ESL have officially confirmed that all Counter-Strike 2 events within the ESL Pro Tour will adopt the updated competitive environment starting January 19. The announcement follows Valve’s latest update and clearly defines when ESL competitions will transition to the new ruleset.
ESL move quickly to align with Valve
With this announcement, ESL underline their long-standing approach of staying fully synchronized with Valve’s competitive decisions. Rather than introducing a gradual transition, ESL chose a clear and fixed implementation date. This gives teams certainty, but also leaves them with limited time to adapt.
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Context: Anubis replaces Train
As part of the update, Anubis replaces Train in the competitive map pool. Anubis returns after a six-month absence, having been removed in July 2025 in favor of Overpass. While the map change itself was expected after Valve’s update, ESL’s announcement confirms exactly when it will impact official competition.
BLAST follow shortly after
Soon after ESL’s statement, BLAST confirmed that BLAST Bounty will also feature Anubis from the very start of the event on January 13. In practice, this means BLAST will introduce the updated map pool even earlier than ESL’s official January 19 deadline.
Community reaction: acceptance, nostalgia, and criticism
The community response has been mixed but loud. Many fans described the change as “expected,” while others focused on Train’s removal with a sense of nostalgia. Several comments echoed the sentiment that Train’s exit was inevitable, with messages such as “RIP Train, you will be missed” appearing repeatedly.
At the same time, Anubis itself drew criticism. Some players pointed to awkward bombsite layouts, especially on B, and ongoing performance issues. Others argued that poor optimization continues to limit the map’s popularity, noting that many players still struggle to run it smoothly. Overall, the reaction reflects a familiar pattern: acceptance of ESL’s decision-making speed, paired with ongoing frustration toward Valve’s map design choices.
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What this means for the start of 2026
ESL’s announcement effectively sets the tone for the opening months of the 2026 CS2 season. Teams now face early qualifiers and LAN events with minimal preparation time on a returning map. In doing so, ESL signal a clear priority: competitive consistency with Valve comes first, even if it forces rapid adaptation across the scene.
