Counter-Strike: Global Offensive’s Dust2 revamp is now live

Update, October 18: The wait for the revamped Dust2 wasn’t a long one, as it’s returned to the live game less than ten days after being initially revealed.

Version 1.36.0.8 of CS:GO is now live, as an update just under 700MB. There are a handful of more mundane changes, but the biggest news is that the current de_dust2 is now the revamped version.

Check out all the latest CS:GO updates.

Here are the full list of changes:

• Gameplay
• Replaced de_dust2 with updated version.
• Improved de_nuke bot navigation.
• Audio
• Unique jump landing sounds for all major surfaces.
• Unique sounds for picking up weapons and grenades.
• Unique bullet impact sounds for vehicles and barrels.
• Re-balanced music kits volume to be more in-line with the overall game volume.
• Improved resolution and quality of HRTF algorithm.
• Misc
• Both Perfect World Sticker Capsule Limited Time Offers and Graffiti Capsule Limited Time Offers are now available worldwide.
• Added normal maps for “Gut Knife | Autotronic”, “Bayonet | Autotronic”, and “M9 Bayonet | Autotronic”.
• Fixed case where players could be blinded by a flashbang outside the map and out of line of sight.

Update, October 11:Dust2 is coming back to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive today, entering the beta depot after being out of competitive rotation for eight months.

One of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive’s most iconic maps is making a triumphant return to the game. After a period of redesign, Dust2 is now available in CS:GO’s beta testing phase.

In order to make the changes, the map has been out of competitive rotation since earlier this year. Now it’s nearly back, and Valve are heralding its return in a post documenting the changes coming to the map and explaining why they’re being made.

The developers say that the aim of the redesign was to “honor Dust2’s pure form while buffing away the jagged edges.” That aim was broken down into three main goals; to “improve player readability throughout the map”; to “refine movement around the world, including cover”; and to “upgrade the visuals to be in line with modern maps.”

There are several before-and-after shots allowing you to compare the map’s new look with its old, which serve to highlight some of the most important tweaks. Those include things like adding more natural light to Tunnels, removing clutter and various obstacles from both bombsites, and changing the art to provide a historic Kasbah at B, and an authentic bazaar at A. To help show the new map off even more, you can check out a flythrough in the video above.

Dust2 is also getting new character models for the Terrorists, to help them match the map’s enhanced visuals. It’s worth remembering that Dust2 isn’t going live yet, and this is just the start of beta testing. As such, we don’t know exactly when the map will return to the full game, but we’ll keep you posted.

Original story, October 9:If you know anything about Counter-Strike – heck, if you’ve spent time in the proximity of anybody who knows anything about Counter-Strike – you know that Dust2 is the defining map of the game. More than one CS player will tell you it’s the only map they play.

But Dust2 has been out of CS:GO’s Active Duty rotation since earlier this year, taking the game’s most iconic map out of the tournament scene. It seemed this was a measure to rework the aged map like Nuke and Inferno before it, and Valve have just confirmed that this is exactly the case.

A new version of Dust2 will be ready for testing in the next beta depot, and the team have even provided a snazzy look at the upcoming rework.

Dust2 has been around since Counter-Strike 1.1, and the version currently in CS:GO is based around the Source revision.

If you’re wondering why a rework of Dust2 won’t be called Dust3, please entertain us with your “Valve can’t count to three” jokes in the comments below.