Valve introduced Counter-Strike 2 Premier Season 4 on January 22, 2026, which caused excitement in the Counter-Strike community, although there is nothing in the patch notes regarding the inclusion of a Cache map. However, in response to the direct message “No Cache?” posted on X by NAVI, Valve responded with an optimistic “It’s cooking.”
Rumors actually started coming as far back as May 2025, when Valve purchased the rights for Cache from the creator, Shawn ‘FMPONE’ Snelling. This started the rumor for the release of the upcoming map, which might be replacing Mirage anytime soon. As the rumor continues nine months later, fans are still somehow patient, as even organizations like G2 Esports express this with replies like “We’re so hungry, boss.”
Season 4 of Premier brings map rotations as Train leaves Active Duty, while Anubis returns with changes such as the new bridge drop site and changes to bombsite locations. Agency, Rooftop, Palacio, and Golden are removed from the Active Duty set, replaced by Warden, Stronghold, Alpine, as well as Casual and Deathmatch maps, while Sanctum, Poseidon, and Wingman feature updates with the addition of those two maps.
Gameplay changes boost MP7 and MP5 SD with increased damage, reduced fall off, and a $100 price reduction, with PP Bizon also reducing its price by $100, as well as fixing its sound, jump, and fidelity issues.
Speculations are that Cache could arrive with Season 5, following the IEM Cologne Major or as a possible introduction in Season 6 early 2027 to continue to simmer the CS2 scene.