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Browse Buff's collection of helpful blogs as we explore gameplay tips and tricks from the pros, review and recommend the latest games, and take an inside look into loyalty gaming and earning rewards.
RewardsValorant's Best Kept Secrets: How to Get Free RewardsAre you tired of drooling over expensive skins and cosmetics in Valorant's store, only to be deterred by their hefty price tags? Well, you'll be happy to know we have found some hidden gems that can help you attain some of those coveted cosmetics for absolutely free. It's time to level up your swag game without breaking the bank, and here's how.
1. Gun Skins
There are 2 easy ways to add some bling to your loadout for free:
1. Agent Contracts
Every agent in Valorant has a contract with 10 levels to get through. Upon finishing the last level, you'll get a gun skin themed around your chosen agent. It'll always be a pistol skin, but some of them look even better than the ones you would purchase from the store. Plus, you'll see them more often in-game, especially if you aim to unlock a skin for the classic pistol.
Each contract is broken up into 2 chapters:
At the end of the first chapter, you'll unlock the agent to whom the contract belongs. At the end of the second chapter, you'll get the skin for that agent's secondary weapon.
Here are a few more examples:
AGENT CONTRACT WEAPON Astra Eclipse GhostSova Protektor SherrifNeon Live Wire Frenzy Fade Karabasan Shorty Raze Pistolinha Classic
2. Twitch Prime
If you've never claimed the free trial to the service, you can take the full benefit of waiting till a cool Valorant skin becomes available to Twitch Prime users. Then, you can sign up for free, claim the skin (hopefully something really awesome like Wayfinder Shorty) and then end your subscription before the trial is over.
You only get 1 shot at this for free—you'll probably be looking at a $15 per month price tag afterward. However, if you're a gamer who plays many different games that Twitch prime supports, signing up may not be such a bad idea. After all, you'll be getting way more than just free Valorant skins.
2. Knife Skins
There is a way to get your hands on pretty much any knife skin for free. However, the catch is that you have to put some effort into earning gift cards.
Sites like Swagbucks allow anyone to do surveys or small tasks for gift cards and cash payouts into your PayPal or bank account. You'll get some good deals and some that are quite laborious, but if you've got some spare time, you'll be swiftly on your way to your next knife or gun skin!
3. Titles
Much like the weapon skins you can receive by completing some Agent Contracts, players have a variety of ways to earn free titles. Here are 2 methods that may be the easiest:
1. Agent Contracts
One of the main ways to earn titles in Valorant is through the same Agent Contracts. As mentioned before, each agent in the game has their own contract, which players can progress through by playing games and completing various challenges. As players progress through the 10 levels of each contract, they earn rewards such as titles, sprays, gun buddies, pistol skins, and, of course, the agent to whom the contract belongs.
» Not sure which agent to play? Check out the best Valorant agents for ranked games
2. In-Game Events
Another way to earn titles in Valorant is through in-game events. Valorant is known for hosting exciting events that require players to complete unique challenges and offer exclusive rewards. These events often have themes and limited-time game modes, which make them even more exciting. By completing event challenges, players can earn a variety of rewards, including titles that are specific to the event.
An example of a past event that has offered titles and other rewards include the Year One event, which celebrated Valorant's one-year anniversary and featured exclusive challenges and rewards.
4. Sprays
The above-listed methods for titles can often reward you with sprays as well. Aside from Agent Contracts and events, you can also get sprays via live broadcasts. Watching live gameplay of Valorant events and tournaments on Twitch is not only a great way to stay up to date on the latest competitive gameplay, but it can also be a way to earn free cosmetics for your account.
To earn these free cosmetics, you'll need to link your Twitch account to your Valorant account. Once your accounts are linked, you can then tune into selected Twitch streams that have drops enabled. Drops are basically in-game rewards that are given to players who watch specific streams for a certain amount of time.
You can find out which streams and broadcasts are drop-enabled on Valorant's official website, or you can look for the announcements on Valorant's Twitch page. The specific cosmetics available will vary depending on the event or tournament, so be sure to check the announcement for details.
» Interested in tournaments? Read more about the most exciting Valorant tournaments in 2023
5. In-Game Currency
In-game currency, naturally, allows you to buy various in-game items and cosmetics. However, getting that currency can sometimes be tricky. So, here are 2 methods that may help you get some extra Valorant points:
1. Use Buff
Buff makes getting your next free Riot Games VP gift card really easy. All you have to do to earn points is play your games! There are weekly and daily challenges that can earn you extra points, too. Still, keep in mind that it may take a little while before you can trade your points and claim your first reward for free.
» Learn more about how Buff works and how to redeem your Buff points
2. Submit Artwork
If you've got any skill in making a creative piece—even if it's an ugly 'Sanic' drawing of a Valorant character—you can submit it as fan art. They'll reward you with a gift card of up to 50 VP, which you can save to get your next skin.
Keep in mind that you can generally only get rewarded once per account, though some players claim to have been rewarded more than once. So, it's worth a shot, but it's best used when you need just a bit more VPs to reach your goal.
3. Battle Pass Radianite
If you've got the time to grind through the Valorant Battle Pass, you'll be getting small amounts of Radianite Points for free from each pass over time. Purchasing the Battle Pass will give you more Radianite Points, but it won't earn you a single Valorant Point, sadly.
» Learn the difference between Radianite Points and Valorant Points
Spice up Your Games With These Extra Rewards
So there you have it—with a little extra effort, you can get your hands on some of the coolest skins without breaking the bank. Whether you're grinding away, using your Twitch Prime subscription, or participating in events and promotions, there are plenty of ways to collect skins for free.
