At present, there are seven maps in the official map pool of Counter-Strike 2. Have you ever felt some maps are overly familiar to the point of weariness, or that there are simply dreadful maps you’d rather not play at all?

Let's discuss potential replacements for the current official map pool and why Valve should swiftly revise its perspective on Premier Mode maps.

Current Premier Mode Map Pool

Firstly, it's important to note that the maps in Premier Mode are identical to the official map pool used by professional players in all tournaments.

The current seven maps in Premier Mode are:

• Nuke
• Overpass
• Mirage
• Inferno
• Vertigo
• Ancient
• Anubis

The Golden Quartet

From this list, there are a few maps that shouldn’t be touched as they fit well into the current meta. Starting with Nuke.

Despite some players considering Nuke unbalanced and unsuitable for Premier play, we believe otherwise. Counter-Strike, at its core, is a team-based shooter that demands coordinated teamwork. With effective communication and basic knowledge of grenades on this map, one can work wonders.

The defence side wins 51% of rounds on Nuke – not so dominant as to be considered unbalanced. And even though it was added to the map pool on the first day of CS:GO’s release, it remains a favourite for many.

Next is Overpass, introduced to our beloved game in 2014, which has also stayed dear to many players for its simplicity and scale. This is unlike Vertigo, where your footsteps can be heard from every corner of the map.

Anubis is third on our list. Despite what some might say, Anubis quickly became a community favourite. It’s a well-balanced map that brings more excitement and interest to the competitive game.

Its simplicity and the CS community's beloved sandy colour scheme have contributed to its popularity. The map was added in 2020.

Despite players battling on Inferno since 2000, it never goes out of style in Counter-Strike. The map has received several significant visual upgrades, yet its geometry remains unchanged, helping it remain a favourite of millions.

What Should Valve Remove from the Map Pool?

Next, let’s discuss the maps that could theoretically replace the outdated and overplayed maps like Mirage, Vertigo, and Ancient.

Let's be honest, Mirage has become tedious simply by its presence. Many players only know how to play this map, but it could be kept in the competitive mode, not in Premier Mode.

No matter how much the developers try to fix Vertigo, it remains a straightforward map. Its two-level structure makes it unplayable in Counter-Strike 2, as you always need to walk with 'Shift' to avoid being heard from any point on the map.

And then there's Ancient – just Ancient. Players initially received it poorly, but now they play it simply because it’s there.

Which Maps Do Players Want to See in the Map Pool?

Now, let’s take a nostalgic look back at better times. Millions of players are still waiting for Valve to bring back Train to Premier Mode. It was perfect in every way, wasn't it?

Train, introduced in CS:GO in 2013, has undergone multiple visual updates. The world first saw this masterpiece in Counter-Strike Beta 5.0. And our forebears in Counter-Strike 1.6 used to dominate public servers on it.

On May 4, 2021, it was removed for rework, and to this day, Valve has not announced the return of this legendary map. Train was quite challenging to master, but it was this map that could develop a player’s incredible understanding of their opponent's actions due to the numerous hiding spots and various objects.

Cache. Just one word brings back so many fond memories. All those shots across the entire map, various boosts, the legendary s1mple highlight. And all this left CS:GO in 2019. Cache was added to CS:GO with the release of Operation Breakthrough. In 2019, it was removed from the active map pool and replaced by Vertigo. A later updated version of Cache was reintroduced to the game, but it has yet to be added to the official competitive map pool. However, the creator of Cache has announced a complete remake of the map, so we might soon see it in Premier Mode.

Despite Valve's last update tarnishing the greatness of Cobblestone by redesigning Bombsite A and several other locations on the map, many players still fondly remember it. Cobblestone has survived all versions of CS: 1.6, Source, Condition Zero, and GO, where it was initially not included. It appeared in the game in December 2013, alongside Overpass in the Winter Offensive update.

Yet, fans of the series are still awaiting the old version of the map in Counter-Strike 2.

Conclusion

Valve should listen to their fans and for once do something the loyal players are asking for. We don't need a new case or a new knife, just bring back Train, Cache, and Cobblestone. And of course, a new anti-cheat system.

Clearly, expecting changes before the end of the major is pointless, but after that, all we can do is keep our fingers crossed. The Premier Mode map pool in Counter-Strike has experienced various events in its history, but at the moment, it is arguably the worst it could be.