Counter-Strike 2’s map pool sucks right now and everyone knows it. Dust2 is boring, Vertigo is irredeemable, and rounds on Inferno often begin with multiple players dying in Banana without ever seeing an enemy.
With so much discontent, something needs to change, and fast.
Although Valve are often slow with map pool changes, many players are calling for a huge map pool refresh with two maps being rotated - but what do the pros think?
We spoke to a host of pros back at IEM Cologne 2024 to get their views on which map should be the next map, or maps, to be added to the game.
Which map do pros want added next?
I would add two maps. The first would be Tuscan, I don't know why, but there's something about Tuscan. I hope they add it because they've been saying they would for two years.
Then I would also add Cache, I like Cache because it's similar to Mirage, you can bring yourself into the game by killing everyone and I like that.
I would remove Vertigo and Anubis to make room or them.
Train, easily, and there's so many bad maps so I'd pick Cache as well. I'd bring them back for nostalgia, mostly, but I also feel like the map pool is so bad and it makes it not fun to play so bringing in new maps wouldn't be a bad thing at all and would be more fun for us when we have to start from scratch on new maps. It would be pretty cool.
A new map, I don't like Train or Cobblestone, I know it's nostalgic but I don't think it fits in the actual meta of CS. It just won't work, I like the maps where you need to get map control, Train just has the ladder and it's tiny. Something like Anubis that is new and fresh would be great.
Tuscan is an old map, which I don't know too much and I've only played it in matchmaking, but it was cool when I played it, so maybe that.
I would bring back Cache, it was a really simple map and a nice map to play. Even to watch, I remember watching s1mple and those guys on it seven or eight years ago and it was really fun. When I was starting my career and playing that map it was great, there's definitely space for it in the pool.
I would like to see Train instead of Vertigo, strategically it's a very hard map for Ts but when you are good and you understand it, it's really nice to play. Every position on both sides is also really fun to play.
I would add Train for Dust2, Train is one of my best maps and it was really fun in CS:GO. It's always been good for my teams and it's been out of the map pool for a long time. I like Cache and Overpass as well, but I miss Train the most.
I'd probably bring back Cache. I'd like to bring Overpass back because I think the map is fine as it is, but, if we're bringing a fresh map in then I would say Cache because I never got to play properly as a professional. I played it a lot coming up through the scene, but I think playing it professionally would be cool because it's a fun map to play.
Train must return
So there we have it, pros want Train to return more than any other map. It’s understandable, as it is a classic map and has been gone for a long time, but such a resounding victory came as a surprise even to us.
However, given that many pros acknowledged that the current map pool is terrible, it seems that most of them would like two maps to be added to the pool, with Cache being the favourite if a second was to arrive alongside Train.
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