Counter Strike 2 (CS2 for short) is one of the biggest updates ever added to Counter Strike: Global Offensive, completely porting the game to the new and improved Source 2 game engine. There’s a wide array of changes that players can expect from CS2, such as improved lighting, a physically based rendering system, new content, and many, many more.

There are tons of questions that are still unanswered, such as what will happen to CS:GO skins in CS2, or which guns will be the best in the Source 2 engine physics. One of the most important one of them still remains, though – what will happen to CS:GO maps in Counter Strike 2? Here’s what we know so far about CS2 maps!

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What Are The CS2 Maps?

We currently know about all the maps in Counter Strike 2 that will officially arrive in the game as the Active Duty pool, meaning that this is where the first CS2 players will be facing off in competitive matches. Here are the confirmed maps that will appear in the competitive map pool:

  • Ancient
  • Dust II
  • Inferno
  • Nuke
  • Mirage
  • Overpass
  • Train

Veteran CS:GO players will definitely be happy to see classic maps, such as de Dust 2 or Mirage appear in the upgraded version. The initial active duty pool will feature seven maps, including some of the CS’s oldest maps, available for competitive play. This will let players settle in nicely with the new version of the game in a completely rebuilt engine.

Besides the active duty pool, the game will also feature a number of maps, which can be used to play in a casual mode. These maps include:

  • Baggage
  • Shoots
  • Office
  • Canals
  • Lake
  • Short Dust
  • Italy

As you can see, this list also features a number of iconic maps, and we can most likely expect them to appear in modes such as arms race, or various custom games that players can start themselves.

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What Changes Can We Expect To The Maps In Counter Strike 2?

Good news is that CS2 shouldn’t introduce too many gameplay changes, the game will remain the same classic Counter Strike, with one team going out of their way to blow stuff up, and the other trying their best to stop them. However, players should still expect some changes to their favorite maps in Counter Strike 2.

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Valve promised to upgrade maps in Counter Strike 2, not only visually, but also with some enhanced gameplay changes. Many of the competitive maps in Counter Strike: Global Offensive had some balance issues, and even the most iconic map, Dust II, was in many ways unbalanced, favoring only one of the teams. In some cases, it was due to the distance that they had to cross from their spawn to the bombsite, in other maps it was due to one of the sides having better sniping spots.

In order to curb this advantage, many of the competitive maps in Counter Strike 2 will be re-worked. This means that you might have to learn some new strategies, since the overhaul maps will most likely contain a number of new features that will affect the gameplay. Still, the goal of CS2 is to give new life to the game, while at the same time sticking with the traditional feel of the game, which is why you shouldn’t expect any major changes that will completely change how you play on that map, and instead some tweaks to the overall balance.

It’s also important to note, that we don’t know how many maps will be introduced in Counter Strike 2. The game developers will definitely bring back more maps from the reserve map pool, but a new map or two is something that players should expect. We don’t really know too many details about any new maps in Counter Strike 2, but the game developers will definitely introduce them, once the players get comfortable with the new version of the game.

In Conclusion

Besides better rendering features, lighting improvements and overall graphic improvements, players shouldn’t expect a complete overhaul of the maps in CS2. Still, the free upgrade will definitely bring more than new textures, so stay tuned for any new changes that might be added to the game! Also, if you’re looking for free CS2 skins, check out Skinsmonkey, where you can participate in daily giveaways!