Start leveling up with Buff running in the background, start earning, and your next prized possession could be just a few clicks away!
Tips & tricksLock and Load With the Top 10 CS:GO Weapon SkinsWhether you're a hardcore gun fanatic or someone whose never shot a bullet—real or digital—you can probably appreciate a good lookin' weapon. Even though some of us love a clean paint job when it comes to customizing our weapon's exterior, Valve (the guys behind CS:GO) have really gotten the flashier more detailed designs catching everyone's attention. In this list, we'll be rounding up some of the favorite and most-saught-after skins in 2023 (according to trading sites) that people across the globe use daily to make their gameplay a little more aesthetically pleasing in the popular first-person shooter.
» See the easiest ways to earn new CS:GO skins
The Best Rifle Skins
Rifles are definitely the most popular go-to weapon category across most ranks, with the M4a1-s, AWP, and AK-47 seeing the most action of all the firearms available.
AK- 47 NIGHTWISH
The Nightwish skin blends "trippy" with "voodoo" in a stunning mash-up of bright colors on black, hard lines, and spirals, topped with an awesome mono-tone illustration of a ware-wolf-looking creature. Since the AK-47 doesn't have a Hyper Beast variant, this skin has been a popular alternative to add to the collection.
Release Date: January 2022Case: Dreams and NightmaresAverage Price (FN): $200Average Price (BS): $17
AK- 47 GOLD ARABESQUE
If you ask me, it took the CS:GO team way too long to add a Gold AK-47, but at least they did an extremely good job at it. This would be the AK skin I'd use permanently if it weren't for the price tag behind getting one.
Release Date: September 2021Case: Souvenir CasesAverage Price (FN): $5,600Average Price (BS): $1,200
M4A1-s
Since the AK-47 is a terrorist-only weapon, we felt we had to include the Counter-Terrorist main weapon in this list too. Both the M4A1-S and AK have been the go-to main weapons for both sides across every Counter-Strike title, making these skins far more popular than the skins for less-used guns like shotguns or LMGs.
M4A1-s: HYPER BEAST
Released in 2015, The Hyper Beast is still a massive fan favorite across multiple weapons. The skin—which features a highly detailed monster stylized in bright colors—is so popular that with a simple Google search, you can find Hyper Beast mouses and mouse-pads from SteelSeries, along with all sorts of wearable merch with the Hyper Beast decals printed all over them.
Release Date: April 2015Case: Chroma 2 CaseAverage Price (FN): $87 Average Price (BS): $10
AWP: DRAGON LORE
This is probably the most well-known skin of them all—probably best-known for its price tag, the Dragon Lore is famously ridiculously expensive, and is a dream to have in any trader's CS:GO skin collection. Though the skin isn't particularly amazing in its aesthetic value, it's certainly a showpiece worth pulling out to show off whenever you can if you are one of the fortunate players to own such a prized weapon skin.
Release Date: April 2015Case: Chroma 2 CaseAverage Price (FN): $10,000Average Price (BS): $2,900Average Price (FN Souvenir): $438,230
» Become an expert at surfing in CS:GO
The Best Pistol Skins
USP-S: THE TRAITOR
The USP-S is the popular choice between the 2 CT pistols you spawn with and having the Traitor skin equipped is the perfect way to start the round. The skin features a stunning red-to-blue color palette with accents of gold, with delicate gloss-on-matte intricacies.
Release Date: May 2021Case: Snakebite CaseAverage Price (FN): $45Average Price (BS): $9
Glock-18 : GAMMA DOPPLER
This is the only weapon skin outside of knives that features the Doppler pattern, making it the perfect match if you have a Gamma Doppler knife. The skin comes in multiple "phases" that result in different color gradients and is a Terrorist-only default pistol.
Release Date: September 2021Case: None—You have to trade up or purchase this item from a marketplaceAverage Price (FN): $17.50Average Price (BS): $12
» Here's all you need to know about the CS:GO skin exchange
The Best SMG Skin
P90 - ASIIMOV
The Asiimov skins have been huge favorites to those who are drawn to its high-contrast orange, black and white. There are a bunch of Asiimov skins out for different guns, including the p90, the m4A4, AWp, p250, and AK-47, making it one of my favorite skin collections in the game.
Release Date: June 2014Case: Breakout CaseAverage Price (FN): $47Average Price (BS): $9
» Got the skills? Here's how to monetize your CS:GO gameplay
The Best Heavy Weapon Skin
Nova - KOI
The Nova Koi is a stand-out shotgun that balances the theme of serenity and calmness associated with the Japanese Koi fish, and the inevitable gunfire and explosions that the deadly Nova shotgun brings to the arena. Hopefully, we see more Koi skins come to the CS guns when CS2 officially launches.
Release Date: July 2014Case: Operation Breakout CaseAverage Price (FN): $2Average Price (BS): $0.5
The Best Knife Skins
BUTTERFLY KNIFE: DOPPLER
in CS: GO- its practically impossible to find a knife skin for under $100, but that said, no matter what team you're on you'll always have your knife on you, so its pretty worth it... Besides, who doesn't like watching someone skillfully flip around a Butterfly Knife or Balisong Blade? Well, this knife comes with the awesome animation attached, and an incredible range of skins. There are extremely rare editions of most of the skins on a butterfly knife, but the most sought-after ones are the Doppler and Gamma Doppler Butterfly Knives with unique patterns and coloring. Different "Phases" also affect the coloring of the handles.
