Honestly, I figured the map pool would change, Valve usually does this every few months. But nobody saw Anubis coming back to Counter-Strike 2! It was a total surprise to most of us.
The news about changes to the maps used in Active Duty came just before the start of the competitive season. This, along with the surprising choices of which maps were added and removed, led to widespread disappointment among players.
Anubis replaces Train in CS2
Beginning with Season Four of the Premier league, the map Anubis will be featured in competitive Counter-Strike, replacing Train. Valve announced this change on social media with limited details about the update.
- Anubis will be added to the Premier and Competitive modes for online matchmaking.
- Train is out from Premier and esports events on Jan. 19.
CS2 esports must adjust
Beyond the map pick itself, the timing of this announcement caused reasonable concerns.
Professional Counter-Strike 2 teams are already in training, with the first tournament of the 2026 season beginning on January 13th. This event serves as a qualifier for the BLAST Bounty Winter 2026 tournament.
IEM Krakow 2026 is happening later this month, kicking off on January 28th. The tournament organizers, BLAST and ESL, will soon announce which maps will be playable. Also, the map Anubis will be added to CS2 between the qualifying rounds and the main event of Bounty Winter 2026.
paiN and FURIA played on Anubis in the Boston Major Playoffs
Honestly, after a while, this map rotation doesn’t matter as much. The pros know Anubis inside and out and can adjust pretty quickly. But expect some wild results in the first few tournaments – it might be a good time to try your luck with some esports betting, though!
The CS2 community asked for Cache
CS2 players have repeatedly asked for the return of classic maps like Cache and Cobblestone. Instead, the game received a map that had been removed only six months prior, which many found disappointing.
- Overpass replaced Anubis after the Boston Major 2025.
- Train was added a bit earlier, after the Shanghai Major 2024. It replaced Vertigo back then but eventually survived only one year in the Active Duty pool.
At the Budapest Major, NAVI secured their win versus FURIA on Train
While Train wasn’t one of the most-played maps at the StarLadder Major in Budapest, it saw more action than Ancient and Overpass.
Updates for Anubis?
It’s currently unknown if Valve will significantly change Anubis, though that would make sense. These changes could simply be cosmetic, or they might impact how the map is played.
Answering a direct question about this, the CS2 account went for a joke.
CS2 Premier Season 4 not only features a change in the maps played, but also resets player ratings, starting a fresh climb for a special commemorative Medal.
Let’s hold off until the official update details are released so we can see all the changes this update brings to the game.
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2026-01-10 17:41