Valve has confirmed a major change to Counter-Strike 2’s Active Duty map pool: Anubis is returning and will replace Train once the current Premier season ends on January 19, 2026.
This rotation continues Valve’s approach of shaking up the competitive landscape at the start of each Premier season, forcing players and teams to adapt their strategies as the pro scene gears up for events like BLAST Bounty, which starts on January 13, and IEM Krakow on January 28.
What’s Changing in the Map Pool
With the update, the Active Duty map pool will look like this:
- Dust2
- Mirage
- Inferno
- Nuke
- Ancient
- Overpass
- Anubis
Train, which had only been in the pool since the beginning of 2025 after replacing Vertigo, will now sit out of Premier competition.
Anubis Returns
Anubis’ comeback marks a return after a six-month absence. The map was previously removed in mid-July 2025 in favor of Overpass, which was then rejoined to the Active Duty pool.
Many people expected Valve to bring back the long-awaited remade Cache, but instead, they chose Anubis. This decision surprised a lot of the community.
Why it Matters for CS2 Pro Play
Changes to the map pool like this can affect how teams play, especially at the start of a new season.
- Teams with a strong Anubis record may gain a strategic edge.
- Teams that practiced Train will need to adjust or risk being at a disadvantage.
- Event organizers, such as BLAST Bounty and IEM Krakow, will likely follow Valve’s lead on map selection.
For both players and fans, these changes make the competitive scene feel fresh and spark new tactical discussions as the pro circuit moves into the first big events of 2026.
