doesn't feel like it truly fits on any map in PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds. Oh, well. Players like what they like, and in this case, the buyer got their money's worth. At least, they did in their eyes.