Release Date: March 2017Case: Spectrum Case, Spectrum 2 CaseAverage Price (FN): $2,000Average Price (BS): $1,400
KARAMBIT: DOPPLER
Alongside gloves, knife skins are the most beneficial skins to use which is probably why they're so damn expensive... The Karambit is one of the first knives that entered the game back in August of 2013 and is still one of the most beloved knives of CS: GO players. A particular fan-favorite is the Ruby edition of the Karambit Dopler, where the color phase shows a predominant red across the blade, but sadly it's extremely rare...
Release Date: January 2015Case: Chroma Case, Chroma 2 Case, Chroma 3 caseAverage Price (FN): $1,000Average Price (BS): $960
Spice up Your Gameplay With the Best Skins
Cosmetic items allow players to express themselves and stand out from the crowd. Whether you prefer the colorful and stylized look of the AK-47 Nightwish or the classic and refined style of the Asiimov skins, there's a skin out there for everyone. So go ahead, deck out your weapons with some of the top skins in the game, and get ready to dominate the competition in style! While you're showing off your loadout in-game, run Buff in the background to get you even closer to your next amazing skin to show off to your friends and enemies! Check it out here.
CosmeticsGaming in Style: Best Valorant Skins You Can’t Play WithoutValorant has arguably the best weapon skins of any game out there. Although they come at a hefty price and tight availability, that only makes them worth more. There's not much better than showing off your awesome skins to your friends and enemies.
Wondering which skins make the most impact on people? Well, look no further! The skins in this blog are sure to get you some extra attention.
» Read how you can score a Valorant gift card
Best Operator Skins
Best Themed Skin for Operators
Sentinels of Light Operator
This skin, when upgraded with Radianite points, forms its barrel with floating chunks of magic marble-like stone. It also shoots rays of light with very apt sound effects attached. The weapon skin is a crossover with Riot's other game title, League of Legends, and features animations and kill effects that tickle the fancy of anyone who is a fan of both games.
VP Price: 2,175Availability: In-store when availableUnique Extras: Sound effects, visual effects, animations, finishers, color variants
Most Expensive Operator Skin
Elderflame Operator
If I could, I'd have put Elderflame in all 3 categories for the Operator, as it's one of the most popular skins in the game. It features awesome flaming bullets and dragon sound effects when firing and reloading. Plus, the animations are like no other in the game. The skin can change between 4 colors when leveled up all the way.
VP Price: 2,475Availability: In-store when availableUnique Extras: Sound effects, visual effects, animations, finishers, color variants
Most Popular Operator skin
Araxys
This skin looks like an Operator made from alien technology. The gun breathes and shifts as you shoot and reload, making you feel like you're in sync with a living weapon. The laser-like shots and awesome finishers are very apt for this theme and are a fan favorite in the Valorant community.
VP Price: 2,175Availability: In-store when availableUnique Extras: Sound effects, visual effects, animations, finishers, color variants variants
Best Phantom Skins
Best Themed Skin for Phantom
Radiant Crisis 001 Phantom
This gun lets off awesome comic-book effects as you shoot your rounds and reload. If you love the comic-book style, you'll love playing with this skin.
VP Price: 1,775Availability: In-store when availableUnique Extras: Sound effects, visual effects, finishers
Most Expensive Phantom Skin
Spectrum Phantom
All of the spectrum skins have an understandably high price tag. That's because the electronic artist Zedd did a collaboration with Valorant to make a series of awesome music- and soundwave-related weapon skins. This skin comes in some stunning color choices, and it has a finisher worth bragging about.
VP Price: 2,675Availability: In-store when availableUnique Extras: Sound effects, visual effects, animations, finishers, color variants
Most Popular Phantom skin
Oni Phantom
This Phantom skin is the most popular almost entirely thanks to how good the gun sounds when fired. The gun comes with all the extras, but there's no other gun that sounds as good as the silenced SMG sounds that come out of this baby.
VP Price: 2,175Availability: In-store when availableUnique Extras: Sound effects, visual effects, animations, finishers, color variants
Best Vandal Skins
Best Themed Skin for Vandals
Sakura Vandal
A nice, clean vandal skin featuring cherry blossom trees over a monotone grey—simple, elegant, and affordable.
VP Price: 1,275Availability: In-store when availableUnique Extras: None
Most Expensive Vandal Skin
Elderflame Vandal
This Elderflame vandal skin features similar extras as its Operator counterpart, but it comes with its own animations more appropriate for the vandal weapon type. This weapon has been in the game for years now, and is still a fan-favorite for most Valorant players.
VP Price: 2,475Availability: In-store when availableUnique Extras: Sound effects, visual effects, animations, finishers, color variants
Most Popular Vandal skin
Prime Vandal
The Prime Vandal has a very recognizable bullet sound that strikes fear into the hearts of any who face it. The gun shoots laser shots and comes with epic finishers, alongside a very well-designed reload animation. The skin gains a lot of its popularity thanks to its affordable price tag for an evolving weapon.
VP Price: 1,775Availability: In-store when availableUnique Extras: Sound effects, visual effects, animations, finishers, color variants
Best Knife Skins
Best Themed Skin for Knives
BlastX Knife
This little thing seems way friendlier than it really is. Designed to look like a toy, with a blade that clicks as it slides out of its handle by its thumb-switch, the knife gives an ironically "safe" feel to the deadly weapon.
VP Price: 4,450Availability: In-store when availableUnique Extras: Sound effects, animations, color variants
Most Expensive Knife Skin
Elderflame Dagger
The perfect addition to pull out when you own another Elderflame weapon skin; this weapon sets itself on fire when drawn, adding a little extra spice to your melee attacks.
