Valve has confirmed adjustments to Counter-Strike 2’s Premier mode forward of Season 4, with Anubis returning to the Energetic Responsibility map pool following a six-month absence.
In a submit shared on X (previously Twitter), Counter-Strike’s official account introduced that Premier Season Three will conclude on January nineteenth. To earn the Season Three Premier medal, gamers should safe 25 wins in the course of the season and have a visual Counter-Strike Ranking (CSR) when it ends.
Alongside the tip date, Valve additionally outlined the adjustments coming in Season 4. Prepare has been faraway from the pool, whereas Anubis has been added again in.
The total Premier Season 4 map pool shall be:
- Historical
- Anubis
- Mud II
- Inferno
- Mirage
- Nuke
- Overpass
Anubis’ return comes as a shock to among the Counter-Strike group. In latest months, hypothesis had centred on Cache being launched as an alternative, significantly after Valve acquired the remade model of the map from its designer final yr. Anubis was faraway from the Energetic Responsibility map pool in mid-July in the beginning of the second 2025 aggressive season, making approach for Overpass. Its absence lasted roughly six months earlier than Valve opted to reintroduce it for the upcoming Premier season.
Initially created by group map designers Roald, jakuza and jd40, Anubis (de_anubis) was first added to Counter-Strike: International Offensive in March 2020 alongside Chlorine. It initially featured solely in Scrimmage mode earlier than steadily working its approach into the Energetic Responsibility group, at one level even changing Mud II.
Implications for Counter-Strike Esports
Whereas the announcement targeted on Premier mode, adjustments to the Energetic Responsibility pool usually have direct penalties for skilled Counter-Strike. Match organisers sometimes align their map swimming pools with Valve’s aggressive settings, which means Anubis’ return is more likely to be mirrored throughout top-tier occasions.
Esports groups responded to the information on X, together with NAVI asking Valve if it’s ‘deadass’ in regards to the adjustments and M80 questioning the place Cache is.
The timing is notable, with the brand new season set to overlap with main tournaments early within the calendar. BLAST Bounty begins on January thirteenth, adopted shortly by IEM Kraków, which begins on January twenty eighth. Groups might now have to revisit Anubis in apply, probably reshaping map veto methods and preparation forward of those occasions.
As Counter-Strike 2 continues to evolve, map pool adjustments stay one of the crucial impactful variables for each skilled groups and the broader esports ecosystem, influencing every thing from aggressive steadiness to viewer expertise.
