Spring Forward dropped March 31, 2025, and the Citric Acid finish landed in the Thermal Radiation set as an uncommon hydrographic for the Tec-9. Valve kept the pitch simple: sour yellow-green ground, dark splatter on top, and a line that reads like a cheeky postcard—sour regards. In a round where your pistol shows up constantly, that high-contrast read beats a lot of muted grays.

What you are actually buying

This is not a faux-metal showcase skin. The whole sell is street splatter energy: acid-toned lime/yellow base, chunky dark hits that break up the silhouette. Hydrographic means those splashes stretch and snap across the Tec-9’s curves—corners and mag well can look totally different from one copy to the next. Official wear band is 0.0–0.6, so Factory New through upper Field-Tested (and into lower wear within that cap) are all in play.

Inspect before you commit

• Splatter layout: Check both sides and the top rail—dense clusters vs. clean gaps change the vibe fast.
• Float vs. look: Lower wear often keeps splatter edges sharper; higher wear softens contrast but the yellow-green + dark splat recipe stays.
• Collection tag: Confirm Thermal Radiation on listings so you are not paying for the wrong item.
• Set building: Uncommon tier fits Thermal Radiation block fills or a rotation pistol—rarely a flex piece, often a fun one.

Shopping verdict

Buy if you want a cheap, loud-readable Tec-9 for casual queues or completing Thermal Radiation without chasing restricted/mil-spec prices. Skip or pass if you need a float-only flex or a skin where every copy looks identical—hydro pattern variance is the point here.

Where to shop: Compare asks on C5GAME and the Steam Community Market, then inspect in-game (or a trusted viewer) before paying up for “clean” screenshots.

Editor’s notes

Uncommon + capped wear at 0.6 usually keeps entry prices sane, but the interesting listings are the ones where a dark splat frames the grip or wraps the barrel just right—those are worth a few extra minutes in inspect, not automatically a few extra dollars. If you are stacking the set, grab the Citric Acid when it matches your wear theme (crisp low float vs. slightly beat-up street look); both live inside the same 0.6 rule.

<i>Sour regards.</i>