Valve wants new Counter-Strike 2 skins based on spies and Arabian mythology, and it's willing to pay for them

Valve is on the hunt for fresh Counter-Strike 2 designs for an upcoming update, and it's offering a new payment model to entice creators with an up-front licensing fee. It's no secret that CS2 skins are right at the heart of the Steam economy, and despite the recent crash in value for some elusive items, they're just as popular as ever. It is, after all, the most-played game on the platform to this day.

In a new workshop update for Counter-Strike 2, Valve has put out a 'call to arms' in search of specific weapon finishes and stickers that it says will supplement a "future update" for the FPS game. In particular, it's on the hunt for two separate themes: "Arabesque art and Arabian mythology," and "spy/tech." It's also looking for sticker submissions inspired by "auto racing" and "fruits and vegetables."

If you believe you have something that fits the mold, you can submit it using the CS2 workshop tool by changing your enlistment under the 'call to arms' section. Note that if you have existing Steam Workshop submissions that you'd like to put up for consideration, you'll need to re-submit them in order to apply the tags.

Valve has also made one other change for creators, introducing new "optional supplemental terms" for anyone releasing Counter-Strike 2 items to be used in game. Essentially, by opting into these extra terms, Valve has the option to license an item permanently for a flat fee instead of through the existing revenue-share model. Weapon finishes will be paid $35,000, while stickers and charms net you $6,000.

Agreeing to these extra terms will allow all of your workshop items to be distributed "where community items were previously not available, such as the Armory." Of course, if you make something that becomes exceptionally popular then it's very possible that you could make more money through revenue sharing over the lifetime of a skin, so if you'd rather stick to the old model you can do so.

As for what the update in question might be, it sounds as though we'll have some sort of Arabian-adjacent location joining the shooter in the future, as well as something a little more covert and spy-themed. Hopefully it arrives in time to tide over us Bond enjoyers until 007: First Light makes its debut.