VP Price: 4,950Availability: In-store when availableUnique Extras: Visual effects, animations variants
Most Popular Knife skin
RGX 11Z Pro Blade
There are loads of people with a weird attraction to RGB out there, and I'm totally one of them. As this blade extends, it shines a light that can be changed with your inspect key. This allows you to slice your enemies up with all sorts of colors! The color variants of the blade change the color of its handle.
VP Price: 4,350Availability: In-store when availableUnique Extras: Visual effects, animations, color variants
» Need a few more VPs for your favorite skin? Get Valorant points for free
Best Valorant Skin Collections
Best Themed Skin Collections in Valorant
Elderflame
The Elderflame collection is the collection I think of when discussing the coolest skins ever made for FPS games. The bundle, when available, comes with all of its skins and a few extras—but be ready to pay a steep price for them!
VP Price: 9,900Availability: In-store when availableUnique Extras: Sound effects, visual effects, animations, finishers, color variants, titles, sprays, gun buddies
Most Expensive Valorant Skin Collection
Zedd X Valorant SPECTRUM
Being part of the collaboration in its entirety is a cool feeling indeed, pulling out weapon after weapon with groovy tunes and sweet effects never gets old... but it sure is an investment!
VP Price: 10,700Availability: In-store when availableUnique Extras: Sound effects, visual effects, animations, finishers, color variants, titles, sprays, gun buddies
Most Popular Skin Collection
Reaver & Reaver 2.0
The first Reaver weapon set was so successful they released a new wave of them! Both packs are the same price in VP, and each comes with a pistol and knife skin, spoiling you for choice! Naturally, Omen mains love this bundle, but the weapons look good on anyone, really!
VP Price: 7,100Availability: In-store when availableUnique Extras: Sound effects, visual effects, animations, finishers, color variants, titles, sprays, gun buddies
Aesthetics Meet Performance—Embrace the Best Valorant Skins
Now that you know which skins to look out for, all that's left is to prepare your disposable income and wait for these skins to hit the shop on rotation!
You might get luckier getting your desired skin when the bundle containing it comes around, but beware of the price tags! You could get a little close to grabbing your next skin with a gift card from Buff! Try it out!
» Don't want to pay for skins? Get Valorant skins for free
Buff faqsWhy Every Overwolf User Needs to Install BuffIf you've ever played any popular competitive game along the likes of LoL, CS: GO, Rainbow 6 Siege, WoW, or Dota2, then you've probably heard of the ever-helpful software responsible for in-game overlays: Overwolf. If you're playing these games and you haven't gotten an in-game stat overlay—what are you waiting for?
The benefits that Overwolf provides with its different overlays are amazing. From gaining knowledge about your opponents to getting build guides based on your specific match, the resources that are provided by Overwolf are essential to gaining a better understanding of your opponents.
If you're already on board with Overwolf, then the extra knowledge in your games isn't the only benefit of using the app. You can also get free gift cards that you can spend on getting in-game currency and more with Buff!
» Learn more about how Buff works
The Buff-Overwolf Partnership
Buff.game, if you haven't heard by now, is a gamers loyalty app that lets you claim gift cards in exchange for points earned by playing the popular games you're probably already playing. Buff uses in-game stats that are able to be gathered by having an official partnership with Overwolf, which has been a recognized software used by games for more than 10 years now.
Overwolf itself has been highly reputable since its launch. It has more than 200 apps in its free app store, amongst other cool features, and it's all completely safe. The partnership allows Buff to track your in-game stats, like your time spent in-game, your performance, and how much time you've spent playing which modes in which games. Buff then takes these stats and sells them to big game companies like Epic and Steam. It also provides users of the app with gift cards to claim for the points they've earned.
Buff has plans to integrate with every skill-based multiplayer game out there and provide you with passive points for any officially recognized game you're playing. Basically, that means that eventually, no matter what you're playing, you'll be on your way to a free reward, as long as you're a Buff user.
3 Reasons Why You Should Get Buff If You Use Overwolf
If you're still unsure whether you should install Buff or not, here are 3 main reasons to do so:
Earn gift cards and more
As I've mentioned before, you can trade in your Buff points that you've earned for gift cards—but not just for the games you're playing. Buff supplies gift cards from retail outlets, like Amazon and Bestbuy. If you're not interested in gift cards, there are also games you can claim, such as Fallout or Outlast, alongside merchandise, like a Razer mouse or keyboard! Extra challenges
Since Buff has access to your in-game stats, they have the ability to create and track 3rd party challenges that you can complete for extra Buff points. This adds an extra challenge to your gaming experience that you can benefit from directly.Track your progress on your mobile
You can get Buff on the App Store or on Google Play. This means that you can track your progress, collect your rewards, and earn even more Buff points by playing selected mobile games while Buff is running on your device!
Start Earning Buff Points Right Now
If you're playing the games with an Overwolf overlay, there's a good chance Buff supports it, too—so why not just grab the app and start getting free rewards?
Getting a hold of the app is really easy. Just download it, and it should install alongside Overwolf. If you have Overwolf installed, it should just add the app right into your app tray, and you're good to launch! Once it's open, just sign up (using your Google account is the easiest), and jump straight into your first game to start earning some Buff points!
» Sounds too good to be legal? Learn all about Buff compliance
Buff faqsAre Buff Points Legit? Here's What Ranked Gamers Have to SayDecades ago, playing games was considered by many to be a waste of time. Now, players are using services like Buff to use the time spent enjoying games to earn real-life rewards.
