At some point over the next few days, Valve will finally release Cache for CS2. It’s arguably the most requested update from the community, and the developer has certainly made players wait.

When it does release, it’s assumed that Cache will only be available to play in Competitive, and arrive as part of the Active Duty map pool following the conclusion of CS2 Premier Season 4. When that happens, Valve will have a decision to make: which map will Cache replace in the map pool? There are several contenders, but one sticks out more than most for the next CS2 map pool change.

It’s Time For Cache to Give Mirage Some Breathing Room

-Mirage, +Cache. It’s the right choice for Valve for a few reasons. First is the map pool composition. In Dust2 and Mirage, we have two very “puggy” maps. You can jump into these maps, turn your brain off, and have a fun time. It’s why 90% of FACEIT matches take place on either of the two. Everybody knows them, and they just don’t require you to tryhard as much as say a Nuke or an Overpass.

Having two of those in the map pool is great. But three? At that point, you really start to lose a little bit of tactical depth from the map pool. You could even argue we have three already, including Ancient, which fits that description at the top level but hasn’t really been adopted by casual players in the same way.

Back in the early CS:GO days, Cache was just one of those maps. The maps that would be played over and over again, for all the same reasons outlined for Dust2 and Mirage. It will be the same again in CS2, which is why it needs to eventually replace one of those aforementioned maps.

I vote Mirage.

Mirage is undoubtedly the most popular map in CS2. It has been in Active Duty for almost 13 years, without a single break. With Cache’s arrival, it’s time to let it breathe.

There have been arguments for a while that Mirage needs a visual refresh. It is largely the same map it was 13 years ago, and it looks like it, too. My take is that Valve should bring in Cache for Mirage, while it takes the time to give it the visual overhaul it so desperately needs. This could take six months, or it could take a year, but it’s something that Valve will have to wrestle with at some point. The map can’t be stuck in 2013 forever, even with the fancy Source 2 lighting buying it an extra few years. What better time than the release of one of the most popular maps of all time?

I understand Valve’s hesitation to touch Mirage, not just for the next CS2 map pool change, but generally. Its popularity makes it almost impossible to remove without mass mutiny from the community, and you would genuinely see a noticeable dip in player count while it’s out of the pool. It’s why I don’t actually believe we’ll see -Mirage +Cache after the IEM Cologne Major. But weighing everything up, it feels to me like the change to make, even if it is undoubtedly the bravest and riskiest.