Updates to Dopplers and Gamma Dopplers - May 2024

The last week has been hectic for CS2 skins enthusiasts, and that's to say the least. From the exclusion of Western users by a popular trading site to the addition of renting skins by Valve, things have been going wild in the CS2 skins scene. However, one of the most notable changes of the last few days has been recent changes to Dopplers and Gamma Dopplers. When shipping the most recent update, Valve made a few changes to the finishes to try to bring them closer to their CS:GO version, but things went awry. Luckily they fixed the issues quickly, making panic sellers regret their decisions and panic buyers very proud of themselves.

But what changes were made to Dopplers and Gamma Dopplers in the recent update? In this article, we will be taking a look at all of the changes to Dopplers and Gamma Dopplers in the past week, so lets begin!

Dopplers

On May 23, CS2 devs shipped a new update to CS2, bringing an updated Vertigo, a few quality-of-life changes, and the ability to rent skins. Along with this, they updated Doppler finishes with the goal of bringing them closer to how they looked in CS2. They achieved this for the most part, but many players were upset that they had been reverted from their most recent versions(Valve simply can't please everyone). Namely, the Phase 2 Doppler was reverted from the beautiful pink gemstone finish that almost everyone loved back to the boring, purple and pink Doppler from before. On the other hand, many players were happy with the reversion of the Black Pearl, which made it more of a solid black/deep purple finish rather than the lighter recent version. The skins still looked amazing, but some reversions were downgrades, while others were upgrades. Here is a look at all Dopplers after the first update.

Phase 1
Phase 2
Phase 3
Phase 4
Ruby
Sapphire
Black Pearl

All images above sourced from @hobshytv on X.

However, the change was short-lived. Just a day after the original update, the skins were returned to their first CS2 versions. Phase 1 became pinker, Phase 2 got its pink glow back, Phase 3s and 4s didn't change too much, Black Pearls remained in a form more reminiscent of CS2, and Rubies and Sapphires stayed the same. Here are the most recent forms of every Doppler:

Phase 1
Phase 2
Phase 3
Phase 4
Ruby
Sapphire
Black Pearl

Gamma Dopplers

One of the largest and most upsetting changes to the Doppler family was the damage done to Gamma Dopplers. Many Gamma Dopplers were, as many complained, ruined thanks to the new update. Phase 1s were returned back to a blue finish with barely any green, Phase 2s lost their "fake Emerald" status, and the rest of the skins were returned back to what they looked like in CS:GO. Emeralds received mixed opinions, some argued that they looked better, but some said they looked worse. Regardless, they, like most other skins, returned to their CS:GO form, at least for a day or so. Here is a look at all Gamma Dopplers after the first update.

Phase 1
Phase 2
Phase 3
Phase 4
Emerald

All images above sourced from @hobshytv on x.

Before long, the skins were fixed back to their CS2 appearances. Phase 1s regained a lot more character with a more defined green patch, Phase 2s regained fake Emerald status, phase 3s got back their cyan highlights, and Phase 4s got back their lime additions while Emeralds barely changed at all. Here are the most recent forms of every Doppler:

Phase 2
Phase 3
Phase 4
Emerald

These changes and the speed of their reversions should serve as a lesson that panic selling and buying is never a good idea, because things can change in an instant. Nothing is permanent, and a small change made by the devs can completely change how certain skins look, but that doesn't mean it's going to stay that way forever.