Buff is a blockchain-based loyalty program made for gamers by gamers, where all you have to do to get rewarded is simply play the games you love. Think it's too good to be true? Years ago, you may have been right, but we'll show you how Buff made that a reality.
What Are Buff Points?
Buff Points are the form of currency you earn as part of our loyalty program for playing the games you love. All you need to do is be logged into your Buff account while playing any of the games we support (like CS:GO, League of Legends, Apex Legends, and many more).
What Can You Do With Buff Points?
After racking up a decent amount, you can take your hard-earned Buff Points into the marketplace to exchange them for real-life rewards.
Buff Points can be redeemed for a number of things, such as the following:
Gift cards (Amazon, Steam, and Xbox, for example)Game keysGaming hardwareMerchandise
You can even redeem your points for in-game enhancements like skins and in-game currencies for Apex Legends and League of Legends.
If you are not a fan of any of these rewards, you are able to redeem Buff Points for cash. But do keep in mind, that cash redemptions are via PayPal only.
Are Buff Points Legit & Safe?
During the rise of gaming's popularity, malicious people and companies have tried to scam gamers by preying on their passion and love for games. This is why we have emphasized transparency in how we operate and developed a strong reputation for satisfaction from users in what we do. Buff has established itself as a prominent gaming network with its own reward system, coin economy, and marketplace used by some of the most well-known names in gaming, like Professor Akali, a professional League of Legends player.
We wanted to eliminate worries and ensure safety for users of Buff, so we built our app by partnering with Overwolf, the world's best in-game creation platform responsible for paying out $29M to the gaming community in 2021. And to make sure we really get our point across, Buff sponsors NRG, one of the biggest names in esports.
» Discover safe and easy ways to earn Buff Points
How to Earn Buff Points
There's a whole lot more than just one way to start earning your Buff Points, so to make it easy, here's a list of your point-earning arsenal:
Earn Buff Points Through Gameplay
Firstly, download the Buff app and create an account. Moving forward, all you have to do is be logged in and let Buff run in the background while you play your favorite games.
Complete Challenges
Buff offers many in-game challenges specific to the game you've chosen to play.
You can check out what challenges are available by going to the Challenges tab in the Buff app, as shown below, and selecting the game you want to earn rewards for. While running, Buff will track your progress for challenges as you complete tasks in-game. Once you complete your challenges, you can claim your reward from the Buff app!
Participate in Raffles
See what raffles are available by clicking on the Raffles panel in the Home tab of your Buff app. Get a raffle ticket by spending your Buff Points (keep in mind that some raffles are exclusive to Buff Premium users) and praying to RNGesus to be the winner. Raffle rewards vary from raffle to raffle, but expect to earn Buff Points or even gift cards for your favorite games.
Invite Friends to Play
Invite your friends to install Buff and earn alongside you by sending them your personal referral code. Once they earn their first 30 Buff Points from gameplay (not including challenges or other bonuses), you'll receive 30 Buff Points as well.
There's no cap on the number of friends you can invite, so hit up the whole guild!
Spin the Wheel
Spin the Buff Wheel in the Buff app to earn some extra Points, guaranteed every spin. You get a free spin every 12 hours and a golden opportunity once a day to earn big!
Get Buff Premium
Maximize your earnings with Buff Premium. As a Premium user, you'll get access to some exclusive opportunities to earn, and all point earnings are boosted by 50%!
Earn Points for Free Today!
Times are changing. Gaming grows more mainstream every passing day, and Buff is staying ahead of the curve to reward you for taking part in the enjoyment. Be sure to take the time to explore Buff and stay on top of the expanding ways to earn and get rewarded!
Buff faqsIs Buff Legal? All You Need to Know About Our ComplianceThe promise of free things always brings up feelings of uncertainty since some things are just too good to be true. We know that what Buff offers as a platform borders on that feeling, and we're here to help clear that up so you'll know exactly how Buff works, how Buff makes money, and what you should know before deciding to install the app.
Buff's Business Model
Buff uses a freemium business model, which means it's legal and that anybody can use the basic version for free, but are encouraged to pay for a premium version that offers more features. Spotify is a great example of this, where you can listen to any official music for free, but you'll get an ad played to you every second song—paying for Spotify premium removes these ads and gets you extra features like listening along with your friends.
Buff uses this extremely popular model alongside a partnership with Overwolf to let users earn passive rewards for playing their favorite games. Let's break that down with a bit of Buff's history:
Founding Buff
Buff started in 2018 by its 3 founders who'd all had 10+ years experience in gaming, marketing, and software development. The initial plan was to develop a blockchain-based loyalty program for gamers who'd be rewarded with the platform's currency (Buff Points).
Partnership With Overwolf
Buff partnered with Overwolf, a trusted company that creates apps to integrate with games, which had 15 million active users at the time. This partnership would get them all the access to data from hundreds of games that Overwolf had already been a part of.
Buff Adopts the Freemium Model
Buff used this data to partner with big gaming platforms like Epic Games, Steam, and Origin to both provide them with useful data and create deals like skins and gift cards for users of the app in exchange for their earned Buff Points—the Freemium model.
Buff completely abandoned the blockchain model and pursued the freemium model instead. Traditional fundraising continued until the beta launch in 2019, where Buff app users were officially rewarded without any usage of cryptocurrencies.
Growth of Buff
By 2020, Buff grew to 50,000+ users, justifying the inevitable launch of Buff on mobile.
Today, Buff has partnered with many more companies like Amazon and Razer to provide a wider range of rewards—it has even been featured in major eSports events and grown to over 450,000 daily users.
» Find out how you can make Buff Points safely and easily
How Does Buff Make Money?
