A shakeup to the current active duty map pool is just what Counter-Strike 2 players are waiting for, and one of the game’s most accomplished map makers is looking to oblige with a revamped classic.
Shawn “FMPONE” Snelling, a well-known CS community map maker who was one of the primary level designers of the Cache remake in CS:GO, finally gave viewers a first look at the CS2 version of Cache in a Feb. 16 post to X (formerly Twitter). FMPONE showed off the map’s mid area, and in addition to a striking visual overhaul, it also features a significant design change with the removal of the CT-side mid window. FMPONE confirmed back in June that he was working on a “head-to-toe remake” of Cache.
FMPONE appears to have replaced the CT-side mid window with a smaller, higher-up hole that could be used for grenade throws. Several members of the CS2 pro scene have already seen enough and want the new Cache to be added to the map pool immediately; FaZe Clan’s broky and ropz, the FACEIT platform, and several others have even picked out Vertigo as the map to be binned off.
There are several different replies to FMPONE’s teaser hoping for Cache to replace a specific map in the active map pool, but the largest number of replies appear to be targeting Vertigo. The multi-story map was added to the active map pool back in 2019, but it drew criticism from the community when it came over to CS2 virtually unchanged. Mirage has also received a lot of attention, as it’s been in the map pool for even longer without much of a change.
Back when the swap to CS2 was made, Vertigo was already the least-played map several years in a row. Over the last few months of 2023, it maintained a moderate pick rate among both pro matches and on the FACEIT platform but remains unpopular due to its verticality and layout.
We definitely won’t be getting any changes to the Active Duty pool until after the PGL Copenhagen Major in March, but with Cache looking more ready for CS2 by the day, we’d surely be seeing changes to the pool soon.
