Let’s face it, there have been a lot of summer-themed skins this month, and they have certainly attracted a crowd of [REDACTED] players who love this kind of thing. "Gooner" skins are shaping up to be a prime profitable venture for gaming for the past few months, they have been the subject of countless headlines as players gush over their favorite characters’ attractive outfits. Surprisingly, this strategy has already started gaining momentum from studios, and it has slowly evolved into a business model that generates a sizable profit for their respective titles.
Summer-themed outfits aren’t rare. Every game seems to have its own selection of skimpy clothing with exposed skin, even back in the '90s and early 2000s. However, with the technological leaps when it comes to visuals and graphics, video game characters now look almost realistic with barely any room for uncanny valley-ness.
Nowadays, “Gooner skins” have been rampant, especially with live-service games. Developers and designers have realized there is a growing market for these kinds of costumes. And what better way to capitalize on it than to strike while the iron is hot?
This is certainly the case with Blizzard’s Overwatch 2. The game remains one of the most polished hero-shooter FPS titles on the market and boasts a collection of iconic skins for characters for D.Va, Reinhardt, Kiriko, and Mercy. Yet Blizzard is not shy about giving players what they want: characters in bikini tops, swim trunks, or boxers. From Kiriko’s Lifeguard skin to Cassidy’s casual summer attire, these cosmetics have attracted a new type of gamers, turning many into what the internet hilariously calls “gooners” in the process.
But Overwatch 2 isn’t alone in knowing its market. NetEase’s Marvel Rivals has also joined in with its latest wave of paid summer-themed skins. Just last month, players were buzzing about Luna Snow’s beach outfit. NetEase has also doubled down with a beach-themed Psylocke, Loki in swim briefs, and even The Thing in a thong.
Fighting games have also capitalized on this trend. Bandai Namco’s Tekken 8 had fans drooling over Jin Kazama in swim trunks and Lidia in a skin-tight bikini. Street Fighter 6 followed suit, offering summer skins for Cammy, Chun-Li, Jamie, Luke, and others, adding eye candy to an already engaging fighting game experience. If we think about it, Street Fighter 6’s latest selection of outfits might’ve potentially funded the next entry of the series.
What happened here? It’s clearly a case of growing demand for skins designed to spark just the right reactions in players’ brains. Across genres and studios, developers seem to have struck gold with their skimpy, risque cosmetics, because many players enjoy having a little visual indulgence in their games. And what better way to keep that momentum going than by releasing some of the hottest skins ever seen in video games?
While calling gooner skins the future of gaming might be a stretch, there is both humor and truth in the idea. Games that take full advantage of a willing, eager player base through skimpy cosmetic outfits may have found a sustainable business strategy, one that thrives on a hilarious yet mutually beneficial relationship between creators and consumers.
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