It's easy to understand why, given Buff's initial business model, there are loads of claims and controversy stating that Buff uses your device to mine cryptocurrencies, but this is not true! We declare unequivocally that the BUFF app has no malicious properties of any kind.
So, we did our tests and ran the app on our own devices, checking for malware or any dips in performance during heavy gameplay, and found no changes at all. So how do we make our money? Three different ways:
1. Monthly Paid Subscriptions
Similar to other freemium models, we offer 3 tiers of paid "premium subscriptions," each with extra features that aren't available to a regular "free" user. These features include:
Loads of free Buff PointsExtra challengesCrazy discountsLimited itemsPremium raffles
» Still not sure how Buff Points work? Read our guide to help you understand.
2. Paid Advertisements
Another way Buff makes some revenue is through ad services. There are a few ways that Buff presents you with ads, but none are intrusive. You'll get presented with the occasional pop-up ad when you receive Buff Points; otherwise, you'll find ads on the app's home page. You can also choose to watch ads for extra Buff Points.
3. Partnerships With Game Publishers
Buff is partnered with huge companies such as Steam, Amazon, Epic Games, Apple, and Microsoft. These companies use the game and ad data from Buff's users in exchange for rewards and discounted gift cards that become available in the marketplace for Buff users to claim.
What to Know About the Terms of Use
Sadly, there are some restrictions to Buff's service, and we've listed the most notable for your convenience:
Buff users must be both 18+ years of age and of legal age in their particular jurisdiction (you may have a guardian's permission if you're younger).You have to claim rewards with buff points within your jurisdiction (if you live outside the US, you cannot claim US-only rewards). Failing to do so can lead to a ban or having all your Points revoked.You must have Overwolf installed to use the app, and you have to agree to Overwolf's terms of services as well.You have to use your own account at all times and you cannot log into another person's account with their details.
What Are You Waiting For?
Buff turned out to be something even better than it was planned to be, and users really can get rewarded for doing what we've already been doing: playing games and having fun. It's an added bonus that it incentivizes us to play those games more and strive to get better.
Is it worth it? We think so, but we'll let you decide. Get Buff today.
Buff faqsHow Does Buff Really Work? (Earning Points Safely & Easily)Getting free things for playing games with your mates—that's just too good to be true, right? Think again.
Simply by having the Buff app open in the background while you're playing what you love can earn you in-game content, gift cards, and even peripherals like a Razer Kraken X Ultralight gaming headset! In this guide, we'll be showing you around the app and how you can get in on free rewards, and some sweet tips on how you can get your rewards faster!
1. Download the App & Sign Up
The Buff app runs off of a trusted gaming creation/tracking platform called Overwolf that's been around since 2010. Overwolf helps synchronize your data with the Buff app to make sure your gameplay is tracked and you are rewarded for completing challenges. Buff runs on both PC and mobile, and getting started on either is super easy:
How to Install Buff on PC
First, let's check if you can run BUFF. If you're up to date with gaming and don't have a device that's a decade old, you have a pretty good chance of running Buff. That being said, here are the minimum system requirements:
OS: Windows 10RAM: 4gbCPU: Intel Core i5-4400E +GPU: Nvidia GeForce 510
After ensuring that you meet the minimum requirements, simply follow these steps:
Head to the BUFF home pageClick "Download Buff Now!" or click HEREFollow the installation process prompts—once that's finished, Overwolf will sync to the games you're playing and update your statistics
How to Install Buff on Mobile
Currently, Buff only supports Clash Royale, Clash of Clans, and Brawl Stars.
If you play any of the titles above, head on over to your Google Play app for Android users or the App store on iOS and download the BUFF App!
Make sure the app is open and running when you play your games, and it should automatically synchronize your game stats.
2. Earn Points As You Play
The aim of the game(s) is getting Buff Points that you can redeem for sweet rewards. You'll need to have BUFF open in the background, but it uses so little processing power that you won't even notice. There are a few ways you can earn Buff Points, and we'll break them down for you:
Weekly Challenges
This is the best way to get Buff Points for free.
You'll have 3 tiers of challenges per game title that increase in difficulty and reset each week. You earn 10BP for the first tier, 20BP for the second, and 40BP for the third, letting you get 70BP per game each week if you complete all of them.
Daily Challenges
A great way to earn a little extra Buff Points on top of your weekly challenges, you'll earn 5 BP each day on completion.
Daily Rewards
You may have seen systems like this on mobile games: you'll get some free Buff Points by logging in and playing your first match of the day, every day, for a 7-day cycle. In 1 week you can get 17BP per game title.
Spin the Wheel
Every day you'll also get a wheel to spin with a max reward of 3BP
Get Premium
There are different tiers of premium, and the top tier gives you 300% Buff Points on game-related earnings, 200 free Buff Points monthly, extra challenges, and loads of discounts and extra goodies.
If you finish every assigned challenge and log in every day, you can earn just over 120BP every week per game if you're playing for free. Getting the top premium package means you can get about 630BP just from completing all challenges within a week per game!
Buff strictly only tracks in-game performance, like your kills, wins and losses, how often you log in, and how long you spend in game. Buff does not have access to any personal information such as your account details and friends lists.
3. Cash Out for Rewards
Here's the fun part: getting free stuff! Once you've completed enough challenges and collected enough buff points, you can head over to the marketplace inside the app and redeem your points.
There's a variety of cool rewards you can get from the Buff store, such as:
Gift cards you can use for AmazonCredits you can add to your platform of choiceCool skins and cosmeticsGaming peripherals
Going full premium grants you access to other items in the store as well as special challenges and raffles where you can stand a chance to get big rewards!
