Mauisnake: “I think Cache fits perfectly into CS2’s current map pool.”
Analyst Alex “Mauisnake” Ellenberg and journalist Duncan “Thorin” Shields discussed how pro teams and Premier Mode players have adapted to the Cache map on the Snake & Banter podcast, reflected on possible changes to the Counter-Strike 2 map pool, and assessed the current Legacy roster.
On Cache
Mauisnake: I’m glad teams are playing on Cache. If you look at the data for this map in Premier mode, it’s picked in 8.5% of matches and is more popular at higher ranks than at lower ones. I think Cache fits perfectly into the current CS2 map pool.
Thorin: I’ve noticed that very few teams ban Cache. That’s definitely a good sign. Teams will likely start picking Cache more often as the season progresses, once they’ve worked out their issues on other maps.
On the Counter-Strike 2 map pool
Mauisnake: Right now, there are a few really straightforward maps in the game that the community loves—Mirage, Dust2, and Cache. I think Valve should remove one of the first two—or even Inferno—for a season to try something new and see how people react. Perhaps it’s time to make some serious changes to the map pool and add, for example, a highly tactical map.
About Legacy
Thorin: People forget that Legacy not only won the CS Asia Championships last season but also took third place at IEM Atlanta, defeating NAVI in the decisive match. They were an interesting team even before the Major. During the summer break, Legacy attempted to build a Brazilian superteam by benching saadzin and n1ssim and initiating talks with insani and nqz. Unfortunately, they only managed to sign the Argentine player try from Passion UA. In any case, this roster looks very promising—at the Esports World Cup, they defeated NAVI, Falcons, and FURIA.
Earlier on the podcast, Duncan “Thorin” Shields discussed potential replacements for Natus Vincere, commented on Team Falcons’ level of play, and assessed the “Falcons’” decision to ban the Cache map in official matches.
Photo by Adela Sznajder, ESL.
