Counter-Strike 2‘s first major update since the PGL Copenhagen Major wrapped a month ago has arrived chock-full of huge changes to the game, including the first Active Duty map pool adjustment since CS2 landed and the return of the Overwatch system.
Iconic map Dust 2 will make its return to the Active Duty pool for the first time since the new version of the map was floated during the game’s elongated beta, with Overpass the unfortunate victim. Ongoing tournaments ESL Pro League Season 19 and ESL Challenger Melbourne will remain on the previous map pool and patch but expect to see plenty more Dust 2 in Premier and in professional play.
Overwatch, the player-controlled policing system used throughout CS:GO, has returned, allowing players a chance to judge their peers in cases regarding cheating and griefing. While it’s no substitute for an anti-cheat like VAC (which has received a few upgrades) it’s a welcome addition as Valve struggles to deal with a cheating epidemic infecting CS2.
Players who have been begging for features like left-hand viewmodels will be pleased with the update, with a console command and default toggleable key added to switch between the two. We’ve also seen a couple of weapon balance changes, with the CZ kill reward boosted back to its classic $300 level and a slight nerf to the XM auto-shotgun’s reward.
Below you’ll find all changes as part of the April 25 “On The Other Hand” update for CS2.
Full patch notes for CS2’s April 25 update: All changes and updates
Viewmodel
- Viewmodel bob movement has been adjusted.
- The “Preferred Viewmodel Left/Right Handedness” setting has been added.
- The “Switch Viewmodel Left/Right Hand” key binding to switch hands temporarily during gameplay has been added, which by default is bound to H.
- Viewmodel position setting and left or right-hand state are now networked and visible to first-person spectators.
- The “Couch” viewmodel position setting has been removed.
HUD
- A “Radar Map Alternate Zoom” setting and “Toggle Radar Zoom” key binding have been added, allowing players to toggle between zoom levels during gameplay.
- A radar icon for the local player when free cam spectating has been added.
- A grenade line-up reticle that appears shortly after pulling the pin has been added. The timing can be configured for each grenade type independently.
- Weapon Swap text (when pointing at a dropped weapon) has been changed to always show the gameplay name of the weapon instead of any customized name it might have.
- A kill feed icon for “in-air” kills has been added.
- The scoreboard has been added to the menu when hitting Escape.
- An icon has been added to indicate bots on the scoreboard.
Buy menu
- A “Dropped Weapons” panel has been added that shows weapons that have been dropped by teammates who are standing in the buy zone.
- Minimum money display: The minimum amount of money that a player is guaranteed to have in the next round has been added to the buy menu title bar.
Gameplay
- Zeus movement speed has been increased and its attack cone has been adjusted.
- Zeus kill reward has been increased from $0 to $100 ($50 in Casual).
- CZ75-Auto kill reward has been increased from $100 to $300 ($150 in Casual).
- XM1014 kill reward has been reduced from $900 to $600 ($300 in Casual).
Inventory
- Lighting adjustments in Inspect background maps have been enhanced.
- Wear Category has been added to the info tooltip in the Inspect screen.
- The gameplay name has been added in panels that used to only show a customized name e.g., Inspect screen, inventory tile.
Maps
- Overpass has been replaced with Dust 2 in the Active Duty Group, current competition map pool, and Premier matchmaking.
Baggage
- Opened roll-up doors at spawns.
- Updated models for some conveyors.
- Solidified stairs.
- Various bug fixes.
Inferno
- Overhanging building at top mid has been removed.
- Overhangs at the bottom of Banana have been removed.
- Map tweaks to improve player collision and readability have been made.
Overpass, Nuke, Vertigo, Mirage, and Office
- Extra bug and exploit fixes.
- Collision and line of sight adjustments have been applied.
- Other minor performance improvements have been applied.
Weapon finishes
- AK-47 | Inheritance: Texture and mask adjustments.
- USP-S | Jawbreaker: Corrected ambient occlusion texture.
Misc
- Decoupled demo playback camera movement from playback speed, which allows moving the camera even if playback is paused.
- The ability to launch practice matches and workshop maps with party members has been added.
- The Overwatch system has returned, enabling match demo reviews by trusted partners.
- The PGL Copenhagen 2024 Major sticker capsules are now 75 percent off.
- The ability to adjust brightness in windowed modes has been added.