What More Do You Need?
If you're playing your game every day already, why not keep Buff open in the background and earn free things? Even if you're not focusing on your challenges, you'll be slowly working your way to a sweet gift card or new mouse, and that amazing feeling of getting free things for playing video games!
RewardsWhat to Know About Trading & Selling in the CS:GO Skin ExchangeWe've personally met players who've bought entire new high-end gaming PCs for themselves just off of trading and selling skins from CS:GO. If you've got some fancy skins on your account that you want to trade or sell for a bit of cash, or just want to start getting in on the exchange, we're here to help!
Keep reading to find out how to do this and make some real money.
Difference Between Trading & Selling CS:GO Skins
Whether you're looking to upgrade your in-game gear with some new skins, or you're looking to make a profit on the CS:GO exchange, you'll either have to sell or trade your skins. But what is the difference between those two options, and what are the benefits of both?
Selling Skins
Skins change in value over time. As more skins come out and others become less available, collectors and sellers will affect the general marketplace value for specific items. Having a skin from 4 years ago might be more valuable now than it ever was, so keeping and "investing" in skins, then selling them at another time can earn you some profit.
You might also just have unwanted skins you're willing to sell. Either way, you can sell your skins on places like the Steam Marketplace (which is the safest) or third-party platforms.
Trading Skins
Trading skins is a much more delicate way of making money, but it's also a much faster way to make a profit.
Trading involves gaining knowledge of market trends and niches, knowing what collectors are looking for, and joining active trading communities. Finding the best way to trade usually involves rinse-and-repeat methods, such as finding discounted items and reselling them for a profit to collectors or for a more valuable item that you can sell to another collector.
Trading requires a lot more effort than just selling skins, but it's a great way to socialize in lobbies and become part of some great communities.
How to Identify a Reliable CS:GO Exchange Site
You've probably heard of as many dodgy CS:GO skin exchange sites as we have, so we've narrowed down some ways you can find the legitimate ones.
Browse the Site
Common sense is a powerful tool. Keep an eye out for things that seem illegitimate such as deals that are too good to be true or outdated information. Check how long the site has been around and keep an eye out for poor spelling and grammar.
If you get a bad gut feeling about the site, you should probably avoid it.
Check Online Reviews
Loads of people ask whether a site is legit or not, and many websites research this to provide an answer. Browse online and see if people have had good or bad experiences with certain trading sites.
Review Online Forums & Reddit Threads
Reddit is a surprisingly great place to ask and find questions about whether a site is safe for trading. Don't be afraid to ask!
Read the Terms & Conditions
The terms and conditions of a site can be a dead giveaway for potentially fraudulent activity. It will be a drag, but reading the T's and C's will help put your mind at ease.
How to Sell CS:GO Skins
So you've got some valuable skins you want to sell, but you want cash instead of filling your Steam wallet by selling on the Steam marketplace. Here are two great ways to go about selling your skins for real cash:
However, before selling with either method, you'll need to find your trade URL on Steam. To do so, simply follow these steps:
Go to your Steam inventoryClick on "Trade Offers"Click on "Who can send me Trade Offers" Find your Trade URL under "Third-Party Sites"
Now that you know what your trade URL is, proceed with either of the two following methods:
1. Sell Via an Auction Service
Selling your skins through an auction site works a lot like eBay or Amazon, you'd have to sign up as a seller on the site, then put your item up for sale for an asking price of whatever you set. Buyers who are interested will ask to buy or start bidding for your item, and once the bidding window closes, you'll get a trade request, then get paid for your item.
The upside to auctioning is that you often get paid what you set your price as, the downside is you have to wait for someone to take an interest, which can be a while.
If you're ready to auction your skins, getting started is super easy with these steps:
Sign in to your chosen safe auction site
Thankfully, most of them let you sign in with Steam, which makes finding your inventory a bit easier.Input your trade URL onto the sitePut your item up for auction
Each site will have a suggested price listing based on the average price of that skin. It's best to find prices at lots of different sources to make sure you get the best deal.
And that's that! After someone takes interest in the trade, or you get the highest bid, you'll also receive a trade request on Steam. Simply accept it on both platforms, and you'll get paid.
2. Sell Via a Bot-Powered Platform
Bot-powered platforms are usually much faster when it comes to making sales but are generally less profitable. When a site lets you sell an item instantly, it's usually bot-powered. In this case, a price is given to you by a bot, and you can choose to either sell it for that amount or wait until that price changes. The bots will then use your items in their marketplace to make trade profits.
Getting set up is just as easy as the auction sites:
Sign in to your chosen safe auction siteEnter your trade URLLet the bot check your inventory for pricesPick what you want to sellGet paid straight to your chosen bank!
» Want free rewards just for playing CS:GO? Download Buff now and get started
How to Trade CS:GO Skins on Steam
Ah, the good ol' classic way of trading, similar to how Dota skins are traded on Steam. It's the easiest and safest way without having to ever leave Steam and sign-up to any 3rd-party platforms, making it the preferred method for thousands of players. Here's how it's done:
Authenticate your account
You'll need to have 2-factor authentication with Steam Guard enabled for more than 15 days to be able to trade. Open your friends list
Find it under your profile tab in Steam, or "View" > "Friends list."View the profile of the person you wish to trade with
Make sure you know this person is credible.Select "More"
Hit the dropdown menu on the top-right of their profile, and select "offer a trade."Choose what you'd like to trade
In the new window, set your inventory to show CS:GO items.Drag your trade items from both inventories into the trade boxes
Pick which items you'd like to trade for in their inventory, and which ones you'd like to trade them for from yours.Confirm the trade contents and make an offer
Remember to type a description in before you hit send, so they know why you're trading.
