diff --git a/osu.Game/Screens/Play/HUD/DefaultAccuracyCounter.cs b/osu.Game/Screens/Play/HUD/DefaultAccuracyCounter.cs
index e4c865803d..d8dff89b29 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Screens/Play/HUD/DefaultAccuracyCounter.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Screens/Play/HUD/DefaultAccuracyCounter.cs
@@ -2,23 +2,13 @@
 // See the LICENCE file in the repository root for full licence text.
 
 using osu.Framework.Allocation;
-using osu.Framework.Graphics;
 using osu.Game.Graphics;
 using osu.Game.Skinning;
-using osuTK;
 
 namespace osu.Game.Screens.Play.HUD
 {
     public class DefaultAccuracyCounter : GameplayAccuracyCounter, ISkinnableComponent
     {
-        private readonly Vector2 offset = new Vector2(-20, 5);
-
-        public DefaultAccuracyCounter()
-        {
-            Origin = Anchor.TopRight;
-            Anchor = Anchor.TopRight;
-        }
-
         [Resolved(canBeNull: true)]
         private HUDOverlay hud { get; set; }
 
@@ -27,17 +17,5 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.Play.HUD
         {
             Colour = colours.BlueLighter;
         }
-
-        protected override void Update()
-        {
-            base.Update();
-
-            if (hud?.ScoreCounter.Drawable is DefaultScoreCounter score)
-            {
-                // for now align with the score counter. eventually this will be user customisable.
-                Anchor = Anchor.TopLeft;
-                Position = Parent.ToLocalSpace(score.ScreenSpaceDrawQuad.TopLeft) + offset;
-            }
-        }
     }
 }
diff --git a/osu.Game/Screens/Play/HUD/DefaultComboCounter.cs b/osu.Game/Screens/Play/HUD/DefaultComboCounter.cs
index 375ff293aa..13bd045fc0 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Screens/Play/HUD/DefaultComboCounter.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Screens/Play/HUD/DefaultComboCounter.cs
@@ -9,14 +9,11 @@ using osu.Game.Graphics.Sprites;
 using osu.Game.Graphics.UserInterface;
 using osu.Game.Rulesets.Scoring;
 using osu.Game.Skinning;
-using osuTK;
 
 namespace osu.Game.Screens.Play.HUD
 {
     public class DefaultComboCounter : RollingCounter<int>, ISkinnableComponent
     {
-        private readonly Vector2 offset = new Vector2(20, 5);
-
         [Resolved(canBeNull: true)]
         private HUDOverlay hud { get; set; }
 
@@ -32,17 +29,6 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.Play.HUD
             Current.BindTo(scoreProcessor.Combo);
         }
 
-        protected override void Update()
-        {
-            base.Update();
-
-            if (hud?.ScoreCounter.Drawable is DefaultScoreCounter score)
-            {
-                // for now align with the score counter. eventually this will be user customisable.
-                Position = Parent.ToLocalSpace(score.ScreenSpaceDrawQuad.TopRight) + offset;
-            }
-        }
-
         protected override string FormatCount(int count)
         {
             return $@"{count}x";
diff --git a/osu.Game/Screens/Play/HUDOverlay.cs b/osu.Game/Screens/Play/HUDOverlay.cs
index 033a280da2..88176e7ea2 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Screens/Play/HUDOverlay.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Screens/Play/HUDOverlay.cs
@@ -35,7 +35,6 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.Play
         public float TopScoringElementsHeight { get; private set; }
 
         public readonly KeyCounterDisplay KeyCounter;
-        public readonly SkinnableScoreCounter ScoreCounter;
         public readonly SongProgress Progress;
         public readonly ModDisplay ModDisplay;
         public readonly HoldForMenuButton HoldToQuit;
@@ -102,17 +101,6 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.Play
                                             RelativeSizeAxes = Axes.Both,
                                         },
                                         new Container
-                                        {
-                                            RelativeSizeAxes = Axes.Both,
-                                            Alpha = 0,
-                                            Children = new Drawable[]
-                                            {
-                                                // remaining cross-dependencies need tidying.
-                                                // kept to ensure non-null, but hidden for testing.
-                                                ScoreCounter = new SkinnableScoreCounter(),
-                                            }
-                                        },
-                                        new Container
                                         {
                                             RelativeSizeAxes = Axes.Both,
                                             Children = new Drawable[]
diff --git a/osu.Game/Skinning/DefaultSkin.cs b/osu.Game/Skinning/DefaultSkin.cs
index bfb5b8ef56..ef3dffe59c 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Skinning/DefaultSkin.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Skinning/DefaultSkin.cs
@@ -2,11 +2,16 @@
 // See the LICENCE file in the repository root for full licence text.
 
 using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.Linq;
 using osu.Framework.Audio.Sample;
 using osu.Framework.Bindables;
+using osu.Framework.Graphics;
 using osu.Framework.Graphics.OpenGL.Textures;
 using osu.Framework.Graphics.Textures;
 using osu.Game.Audio;
+using osu.Game.Extensions;
+using osu.Game.Screens.Play.HUD;
+using osuTK;
 using osuTK.Graphics;
 
 namespace osu.Game.Skinning
@@ -23,6 +28,65 @@ namespace osu.Game.Skinning
 
         public override ISample GetSample(ISampleInfo sampleInfo) => null;
 
+        public override Drawable GetDrawableComponent(ISkinComponent component)
+        {
+            switch (component)
+            {
+                case SkinnableTargetComponent target:
+                    switch (target.Target)
+                    {
+                        case SkinnableTarget.MainHUDComponents:
+                            var skinnableTargetWrapper = new SkinnableTargetWrapper(container =>
+                            {
+                                var score = container.OfType<DefaultScoreCounter>().FirstOrDefault();
+                                var accuracy = container.OfType<DefaultAccuracyCounter>().FirstOrDefault();
+                                var combo = container.OfType<DefaultComboCounter>().FirstOrDefault();
+
+                                if (score != null)
+                                {
+                                    score.Anchor = Anchor.TopCentre;
+                                    score.Origin = Anchor.TopCentre;
+
+                                    // elements default to beneath the health bar
+                                    const float vertical_offset = 30;
+
+                                    const float horizontal_padding = 20;
+
+                                    score.Position = new Vector2(0, vertical_offset);
+
+                                    if (accuracy != null)
+                                    {
+                                        accuracy.Position = new Vector2(-accuracy.ScreenSpaceDeltaToParentSpace(score.ScreenSpaceDrawQuad.Size).X / 2 - horizontal_padding, vertical_offset + 5);
+                                        accuracy.Origin = Anchor.TopRight;
+                                        accuracy.Anchor = Anchor.TopCentre;
+                                    }
+
+                                    if (combo != null)
+                                    {
+                                        combo.Position = new Vector2(accuracy.ScreenSpaceDeltaToParentSpace(score.ScreenSpaceDrawQuad.Size).X / 2 + horizontal_padding, vertical_offset + 5);
+                                        combo.Anchor = Anchor.TopCentre;
+                                    }
+                                }
+                            })
+                            {
+                                Children = new Drawable[]
+                                {
+                                    new DefaultComboCounter(),
+                                    new DefaultScoreCounter(),
+                                    new DefaultAccuracyCounter(),
+                                    new DefaultHealthDisplay(),
+                                }
+                            };
+
+                            return skinnableTargetWrapper;
+                    }
+
+                    return null;
+            }
+
+            return base.GetDrawableComponent(component);
+        }
+
         public override IBindable<TValue> GetConfig<TLookup, TValue>(TLookup lookup)
         {
             switch (lookup)