Valve has slammed a ton of new improvements and changes in one of the biggest updates since Counter-Strike 2 launched. The legendary Dust 2 map returns to the Active Duty competitive map pool to replace the recently reworked Overpass. But that’s only the beginning-this patch restores left-handed view models, makes major tweaks to Inferno, and delivers all the quality-of-life enhancements players have been demanding.
Dust 2 Replaces Overpass in Active Duty
The map rotation shake-up is definitely the most talked about part of the update. The decision to remove Overpass from Active Duty just months after it got a full visual remake for CS2‘s launch is pretty surprising. While it was a highly played map, Valve must have felt it needed a break from the professional circuit. It’s being replaced by Dust 2—the most iconic and famous Counter-Strike map ever.
Dust 2 was last in the Active Duty pool back in 2022 for CS:GO, so it’s a nostalgic return for old players. The map has been visually updated for CS2’s new engine, but the layout remains largely unchanged from its CS:GO form that fans know and love. Expect to see it in play at competitions starting in May.
Inferno Gets Overhaul to Open Up Map
But Dust 2 isn’t the only map getting updated. In an attempt to address complaints about Inferno feeling too cramped and cluttered, Valve has made some significant changes to open up the map. The biggest alterations are the removal of overhanging buildings at the tops of Middle and Banana. This should allow for more creative utility usage and make those areas feel less claustrophobic. Banana also appears to have been slightly widened. Whether those tweaks are sufficient to bring Inferno back to life’s popularity remains to be determined, though they are undoubtedly a beginning in the right direction for the iconic map.
Left-Handed Viewmodels Finally Return
In one of the most requested features since CS2’s launch, left-handed viewmodel support is finally here. Using the default keybind of “H”, players can now toggle between left and right-handed viewmodels on the fly. However, it’s not an instant switch like in CS:GO – switching hands will force a weapon re-equip animation that briefly prevents shooting. Valve has also networked viewmodel settings so they are visible to spectators. Other viewmodel changes include adjustments to bobbing movement and the removal of the outdated “Couch” viewmodel position option.
Huge Quality of Life Improvements 
But this update brings so much more than just map rotations and viewmodel settings. Valve has loaded it up with a ton of highly requested quality-of-life improvements that make CS2 an all-around better experience:
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- New radar zoom options and the ability to toggle zoom levels
- A reintroduced grenade lineup reticle that can be timed per grenade type
- Showing teammates’ dropped weapons in the buy menu to easily retrieve them
- Minimum projected money for next round shown in buy menu
- Kill feed icons for air kills
- Scoreboard now accessible from ESC menu
- Icon to indicate bots on the scoreboard
- Lighting/inspect tweaks for weapon skins
- Showing actual weapon names instead of custom names
- Adjustments to allow free camera movement even when demo is paused
Gameplay Balance Tweaks
On top of all those UX improvements, Valve also made some balance adjustments to a few weapons’ kill rewards:
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- Zeus kill reward increased from $0 to $100 ($50 in Casual)
- CZ75-Auto kill reward increased from $100 to $300 ($150 in Casual)
- XM1014 kill reward decreased from $900 to $600 ($300 in Casual)
The Zeus becoming more rewarding to use and the CZ75 buff could potentially help shake up the meta a bit. The XM1014 nerf seems appropriate for the power of an auto shotgun.
Overwatch System Returns
Finally, Valve has reintroduced the Overwatch system that was present in CS:GO. This allows “trusted partners” in the community to review demos of suspected cheaters and help identify and ban them. While details are still unclear on exactly who qualifies as a “trusted partner”, it’s good to see Valve once again empower the community to help combat cheating.
Overall, this is one of the biggest updates CS2 has received since launching last year. Between the massive changes in Counter Strike 2, such as the return of Dust 2 and left-hand viewmodels, significant map updates for Inferno, and various polish and quality-of-life improvements, CS2 is shaping up to be better than ever. The updates show Valve is really listening to feedback from pros and the community alike. If you haven’t hopped back into CS2 for a while, now is the perfect time to dive back in and experience everything new.
