Counter-Strike 2 Adds Train to Map Pool Ahead of Next Major

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In three consecutive major tournaments of Counter-Strike 2, a fresh active duty map pool will be showcased. Today, Valve revealed that the updated version of Train will take Vertigo’s place, debuting at the BLAST.tv Austin Major set for April 2025.

In the upcoming CS2 Major, there’s a strong anticipation that the tournament’s map rotation will include Train instead of Vertigo for both the in-game Premier pool and other official competitions.

End of The Line for Vertigo

In November 2024, Train made its first appearance in CS2, marking its official return to Counter-Strike. This revamped map underwent a comprehensive visual update, featuring a stunning rain effect outdoors, among other changes. Significant gameplay alterations have been implemented as well – the bombsites are now more open and less cluttered with train cars, the Heaven area overlooking the A site is no longer present, and the “Popdog” ladder has been transformed into a long spiral staircase. The CS2 community has been anticipating the arrival of Train in CS2 for quite some time.

It was only a matter of time before Train joined the Active Duty map pool, and Valve has now officially confirmed that Vertigo will be the map it replaces. At the professional level, apart from a few top North American teams, Vertigo has seen little playtime. According to HLTV statistics, it’s the least played map at major events in 2024, with Overpass being removed from the pool earlier in the year being the only other map less frequently played.

It’s still uncertain when Train will be rolled out in the game and tournament map lineups. The 2025 CS2 season kicks off next week with BLAST Spring Bounty 2025. As a result of updates to the CS2 environment, major events have an impact on the worldwide rankings that decide who receives invitations to Majors or their preliminary rounds.

Is replacing Vertigo with Train the right move? Join the discussion in the official TopMob forums.

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2025-01-06 23:17