Cache has returned at last, and it looks stunning.
Esteemed Counter-Strike mapmaker FMPONE has completed his Cache restoration project for CS2, releasing it via the Steam Workshop on March 3.
It comes almost six years to the day after the popular map was removed from the official pool by Valve, and almost a year after FMPONE began sharing images of the remaster. Cache's completion and addition to the workshop brings it one step closer to debuting in CS2, but we may still be waiting a while before getting our hands on it in Premier.
Cache has finally arrived in CS2, and it's as beautiful as the day it left us
FMPONE announced Cache's completion and release on March 3 via X/Twitter. To play the map, users must head to the Steam Workshop and subscribe to the file. Players may need to restart CS2 to see the map, but it will be in the Workshop tab under Play.
Hours before the announcement, a series of leaks showcasing the map were shared in the community. It's possible these leaks forced FMPONE to roll out the map release ahead of schedule.
Nevertheless, the map is visually stunning and plays similarly to the original CS:GO version. The window in CT mid can no longer be accessed by platform or ladder, meaning defenders will need to boost to see into the gap.
Apart from this, the only big changes to Cache come via visual fidelity. Much of the foliage added in 2019's remake has been removed, but Cache remains vibrant thanks to bold color choices with textures and panels.
The green tones of moss and plant cover that FMPONE leant into with the previous version were criticized as players thought player visibility had taken too much of a hit. Now, with a lighting upgrade and the bold color picks, there's a happy medium between competitive visibility and visual interest.
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Cache remake missing one crucial element, players say
The map departed the Active Duty pool in March 2019, with the now-removed Vertigo replacing it. Six months later FMPONE released a rework of the map in CS:GO, and while it was added to competitive matchmaking, it didn't return to the Active Duty and wasn't planned for a release with CS2.
Keen players dived into the new version via the Steam Workshop today, but some were disappointed that a key visual didn't survive the transition to CS2 — s1mple's graffiti.
Game-changing plays from a Counter-Strike Major were enshrined in the form of a graffiti, with s1mple's falling double kill and AWP no-scope one such play. The CS:GO version of Cache featured a falling character holding an AWP and wearing wings, symbolizing the iconic moment.
However, the graffiti is absent in the CS2 version of the map. There wasn't a consensus about if its removal was good or bad, with opinions mixed. While some called the loss of the graffiti "tragic" and partial erasure of history, others believe that, as it's a new map, it deserves "new memories."
As this is a FMPONE release, it's possible that, if Cache returns to the official pool in the future, the graffiti will be added back. That said, the map is owned by FMPONE; as Valve did for Anubis (via @xPaw on X), they'd have to purchase the map from the maker.
For now, those wanting Cache in the Active Duty pool will have to make do with private servers or practice. Stay tuned to esports.gg for more CS2 news.
