Gaming
Gaming
Dust 2 has changed but it still needs these fixes
The best map in FPS history has been updated, but for the pro scene a few more changes are needed to make it more entertaining for fans.
It's taken a while, but the most iconic map in Counter-Strike history has finally been given a face lift. As pretty much every other major map in CS:GO has already received some kind of rework, the calls for Dust 2 to be changed became very loud around a year ago. Then when Inferno returned to the competitive pool and Dust 2 was removed fans got very excited about what might be coming.
Now the first iteration of the new look Dust 2 has been released and, well, it’s more of an aesthetic upgrade than a full rework, which is either a good thing or a bad thing depending on who you ask. Visually everything has been given a paint job – even the T side models are not exempt, with every one of them getting a nice new look, not to mention some impressive facial hair.
Elsewhere the B tunnels area has been made a little taller and a lot lighter, meaning you probably won't accidentally walk past a crouched player in the shadows anymore. The angles on mid doors have been changed completely, and the corners straightened off considerably. There are also the customary box changes you expect with every new map, the car on Long A now provides decent cover from all angles and the B site feels a little less cluttered than before.
All in all, these changes to Dust 2 are pretty great. They haven’t changed the map beyond recognition. What they have done is made things a lot nicer to look at, and changed a few areas that will impact the gameplay. For casual players things really couldn't have gone better with this rework.
But for those of us who what the pro matches week in week out, these changes may be a little underwhelming. Sure a few tweaks might change a few strats – the new car cover on Long A may be useful for CTs defending that position and the small mid doors move will change the start of most buy rounds – but it won’t be as big a shift in pro play as we were hoping.
Towards the end of Dust 2’s last stint in the active duty pool, many pro games felt a little stale, with the same executes being used by almost everyone and very little variety. Initial impressions suggest that a lot of these strategies will continue to work on this new version, which could mean it remains one of the least exciting maps in the pool.
Fortunately Valve have also asked for feedback from players and suggestions of what they should change, meaning this probably won't be the final version of Dust 2 that makes it back into the competitive pool, presumably after the next Major. We’ve come up with some suggestions for what to change before that happens.
Open up the B Tunnels roof, just a little
B Tunnels still needs some work
© Valve
Ever since the Dust 2 rework was confirmed people have been calling for this change, but we think a lot of the suggestions for completely open-roofed B Tunnels is a little over the top. Just imagine the number of grenades that could be thrown onto the site if the whole thing was open; it would be impossible to predict where the grenades would come from and therefore almost impossible to defend against a full five-man team with full utility.
But that doesn’t mean the idea is crazy. Some people have said the roof should be breakable, which is a good start providing it gives a clear sound cue to those CTs on the site, but again, having the whole roof breakable would be a little OP. Instead we think just a small area should be breakable – maybe just the area directly in front of the tunnel to the site itself so if you’re throwing a smoke you have to expose yourself a little. We think opening it up is a great idea, it just needs to be fair for the CTs as well.
The Long Doors boost needs a nerf
The A site hasn’t changed much
© Valve
With three people you can create a boost that allows a T to see over the Long Doors onto the Blue and bottom of Long A area, thanks to the new-look boxes. The boost requires three to set up, but only two to sustain and provides a decent view to any CTs looking to get a little aggressive.
Sure, in pro play it probably won’t be too useful, but in matchmaking this will be hell for any aggressive CT players, and makes things a little easy for the Ts if people cross over the area. The idea of the boost isn’t terrible, but maybe restrict the area it can see, or make it easier for the CTs to take down both players when they spot it.
Move some boxes around
Yeah this is a bit of a meme a lot of the time, but moving boxes around does change the way a map plays – and not that many boxes have moved in the new look Dust 2. Actually, the A site is pretty much unchanged, with the cover around the site just getting a visual change instead of any positions.
Making more of a change to barrels near the A site, or even just changing the height on the boxes on the site itself could totally change the way a game plays out in certain situations, without destroying what is undoubtedly a great map.
The B site is less of an issue, as it does feel different enough to change how CTs play, but other areas could do with a shift or two. Maybe change Lower B Tunnels boxes, or stick a box or two around Long A for a laugh. Add in a few more obstacles for players to navigate to hopefully make pro matches a little more varied – sometimes even the smallest of changes can change every pro strat in the book.
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