Marketplace head-to-head
CSGOEmpire vs BitSkins
CSGOEmpire is the modern fee-free CS2 marketplace + casino, coinflip, roulette, case battles, and a SkinsVault welcome bonus on signup. BitSkins was one of the longest-running third-party CS2 skin marketplaces, running from 2015 until it closed. It announced the shutdown on 27 May 2026 and switched off purchases and item withdrawals on 30 June 2026. This page is kept for the comparison history and for anyone still deciding where to trade instead.
SkinsVault verdict
CSGOEmpire. BitSkins closed on 30 June 2026 and bitskins.com now shows a closure notice, so there is no marketplace left to pick. If you still have a balance or items on a BitSkins account, sign in and contact their support; the operator says manual recovery is the only route left.
Side-by-side comparison
| Attribute | CSGOEmpire | BitSkins |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Fee-free P2P + casino | Closed marketplace (shut 30 June 2026) |
| Founded | 2016 | 2015 |
| Region | Curaçao | USA |
| Seller fee | 0% on direct P2P | None, marketplace closed |
| Buyer fee | 0% | None, marketplace closed |
| Welcome offer | Free coins · code SKINSVAULT | None, marketplace closed |
| Casino games | Yes, coinflip, roulette, battles | No |
| Legacy CS:GO inventory liquidity | Strong | None, marketplace closed |
| Best for | Active traders + casino players | Nobody, closed 30 June 2026 |
Which one fits you?
Pick CSGOEmpire if…
SkinsVault partner
- You want fee-free P2P trading + the SkinsVault welcome offer
- You also want to play coinflip, roulette, or case battles
- You want a fast, modern trading UI
Pick BitSkins if…
No commercial deal · editorial only
- You still have a balance or items on an old BitSkins account and need to recover them
- You want the history: BitSkins ran from 2015 until it closed on 30 June 2026
- Otherwise, none: BitSkins no longer trades
On BitSkins specifically
BitSkins is closed. It announced the shutdown on its own blog on 27 May 2026, stopped accepting deposits and listings on 29 May, and switched off automated skin and cash withdrawals on 30 June 2026, citing tightening regulation, VAT costs and Steam API limits. Checked again on 2 September 2026, bitskins.com serves a single page reading "Thank you, and goodbye. The platform is permanently closed." The entry stays because people still search for what happened to it, and because anyone holding a balance needs to know the manual recovery route through support is the only one left.
Frequently asked
Is BitSkins still open in 2026?+
No. BitSkins announced its shutdown on its own blog on 27 May 2026, disabled new listings and trade offers on 29 May, and took purchases and item withdrawals offline on 30 June 2026. bitskins.com now serves a single closure page reading "Thank you, and goodbye." The operator said deposits were non-refundable and that anything left after 30 June has to go through a manual verification process with support. Do not deposit there; there is nowhere to deposit.
How did BitSkins fees compare with CSGOEmpire's?+
We can no longer check. BitSkins' terms and fee pages now return 404 and the marketplace is offline, so there is no live source for any BitSkins fee, and we will not repeat one from memory. On CSGOEmpire, direct P2P trades carry no seller fee.
Where should I buy old CS:GO stickered skins now that BitSkins is closed?+
Not on BitSkins: it closed on 30 June 2026 and no longer lists anything. CSGOEmpire's marketplace is broad but skews toward modern CS2 items, so for a specific legacy sticker craft, check several of the live marketplaces in our marketplace ranking and compare before you buy.
Do both accept the SKINSVAULT code?+
No. SKINSVAULT only works at SkinsVault affiliate partners. Empire is one (the code unlocks free coins on signup). BitSkins was never a partner, and it closed on 30 June 2026, so there is nothing to sign up for there.
Looking for more? Browse all our compare pages or start with the leaderboard.