Valve has confirmed changes to Counter-Strike 2’s Premier mode ahead of Season Four, with Anubis returning to the Active Duty map pool following a six-month absence.
In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter), Counter-Strike’s official account announced that Premier Season Three will conclude on January 19th. To earn the Season Three Premier medal, players must secure 25 wins during the season and have a visible Counter-Strike Rating (CSR) when it ends.
Alongside the end date, Valve also outlined the changes coming in Season Four. Train has been removed from the pool, while Anubis has been added back in.
The full Premier Season Four map pool will be:
- Ancient
- Anubis
- Dust II
- Inferno
- Mirage
- Nuke
- Overpass
Anubis’ return comes as a surprise to some of the Counter-Strike community. In recent months, speculation had centred on Cache being introduced instead, particularly after Valve acquired the remade version of the map from its designer last year. Anubis was removed from the Active Duty map pool in mid-July at the start of the second 2025 competitive season, making way for Overpass. Its absence lasted roughly six months before Valve opted to reintroduce it for the upcoming Premier season.
Originally created by community map designers Roald, jakuza and jd40, Anubis (de_anubis) was first added to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive in March 2020 alongside Chlorine. It initially featured exclusively in Scrimmage mode before gradually working its way into the Active Duty group, at one point even replacing Dust II.
Implications for Counter-Strike Esports
While the announcement focused on Premier mode, changes to the Active Duty pool often have direct consequences for professional Counter-Strike. Tournament organisers typically align their map pools with Valve’s competitive settings, meaning Anubis’ return is likely to be reflected across top-tier events.
Esports teams responded to the news on X, including NAVI asking Valve if it’s ‘deadass’ about the changes and M80 questioning where Cache is.
The timing is notable, with the new season set to overlap with major tournaments early in the calendar. BLAST Bounty begins on January 13th, followed shortly by IEM Kraków, which starts on January 28th. Teams may now need to revisit Anubis in practice, potentially reshaping map veto strategies and preparation ahead of these events.
As Counter-Strike 2 continues to evolve, map pool changes remain one of the most impactful variables for both professional teams and the wider esports ecosystem, influencing everything from competitive balance to viewer experience.
