ANUBIS : Just a week after Outsiders lifted the IEM trophy at the Rio major, Valve has thrown a bombshell on CS:GO fans with a number of substantial changes to the game. Fans of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive may look forward to additional map rotations in the active duty pool as well as some weapon tweaks in the next release.
Another giant of Counter-Strike is exiting the active duty pool of maps. We saw Cache and Cobblestone being replaced by Vertigo and Ancient, so we knew Dust II was coming soon. As of right now, Anubis is taking center stage as the new counter-strike map.
Many fans worried about the departure of Dust II, particularly since the map garnered less-than-stellar ratings after its upgrade over a year ago. What makes the change so intriguing is that Valve had earlier today hinted at the possibility of Anubis being added to competitive play. Moreover, Valve said in their article that they made this adjustment with the 2023 Paris Major in mind. However, Dust II will remain in competitive modes but will be removed from the map pool for all CS:GO majors.
Dust II has already been retired from active use. A popular Counter-Strike map, Inferno, was released in late 2017 and quickly became a fan favorite. However, Dust II’s hiatus from professional play was brief; the map made its triumphant comeback in April of 2018, replacing Cobblestone. During its time away from active service, Dust II underwent a cosmetic upgrade. If that trend holds true again, players will have to wait.
Additionally, significant adjustments to firearms are being included in the update set for release on November 18. To begin, it seems like Valve is drawing inspiration from Riot Games’ alterations to the AWP. Like the Operator in VALORANT, the large green can now only store five shots per magazine. Snipers in Counter-Strike will have to think twice before firing their weapons in light of this new rule.
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The M4A1-S is the other weapon receiving modifications; it will be somewhat weakened. However, despite having ten fewer bullets per magazine than its louder sibling, the A4 has long been the preferred weapon. The A1s’ precision was a factor in this, particularly at great ranges. The changes made by Valve reduce the silenced M4’s long-range reliability.
Valve has released a very little update, but it will have far-reaching consequences for CS:GO in 2023.
