Valve dropped a CS2 update on April 29, 2026. The headline: Cache is back. The reworked map is now live in Competitive, Casual, Deathmatch, and Retakes modes. It has been absent from official matchmaking since Valve pulled it from the CS:GO Active Duty pool back in 2019.
The patch also covers changes to Dust II, Office, Stronghold, and Poseidon. On top of that, there are minor Animgraph 2 tweaks, sound fixes, and a couple of bug corrections. Not a small update.
Cache Returns After Seven Years Away
Cache entered the CS:GO Active Duty pool in 2014. It was removed on March 28, 2019, replaced by Vertigo. That is more than seven years off the official competitive stage.
The map was originally created by Shawn “FMPONE” Snelling. Valve purchased the rights to Cache from him in May 2025 and has since been rebuilding it using CS2’s Source 2 engine. The CS2 Cache release date became official when the April 29 update went live, following weeks of Valve teasers. We covered the buildup in detail, including the “next week” Cache tease Valve posted on their official CS2 social channel.
Cache also holds a specific milestone. It was the first community-created map ever added to the CS:GO Active Duty pool. Its final major appearance was at IEM Katowice 2019.
One important note for competitive players: Cache is not in Premier mode yet, and it is not in the professional Active Duty pool. According to Dot Esports, that move is expected after the IEM Cologne Major 2026. For now, players can use standard modes to learn angles, utility, and timings.
Other Map Changes in This Patch
Cache gets the spotlight, but the update touched several other maps too.
Dust II received a layout change at Xbox, also called Mid Box. The box has been uncovered, revealing a jump spot that was previously hidden. Valve’s own patch notes added: “On purpose this time.” That comment points to an earlier unintentional version of the change that appeared in March.
Office got a smaller fix. Collision was enabled on tarps placed on boxes around CT spawn.
Community maps Stronghold and Poseidon were both updated to their newest versions from the Community Workshop.
Animgraph 2 and Sound Fixes
Valve made minor adjustments to viewmodel animations under Animgraph 2. Two knife-specific fixes came with this: the Talon and Karambit knives now display correctly when a player defuses a bomb.
On audio, the patch corrects an issue where the C4 equip sound was not being properly cut off by other equip sounds. A first-person death sound effect has also been removed. This effect was previously triggering during rounds where the music kit’s death cue was inaudible. There are also general sound mix adjustments included.
Bug Fixes
Two bugs got patched in the miscellaneous section.
The first involved shading. A shader bug was causing railings in certain maps, specifically Mirage, to appear overly dark and blocky. The root cause was an ambient occlusion issue triggered by alpha test rendering. That is now corrected.
The second involved weapon handling. There was a case where a player could end up holding no weapon at all. It happened when a hand-switch request was made immediately after a grenade throw. That edge case is fixed.
Full CS2 April 29 Patch Notes
Maps
- Cache: Added to Competitive, Casual, Deathmatch, and Retakes
- Dust II: Mid Box (Xbox) uncovered to reveal previously hidden jump spot
- Office: Collision enabled on tarps around CT spawn
- Stronghold: Updated to latest Community Workshop version
- Poseidon: Updated to latest Community Workshop version
Animgraph 2
- Minor adjustments to viewmodel animations
- Talon and Karambit knives now held correctly while defusing
Sound
- Minor mix changes and adjustments
- Fixed C4 equip sound not being interrupted by other equip sounds
- Removed first-person death sound effect playing when music kit death cue was inaudible
Misc
- Shader fix for AO on alpha test causing dark silhouettes on railings (seen in Mirage)
- Fixed case where hand-switch request after grenade throw resulted in no weapon being held
Context: How Cache Got Here
The path back for Cache was not quick. FMPONE released a full CS2 remake on the Steam Workshop in March 2025. Valve went quiet for months after buying the rights. In January 2026, the official CS2 account told Natus Vincere on social media that Cache was “cooking.”
Then in April 2026, FACEIT ran a community vote. Cache won with 148,840 votes, beating Train and Vertigo, and went live on FACEIT servers on April 22. A week later, it showed up in the official CS2 update.
If you want the full background on Cache’s return to CS2 and what it means for the map pool long-term, we have a detailed breakdown.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cache available in CS2 Premier mode? No. As of the April 29 update, Cache is only in Competitive, Casual, Deathmatch, and Retakes. Premier and Active Duty inclusion is expected after the IEM Cologne Major 2026.
Who originally made Cache? Cache was created by Shawn “FMPONE” Snelling. Valve bought the rights to the map in May 2025 and rebuilt it for CS2’s Source 2 engine.
When was Cache removed from CS:GO’s Active Duty pool? Cache was removed on March 28, 2019, when Vertigo was added in its place. Its last major tournament was IEM Katowice 2019.
What map could get dropped when Cache enters Active Duty? Valve has not announced any map removal. Community discussion has pointed to Mirage, Inferno, and Ancient as candidates, but there is no official word yet.
What changed on Dust II in this update? The Mid Box, known as Xbox, was uncovered to reveal a jump spot. Valve confirmed this was done on purpose.