» Have extra Dota skins? Learn how to trade them for CS:GO skins.
Get to Trading
Whether you've got a collection of skins you'd like to sell for some cash, or you'd like to start trading up your inventory to fancy start-track knives and cool gloves, it's all possible with a little time and effort. Just remember that there are loads of malicious people out there, so trade safely!
EsportsTop 5 Earners in CoD: Warzone & How Much They Made (2022)The Call of Duty (CoD) competitive scene spreads widely, with different leagues and tournaments across different games. Vanguard is home to the CoD League (CoDL), while Warzone tournaments for money are hosted on a variety of platforms and organizers, Activision included.
While there isn't an official, publisher-backed league for Warzone, the potential earnings for pro players dropping in are no joke. According to data grabbed from Warzone Earnings, the biggest Warzone pros are not just racking up cash to buy stations in-game, but are also making big bucks IRL from their winnings.
Keep reading to learn about the top 5 earners in CoD: Warzone.
» Learn more about CoD: Warzone
1. Thomas "Tommey" Trewren
Tommey, arguably the most famous name in competitive Warzone, comes in as the top Warzone earner, with $416,722.61. Although Tommy has been playing CoD since 2010, he was also one of the first pro CoD players to dive into Warzone and its competitive scene upon its March 2020 release. Tommey recently left the 100 Thieves streamer umbrella, but he isn't giving up his #1 spot anytime soon.
While Tommey is no stranger to competitive shooters, Warzone has really set a new level for raking in dough for the CoD veteran. In 2022 alone, Tommey brought in 5-figure prizes from multiple tournaments, including:
OpTic Texas 100K Warzone Trios: 1st Place, $40,000eFuse Joe Wo's Cladera of Passion: 1st Place, $10,000
2. Ben "Almond" Rosendahl
Coming in as the 2nd highest earner with $381,521.77, Almond made his debut in 2020 and cemented himself as one of the best competitive Warzone players since. Even without a super long history, his talent on the sticks and in content creation led him to being quickly picked up by Minnesota RØKKR back in June 2021.
Almond's earnings from Warzone tournaments had definitely added lots of dollars to the 23-year-old's bank account, especially with his streak of 1st place wins in the last four tournaments he has played:
World Series of Warzone Season 2 NA Trios: 7th Place, $8,000JoeWo: Battle for the Crown 2 Day 2: 1st Place, $6,000eFuse Battle of the Titans: 2nd Place, $6,000$20k 2v2 ChainGames Warzone Finale: 1st Place, $10,000
» Got your own CoD skills? Learn about the online CoD tournament entry criteria
3. Aydan Conrad
Trailing 2nd place by just under two grand, Aydan comes in as the 3rd highest earner with $379,274.27. Formerly a competitive Fortnite player, Aydan showed that his skills could apply to just about any game with crosshairs. After leaving Ghost Gaming back in April 2020, Aydan is officially part of the content creator team for the New York Subliners (NYSL), the official CDL franchise team of New York.
Aydan was previously the highest earner for Warzone back in March 2021, being the first pro player to break the $300,000 in tournament earnings milestone. While he's been overtaken by fellow pros, he is definitely not out for the count:
World Series of Warzone Season 2 NA Trios: 4th place, $15,000eFuse Batttle of the Titans: 1st Place, $13,714New York Subliners $50K WarzoneMania 3 Day 1: 1st Place, $10,000
4. Ethan "Fifakill" Pink
New to the top 5 list, and coming in as the 4th highest earner is Fifakill, with $258,582.82 earned. At just 21 years of age, Fifakill is a young star in the CoD scene, arguably one of the most OG FPS franchises there is. Currently representing the UK as a part of Quadrant, a gaming org backed and built by fellow Englishman and Formula One driver, Lando Norris.
Most notably, Fifakill had an incredible showing in September of this year in the World Series of Warzone NA Solo Yolo, which pushed him up 6 spots in the earnings rankings with a 1st place prize of $100,000! Here are Fifakill's biggest wins of the year:
World Series of Warzone Season 2 NA SoloYolo: 1st Place, $100,000BoomTV x TimTheTatman 2v2 Kill Race: 1st Place, $66,000
5. Jordan "HusKerrs" Thomas
Last on this top 5 list is definitely not the least known. HusKerrs has been in the Warzone scene since the beginning and was the first player to earn $100,000 in Warzone tournaments. Though currently unsigned today, HusKerrs was a part some of the biggest teams in esports, being a part of Rogue in 2020 and NRG Esports, which Buff proudly sponsors, across 2021.
Though HusKerrs may not be seeing the same level of dominance he did back when Warzone first started, he is undoubtedly still one of the strongest contenders:
eFuse SuperEvan's Judgment Day: 3rd Place, $2,000JoeWo: Battle for the Crown 2 Day 2: 2nd Place, $4,000New York Subliners $50K WarzoneMania 3 Day 2: 1st Place, $10,000
» Looking for an esport to compete in? Discover the highest esports prize pools
Final Thoughts
The surprising thing about the list is the diversity of the players. Coming from different gaming backgrounds, ages, controller, or keyboard and mouse, they share at least one thing in common: they have all made six-figure earnings from this one game alone. This number will only continue to go up as we saw with World Series of Warzone Season 2 staying strong. Going into Season 3, let's see who might break the million-dollar earnings milestone first!
» Earn free rewards while playing CoD: Warzone—Download Buff