Train Makes Competitive CS Return at BLAST Bounty

BLAST Bounty to Feature Train’s Return

BLAST has now officially announced that Train will be making its competitive debut in
Counter-Strike 2 at the upcoming BLAST Bounty event. The map, which has not been
available in the active pool since 2021, will be replacing Vertigo, which has been in the
active pool since 2019. This marks Train’s return to the professional world and has sparked much buzz and
discussion among CS2 fans and players.

CS2 Train to Shine at BLAST Bounty

This news comes just a few weeks after Valve decided to replace Vertigo with Train for the
BLAST.tv Austin Major in June. However, it seems that BLAST organizers have managed to
get the early green light to reveal the map before the Major, allowing fans and pros to see competitive
Train in CS2 for the first time.

It is still unclear whether this change will also apply to CS2’s Premier matchmaking mode. Historically,
Valve has made map pool updates for all modes at once without informing esports and casual players in
advance. However, this rollout does not appear to have followed the same path, allowing changes to be
made specifically for the BLAST Bounty event.

A Premature Arrival?

The early introduction of Train has received mixed reactions from players and analysts. The new version
of the map, introduced only seven weeks ago, has undergone significant layout changes that could
profoundly affect professional matches. Some believe the map may require further tweaking before being
fully ready for high-level competition.

For example, NAVI’s iM expressed concerns about Train’s readiness, echoing sentiments
from some other pros. On the other hand, ENCE’s sdy struck a more optimistic tone,
pointing out that every new map goes through a process of constant changes and improvements.