CS2 has been officially launched and, while many of our favorite maps remain largely unchanged, some have undergone significant alterations. These modifications range from minor adjustments such as lighting changes to major transformations like the complete overhaul of Inferno. This guide aims to highlight the key distinctions between the maps in CSGO and CS2.

Maps That Changed the Most

Inferno

Basically, every part of Inferno has been changed.

CT Spawn’s layout is essentially the same but has some minor visual additions such as more light and brighter colors. The well has been removed in favor of a truck and tree, allowing for some new, safer nade lineup spots for B retakes.

The sites have each been edited as well

Spots like Big Pit and Graveyard on A Site have been weakened through the removal of some cover. Balcony has had its door removed, so no more bouncing flashes off of it from Big Pit to blind players in Short.

B Site itself hasn't visually changed much. You can no longer climb on top of the fountain, and the church rooftop has been closed off, eliminating the ability to do things like molly Default while inside. Additionally, the skybox over the site is gone now, so bouncing nades off it is no longer an option. In its place, some scaffolding has been strategically positioned to allow for similar nades from top Banana/Car.

Banana is very similar to how it was in GO, but the walls on either side are much higher, and the open ceiling has been closed off somewhat by the new structures. The implications are that some nades will be harder to throw, or will need new lineups.

The tops of Mid and Second Mid have seen the addition of taller buildings, as well as the removal of skyboxes. These changes block or make impossible much of the standard utility thrown from these areas in CSGO. New lineups for Brackets and A Site nades will be necessary.

Overpass

The addition of more varied textures around the map, and consequently more texture-specific sounds for footsteps, allows for players to better identify where the enemy is. For example, A Long now has a section with wood flooring.

Playground is considerably different, physically and visually. The position and angle of the slide have been changed, the sandboxes have been removed, and the swings are gone in favor of two spring rider toys. Nade lineups that previously used these will need to be adjusted.

There are many new light sources in Connector/Lower Tunnels, but unlike in CSGO, you will not be able to see the lights through smoke. This eliminates the method of spotting out enemy players by waiting for them to walk in front of a light source, which was commonly abused in this area.

Nuke

The sites are largely the same in terms of layout but are now much more colorful and brighter. Quite a few lighting changes have been made. The angles available to throw utility through the T Roof windows onto A Site have changed, and as such, a few of the standard nades for A executes will need to be adjusted.

The skyline outside has changed, so any utility which was lined up using the old skyline will need to be adjusted to the new one.

Spots like Vending and Decon now have new lighting which can cast long shadows. Be careful playing these spots, as the shadow can give you away long before your player model ever shows.

Maps That Changed the Least

Now that we’ve gone through the scary, bigger changes (we CS players are not known for our easy acceptance of new things!), we can briefly go over the maps which have not changed much. For the most part, these maps only had lighting and coloring changes.

Anubis

Anubis has the standard lighting and coloring improvements. Spots like B Connector are no longer so dark.

A Site is mostly unchanged, besides Plat/Fountain having been updated to have a shallow pool where there used to be just stone. This can impact your ability to play there silently, as the splash sound moving in the water creates can be hard to avoid.

Boat unfortunately no longer has a boat there, though if 10 years of Counter-Strike has taught me anything, it's that we will not stop using a callout even if they remove the thing we named the spot after. You will need to find new lineups for utility that used the boat for lineups.

Ancient

Ancient is largely untouched. Removal of the skybox has opened up options for utility which weren’t possible in GO.

Be careful with this new lamp in A Main, as it casts a shadow out before your player model shows if you peek from the side close to it.

Mirage

Mirage, every Pugstar’s home map. Besides some new window smokes, not much has changed on this map besides lighting and coloring.

Also, you can now shoot through the gaps in the vent in Window Room without breaking the metal.

Dust 2

Dust 2 is Dust 2, and it never really changes. Isn’t that kind of what we love and hate about it? Either way, that still rings true for this iteration of the map.

Some significant lighting changes have been made to places like CT Spawn and B Tunnels, and skyboxes have been removed creating increased options for utility.

Vertigo

Vertigo has some nice new lighting throughout the map. The spawns and sites are better lit. But, besides that, not much has changed.

From the complete overhaul of Inferno to the vibrant visual updates in Overpass and Nuke, Valve has succeeded in revitalizing the franchise while preserving the core elements that have made Counter-Strike a staple in the gaming community. Despite these alterations, the spirit of competition and the thrill of intense gameplay remain at the forefront, ensuring that players, both new and seasoned, can continue to immerse themselves in the adrenaline-pumping world of Counter Strike.