Valve Adds Reinstated Trains, Overpass Rework, Radar & New Animations

Over the past few days, Counter-Strike 2 developers have been teasing the community with hints about Train’s upcoming release. Today, Valve released a major update, finally revealing this classic map. The CS.MONEY Blog will guide you through the new Trains and other important changes in the Nov 14, 2024 Update.

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Train Map Returns to CS2

The highlight of this patch is the new Train. This iconic map returns with an exciting new feature: rain falls on the station, affecting not only the wet asphalt but also the appearance of skins and agents. Wet skin looks amazing! However, this raises questions about the impact of FPS, although definitive data on this will likely be available soon.

The map itself has undergone several changes, the most obvious being the change in area from top to bottom. Previously featuring vertical stairs, this has now been replaced with a gentler slope. Other adjustments include train repositioning, which requires players to adapt. Additionally, Valve introduced an interesting twist: each train car on the radar is color coded, as are specific tracks, providing useful location markers for casual players.

Valve also added a basic grenade throwing guide for Train. The improved camera shows the smoke landing spot even when performing a jump throw, which can be very helpful for beginners. All this is available in training mode.

One fun fact: in Train, the distance between Ivy and the T-spawn is so great that the AK-47 incurs a damage penalty due to its range, meaning a headshot won’t kill the opponent.

Redesigned Flyover

Another famous competitive map, Overpass, gets a new look. The map is now brighter overall, with many dark areas lightened. But the biggest change is that there is no water on the route to location B.

Previously, water caused a lot of bugs, so it’s likely that the developers decided to overhaul the mechanics to avoid the problem recurring. Unfortunately for map makers, Valve has removed some assets from the game, so map makers need to update their maps and find new solutions.

Four New Maps

Apart from the familiar Railway and Flyover, changes have also been made to the community map. Four maps from the previous update (Thera, Mills, Memento, and Assembly) have fallen out of rotation, replaced by four new locations:

Basalt stands out for its natural beauty and tranquil atmosphere. Set in Iceland, it features mountains, sea, and small houses — it would be a shame to disturb this peaceful setting with gunfire. Edin is also equally atmospheric. Set in an old town in Scotland, the mapmakers have understood the nuances of its location. Basalt and Edin are 5v5 maps. The Palais lets players see Paris (and die). Dynamic Wingman mode map, where players run across rooftops. A hidden mission and a few Easter eggs add to the charm — although you’ll likely complete them only during the warm-up. Whistle is set in a British railway museum. The author describes it as a love letter to the golden age of British travel and its railways. Like Palais, this is a Wingman mode map.

Radar Backgrounds, Improved Animations, and Damage Predictions

Among other updates, an important feature has been added that many players will appreciate: Counter-Strike 2 settings now allow you to adjust the radar opacity. Valve has made it easy for players to customize based on their preferences.

Additionally, Valve has improved player animations; Enemies will only raise their hands when completely blind, which helps players gauge their opponents’ sights on the map more accurately.

Lastly, Valve introduced a “damage prediction” setting. This feature plays the hit animation first in the player’s client before the server confirms it. Currently, damage prediction is only enabled for ragdoll animations; Hit and headshot animations are disabled by default due to instability. It is important to remember that crash predictions will not work if your ping is too high.

Today’s update is a big step towards making CS2 even more fun. If these changes are well received, there will be more content, for example new operations.