CS2 brings community maps to matchmaking for the first time

Brandon Moore

Brandon Moore

The June 25, 2024 release notes for CS2 detail the arrival of community maps to the game’s matchmaking queues.

The 6/25/2024 release notes for Counter-Strike 2 are up. There are some much-needed bug fixes in there, but the main course of the meal comes from the map additions. For the first time in CS2, community maps are headed to matchmaking.

Let's take a look at the maps and everything else in the release notes.

CS2 release notes for 6/25/2024

  • Maps
    • Nuke
      • Fixed c4 stuck spots
    • Ancient
      • Fixed c4 stuck spots, holes in the world, and non-solids causing problems
    • Vertigo
      • Fixed c4 stuck spots and clipping
    • Anubis
      • Fixes for grenade collision and clipping
  • UI
    • Updated the MVP panel in all game modes
    • Added all-new animated MVP panels to Premier matches
    • Added several new MVP conditions and adjusted prior MVP rules
  • Gameplay
    • In Competitive Matchmaking, per-map skill groups are now revealed after you earn two wins on a map.
  • Video settings
    • Settings Recommendations
      • Added a Settings Recommendation popup if your display's refresh rate is set below its maximum at startup. Using your display's highest refresh rate is generally recommended.
      • Added a Settings Recommendation popup if NVIDIA G-Sync support is detected but not enabled at startup. Using G-Sync is generally recommended if your system supports it.
      • Added a Settings Recommendation popup if NVIDIA G-Sync is enabled but not V-Sync and/or NVIDIA Reflex. It is generally recommended to enable all three settings together when they are available. Note that applying these settings will limit your frame rate to your display's refresh rate or slightly lower, which is usually the smoothest-looking and lowest input latency settings combination.
    • Removed "Main Menu Background Scenery" and "Item Inspect Background Scenery" settings from the Video Settings page. These settings are still available on the Main Menu and in the Item Inspect screens respectively.
    • The "Refresh Rate" setting now shows your display's current refresh rate in Windowed and Fullscreen Windowed modes.
    • Removed the "Laptop Power Savings" setting which has never actually been configurable in CS2.
    • Added a "Frame Pacing" section to the Advanced Video settings page.
    • Added an "NVIDIA G-Sync" row to the Frame Pacing section which tells you whether or not G-Sync is active with your current display settings. This row may be hidden if you're using the Vulkan renderer or if you're not using an NVIDIA graphics card.
    • Added "Maximum FPS In Game" and "Maximum FPS In Menus" sliders to the Frame Pacing section. These control the fps_max and fps_max_ui convars respectively.
    • Increased the default "Maximum FPS In Menus" setting from 120 FPS to 200 FPS.
    • The Advanced Video visual preview now uses the "In Game" maximum FPS instead of the "In Menus" maximum.

CS2 community maps being added to matchmaking queues

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All of the above are the release notes, without the inclusion of the community maps. We're giving them their own special section, because it is the first time community maps have been added to matchmaking in CS2.

Let's dive into them:

  • Thera: Added to Competitive, Casual, and Deathmatch
    • Created by FMPONE and MF_Kitten, this map is set in Greece on a picturesque, volcanic island.
  • Mills: Added to Competitive, Casual, and Deathmatch
    • Created by catfood, this map is based in a small village in the Netherlands.
  • Momento: Added to Wingman
    • Created by MadsenFK, ynel, TwinN, and g30m, this map is set during a lakeside wedding in Italy.
  • Assembly: Added to Wingman
    • Created by Quoting, Thomas, Huvaligen, and Almaas, this map is an aircraft assembly factory.
  • Pool Day: Added to Arms Race
    • Created by leplubodeslapin, Squall1997, and Wenceslas, this remake of the classic Counter-Strike map takes you poolside.

This is a big moment in CS2 history, even if it isn't quite the update players were expecting. Regardless, you can dive into the different matchmaking modes to try out some of the newly added community maps now.

Stay tuned to esports.gg for more esports news and Counter-Strike coverage.