Counter-Strike 2: “The Fourth Season” Update Review (January 21, 2026)
The sleepless nights are coming to an end! VALVE has released a major update for Counter-Strike 2, launching the fourth Premier season, bringing back Anubis (with changes), adding new community maps, balancing weapons, and improving sound. This is one of the most content-packed updates in recent times – with new skins, mechanics, and fixes. Let’s break down all the key changes in detail.
Premier: New Season and Map Rotation
The fourth Premier season has officially started. After the third season ended, all ratings were partially reset – players received a new starting rank based on previous achievements, but now they’ll have to prove their skill all over again. Ranks in regular competitive mode were also reset, so to regain your rank on each map, you’ll need to earn the required number of wins again.
Anubis Innovations
The main change to the map pool (Anubis returning instead of Train) has already happened, and many were wondering about any updates. Anubis was removed due to balance complaints, and it would be strange if the developers brought it back without any changes. These changes have been made, but we’ll only know how much they’ll affect gameplay in practice.
At first glance, it seems that the changes were primarily aimed at strengthening the defense side, which is quite logical. VALVE always strives to make maps balanced, and Anubis was one of the few maps with a strong bias toward attack.
- New mid window. The most significant innovation was undoubtedly moving the window on mid from the bridge to the double doors. Now it’s much easier for the defense to control this area of the map, and the attack side’s rotations will no longer be as sharp and fast. There’s also now an opportunity for both sides to wallbang through wooden textures, which could give us many highlights.
- Connector gap. The next most significant change was adding a small opening in the connector, which allows both sides to use grenades to take necessary zones. The attack can molly the dance floor, while the defense can molly the connector itself. We’re sure we’ll see many new lineups using this window in the near future (flashes, molotovs, smokes – everything will find its use).
- Box on A-site (Heaven). Also an interesting change, thanks to which CTs got additional cover. However, this is unlikely to help during site takes, since this position is often mollied by the attack. In any case, this is a clear strengthening of the defense.
- Double doors on mid. Now it’s much more comfortable for the defense to engage players coming from the bridge.
Community Maps: Five Fresh Arenas
VALVE continues to support the community and has added five new maps from the Workshop: three new maps were added to Competitive, Casual, and Deathmatch modes – Warden, Stronghold, and Alpine.
- Warden – prison theme with tight corridors and vertical gameplay.
- Stronghold – medieval castle with open spaces and many covers, resembles a mix of Mirage and Ancient.
- Alpine – snowy mountain location with long sightlines, where snipers should feel right at home.
Sanctum (temple complex with emphasis on close combat) and Poseidon (underwater theme with interesting water elements) were added to Wingman. These maps will diversify everyday gameplay and give community creators a chance to enter the rotation in the future.
Gameplay: SMG Buffs and New Movement
Apparently, the developers decided to revive eco rounds by buffing several undervalued weapons:
- MP7 and MP5-SD received a small damage increase, but damage at range was reduced instead. Both weapons became $100 cheaper. This makes them stronger against eco rounds with pistols and even partially against rifles at medium range.
- PP-Bizon also became $100 cheaper.
But the most discussed change is the serious improvements to jumping and bhop. VALVE reworked the landing time mechanic with subtick precision: now landing time is calculated more accurately, which makes bunny-hopping more consistent and closer to CS:GO. Jump chains have been improved, randomness during air strafes has been reduced, and surfing on maps has become more stable. Pro players are already testing new trajectories – this could bring back the old movement and make the game even more skill-based.
Sound: Knives Sound Different
The audio part received long-awaited improvements:
- Knife sounds have become more detailed and realistic – drawing, inspecting, and especially strikes now have high quality.
- Fixed sound layering when quickly switching weapons (no more “mush” when quickly switching to grenades or knife).
- Each knife type received unique strike sounds (still a matter of taste though).
- Plus they reduced audio output delay – footsteps and shots are heard faster, which is critically important in competitive mode.
Drops: New Collections, Rotation, and Case Keys
The weekly drop collection has been updated: two completely new collections were added – Harlequin (bright, carnival theme with saturated colors) and Achroma (monochrome, black and white, minimalist).
Top 5 skins from the new collections (based on initial community reactions and visual appeal):
- Glock-18 | Trace Lock (Achroma) – for us, this is the undisputed top-1 due to its original holographic lines, executed in the style of Cyberpunk 2077 implants.
- M4A1-S | Party Animal (Harlequin) – festive design with confetti motifs and dynamic pattern that should create interesting original designs.
- AWP | Exothermic (Harlequin) – fire-colored rifle with small gradients, reminiscent of Doppler Ruby coloring. The new hit for red inventories.
- AWP | The End (Achroma) — black and white apocalyptic design, looks strict and elegant.
- AK-47 | Breakthrough (Achroma) — monochrome AK with geometric elements, ideal for minimalists.
Old collections were removed from the drop list: Safehouse, Dust 2 (2018), Nuke (2018), and Inferno (2018). Now there are much better chances of getting new collections, and prices for the old ones have expectedly skyrocketed.
Case keys: It’s worth noting that in the store you can no longer buy a bunch of keys to open cases at once – only one at a time. This is clearly another step by VALVE to reduce associations with gambling, especially against the backdrop of regulations in some countries. Cases remain, but the process has become less “gambling-like.”
The Armory Pass: Limited AK-47
A new exclusive item was added to the Armory – AK-47 | Aphrodite. Greek theme with metallic elements (resembles the Case Hardened body, but with a corroded gilded metal effect). The handguard, stock, and magazine appear to be made of marble that takes on a pink tint. So far, the community hasn’t been very taken with the new limited item, especially many were confused by the high price of 125 stars. Considering that each pass contains 40 stars, you’ll need to spend at least 4 passes to farm this item. It’s unlikely many will do this, and it feels like this skin will become truly limited and could be quite expensive in the future.
Other: Visuals, Bugs, and Fixes
Many standard weapon models received updated materials – higher detail, better reflections and textures. Looks fresh, but not without bugs: for some players, models are “glitching” (incorrect reflections).
Unfortunately, there was a huge wave of false VAC bans. True, now rumors are spreading that the bans may well be deliberate and issued for old “sins.” We don’t rule this out, but judging by the community’s reaction, many received bans for no reason at all. Let’s cross our fingers and hope that this won’t happen again, and all false bans will be lifted.
Also fixes:
- Deathcam no longer shows through walls, as it did in rare cases before.
- Knife animations have become smoother.
- Blood and particle effects have been optimized.
- Surf mechanics and geometry on several maps (including Anubis) have been fixed – no more “getting stuck” in the air.
Overall, the update makes CS2 fresher and closer to the community’s wishes. Movement players are thrilled, skin hunters are happy with the new collections, and the competitive scene is preparing for the new season.
Author: Alex
Alex is an author and esports observer with more than seven years of experience. He specializes in analyzing new releases in the world of computer games, gaming services, and in-game economies. Alex shares practical experience and an expert perspective on the development of gaming, helping readers understand complex mechanics and stay up to date with the latest news.
