Cache is live in CS2, and it's truly better than ever

The highly anticipated return of Cache has finally arrived, as Valve dropped the reworked and remastered version of the iconic map as part of its CS2 update on Tuesday, April 28. The map has only been available for a matter of hours at this point, but it's already looking like one of the best map remakes yet, bringing improvements to both gameplay and visuals without losing the magic of Cache that we all know and love.

Last seen in Counter-Strike's active map pool in 2019, players have been waiting to see Cache added to CS2. Seven years later, we finally got our first glimpse of it on April 22, when Valve dropped the first teaser, showing some concrete on the ground. Just a week later, Cache has returned to the legendary FPS game at long last.

Cache is the fourth CS2 map to be remade, following Inferno, Train, and Overpass, but it might just be the best of the bunch. Not only has Valve improved the graphical quality of the map, but it's also made changes to boost both performance and playability when you jump into the action.

Today we are excited to release de_cache: https://t.co/d2DEX86eDD pic.twitter.com/1qlU2u27sA

- CS2 (@CounterStrike) April 28, 2026

In terms of visuals, Cache is beautiful. Every texture has been updated thanks to the Source 2 engine. The B bomb site now has a beautiful green hue thanks to the corrugated metal walls, while the A bomb site is brilliantly bright and clean. What's most impressive, however, is how Valve managed to retain that same feeling of desolation that was present in older versions while also making it look so good.

Sadly, there is one thing missing, though. Fans of Counter-Strike esports will never forget Oleksandr 's1mple' Kostyliev's falling no-scope from 'heaven' on B site, which had been immortalised with a special piece of graffiti. Unfortunately, that's now gone, replaced by some safety posters, probably to dissuade you from trying to do the same thing.

As mentioned before, though, it's not just graphical changes. Valve has removed a lot of the clutter from the map, which makes it run much better. My PC is now hitting 350 frames per second on Cache, much better than the custom version of Cache, designed by original creator FMPONE, that has been available to play on FACEIT.

The map also plays differently now, too. The middle of the map has seen the most obvious changes, with the window on CT side now removed. It makes it much easier for Terrorists to get into mid, as Counter-Terrorists can only peek out of the door rather than having two places to watch the middle lane. Whether this makes it too easy for Terrorists to get to the A bomb site remains to be seen, but it feels good in these early games.

The April 28 update also includes map changes for Dust II, which uncovered Mid Box to reveal a hidden jump spot, tweaks to Animgraph 2, and fixes for some sound bugs that had been affecting the C4.