CS2 Premier Season Four Update
On January 22, Valve finally dropped the long-anticipated Premier Season Four update! The developers did a lot of work, so let’s check out what has changed in our favorite online shooter.
Anubis Is Back
After a short break, Anubis returned to the Active Duty Map Pool, replacing Train, and players have already spotted some changes in its design. While sealing off the bridge peek, a new hole appeared just around its corner, creating new ways to control the map.
All in all, now it looks like it’ll be slightly easier for CTs to hold the bridge. However, terrorists can also use the new hole for a boost, causing significant problems for their enemies. Plus, there are some new lineups you’ll need to learn if you want to dominate the map.
Gameplay Changes
First of all, the developers buffed the MP7 and MP5-SD by increasing overall damage, lowering the price, and reducing damage fall-off. Considering this, these guns stand a solid chance of entering the new meta and finally ending the era of the MAC10 and MP9. They also reduced the Bison’s price by $100, which is a pleasant change for fans of this weapon.
In addition to weapon balance, Valve has adjusted how jumping is calculated. The most important change here is that jumping and landing don’t affect stamina anymore.
Finally, it is now possible to download Map Guides for online games in Casual and Retake modes. This means you can practice your skills while competing with real people, which can definitely boost your learning.
Sound Updates
These improvements completely change how knives sound when players draw and inspect them. Also, there is now a distinction between the sounds of primary and alternate attacks. Besides these changes, Valve reduced audio output latency, fixed ambient sound issues, and removed the overlap that occurred when swiftly switching between weapons, the knife, and utilities.
New Community Maps
Hopefully, you had time to say goodbye to Golden, Palacio, Agency, and Rooftop since they have been replaced by Warden, Stronghold, and Alpine (in Competitive, Casual, and Deathmatch modes). Additionally, the Wingman mode also received two new maps: Sanctum and Poseidon. All new locations are fantastically designed, allowing players to “travel” from the prison cells of Alcatraz to the luxury villa in the snowy Alps.
Armory Update and Weekly Drops
We’ve got a new limited armory item, the AK-47 | Aphrodite. Costing 125 armory stars, the gun definitely can’t be considered cheap. However, its luxurious golden design with mother-of-pearl accents justifies such a high price.
Valve also updated the Weekly Care Package drop list, adding the Harlequin and Achroma collections. At the same time, the developers removed the Safehouse, Dust 2, 2018 Nuke, and 2018 Inferno collections.
Minor Changes
The update also focused on the map scripting and bug fixes caused by incorrect activators. Plus, the developers added several new entities.
It also seems that Valve continues to improve its matchmaking system. Once again, they adjusted it, so now per-map competitive Skill Groups will be displayed only after you obtain the required number of wins.
Finally, the developers once again fixed bugs related to voice status behavior, the Deathcam intersection, and other less significant issues. All in all, Counter-Strike 2 is expected to deliver a better gaming experience thanks to these changes.
