VALORANT’s Black Market bundle paired familiar-looking weapon designs with a side-specific twist: its skins had separate appearances for Attackers and Defenders. Riot announced the bundle for the in-game store on April 12, 2023; that date is historical, not evidence that the bundle is currently available.
What was the Black Market bundle?
Black Market was a VALORANT cosmetics bundle announced by the official VALORANT account on April 10, 2023, with a planned store release on April 12. As Insider Gaming reported on April 11, 2023, the bundle contained five weapon skins: Bulldog, Vandal, Marshal, Classic, and a knife skin.
“CSGO-style” referred to the skins’ visual resemblance to Counter-Strike weapons. The bundle did not add those Counter-Strike weapons to VALORANT; the playable weapons remained VALORANT’s own.
Which Counter-Strike weapons did the skins resemble?
| Black Market skin | Counter-Strike comparison reported by Insider Gaming |
|---|---|
| Bulldog | FAMAS |
| Vandal | AK-47 |
| Marshal | Scout |
| Classic | Glock 18 |
| Knife | Butterfly knife |
These are visual comparisons, not alternate names for the VALORANT items or claims that the games share the same weapon mechanics.
#1 Best Overall
- Next-gen 12,000 DPI HERO optical sensor delivers unrivaled gaming performance, accuracy and power efficiency
- Advanced LIGHTSPEED wireless gaming mouse for super-fast 1 ms response time and faster than wired performance
- Ultra-long battery life gives you up to 250 hours of continuous gaming on a single AA battery
- Lightweight mechanical design and classic shape for maximum maneuverability, durability and comfort
- Compact, portable design with convenient built-in storage for included USB wireless receiver
What did “Switch sides // Switch skins” mean?
The bundle’s signature feature was a different appearance depending on whether the player was an Attacker or Defender. The official VALORANT announcement, reproduced in Insider Gaming’s report, said: “Switch sides // Switch skins. The Black Market Bulldog, Vandal, Marshal, Classic and Butterfly Knife Melee have unique Defender and Attacker appearances. Bundle hits your shop April 12th.” The change was cosmetic; the announcement did not describe a change to weapon function.
Why did Riot not make every skin available on both sides?
Insider Gaming quoted Riot Games Associate Art Director Sean Marino discussing memory and loading concerns around players bringing many alternate skins into a match. Marino said a full load test for the scenario had not been done, but that more memory could mean a higher hardware memory requirement and could interfere with getting players into a match quickly.
Rank #2
- HIGH-PRECISION 6,400 DPI OPTICAL SENSOR — Offers on-the-fly sensitivity adjustment through dedicated DPI buttons (reprogrammable) for gaming and creative work
- DURABLE MECHANICAL SWITCHES — Supports up to 10 million clicks
- RIDGED, RUBBERIZED SCROLL WHEEL FOR MAXIMUM ACCURACY — Small, tactile bumps increases grip and allows for more controlled scrolling in high-stakes gaming situations
- 5 PROGRAMMABLE BUTTONS — Allows for button remapping and assignment of complex macro functions through Razer Synapse
- PC GAMING PERIPHERALS BRAND IN THE U.S. — Source — Circana, Retail Tracking Service, U.S., Dollar Sales, Gaming Designed Mice, Keyboards, and PC Headsets, Jan. 2019- Dec. 2023 combined
The article illustrated the concern with two figures: 180 skins in a scenario where ten players each brought eighteen, and a hypothetical 360 skins if every player could load distinct skins for both attacking and defending sides. Those numbers were reported examples, not published test results or independently verified performance benchmarks.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Price and availability
At publication on April 11, 2023, Insider Gaming said the bundle’s price was unknown. The announced store date was April 12, 2023. The report does not establish a current price, regional offer, or present-day store availability, so it should not be read as confirmation that Black Market can be purchased now.
Outdated Drivers Are Slowing You Down
One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchWindows Errors? Fix Them Before They Spread
Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallQuick Recap
Best Value
- HERO Gaming Sensor: Next generation HERO mouse sensor delivers precision tracking up to 25600 DPI with zero smoothing, filtering or acceleration
- 11 programmable buttons and dual mode hyper-fast scroll wheel: The Logitech wired gaming mouse gives you fully customizable control over your gameplay
- Adjustable weights: Match your playing style. Arrange up to five 3.6 g weights for a personalized weight and balance configuration
- LIGHTSYNC technology: Logitech G LIGHTSYNC technology provides fully customizable RGB lighting that can also synchronize with your gaming (requires Logitech Gaming Software)
- Mechanical Switch Button Tensioning: A metal spring tensioning system and metal pivot hinges are built into left and right computer gaming mouse buttons for a crisp, clean click feel with rapid click feedback
Rank #4
- 64G ULTRA-LIGHTWEIGHT DESIGN — Enjoy a level of speed and control favored by the world’s top players with one of the lightest ergonomic esports mice ever created
- FOCUS PRO 30K OPTICAL SENSOR — Flawless tracking performance on a wider variety of surfaces including glass—supported by intelligent functions for enhanced aim and control
- OPTICAL MOUSE SWITCHES GEN-3 — From an improved 90-million click lifecycle with zero double-clicking issues, to a blistering 0.2ms actuation with no debounce delay, the mouse has the reliability and speed built for esports
- RAZER HYPERSPEED WIRELESS — With a connection faster than any other wireless tech available, enjoy high-performance, low-latency competitive play that remains smooth and stable even in noisy wireless environments
- UP TO 90 HOURS OF BATTERY LIFE — Smaller, lighter battery that boasts greater power efficiency and can run for up to 90 hours of continuous play — rechargeable via USB Type C
Rank #3
- Pentakill, 5 DPI Levels - Geared with 5 redefinable DPI levels (default as: 500/1000/2000/3000/4000), easy to switch between different game needs. Dedicated demand of DPI options between 500-8000 is also available to be processed by software.
- Any Button is Reassignable - 11 programmable buttons are all editable with customizable tactical keybinds in whatever game or work you are engaging. 1 rapid fire + 2 side macro buttons offer you a better gaming and working experience.
- Comfort Grip with Details - The skin-friendly frosted coating is the main comfort grip of the mouse surface, which offers you the most enjoyable fingerprint-free tactility. The left side equipped with rubber texture strengthened the friction and made the mouse easier to control.
- 5 Decent Backlit Modes - Turn the backlit on and make some kills in your gaming battlefield. The hyped dynamic RGB backlit vibe will never let you down when decorating your gaming space, it would be better with other Redragon accessories with lights on.
- Fatigue Killer with Ergonomic Design - Solid frame with a streamlined and general claw-grip design offers a satisfying and comfortable gaming experience with less fatigue even though after hours of use.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
