For a long time Vertigo has been the most polarizing map in the Counter-Strike community. Most players hated it and didn't understand why Valve had been keeping it in the competitive map pool for such a long time. And in its first CS announcement of 2025, Valve officially removed Vertigo from the map pool. Starting with Austin Major, it will be replaced with Train.

Why do people hate Vertigo? The answer is simple: Valve couldn't find the right balance for this gimmicky map, there were constant changes and yet everyone still played it through the A plant, leaving the B forgotten. Also, this map did not have any comfortable spots for defense and you needed to look for too many different angles. That applied to both common matchmaking and the professional scene.

Now, the map is replaced by the Train. While people are generally happy, there are concerns. First of all, the map optimization seems to be far from ideal. While the rainy scenario is very beautiful, and in-game skins gained a new reflection due to being wet, it lowers fps, and that is something people are not willing to sacrifice. Secondly, there are also changes to the layout of the map, so everyone will need to adapt, as the map doesn't feel the same as before. For someone, that might be a dealbreaker.

Nonetheless, Valve makes a final decision, and we will see Train in Austin. Thanks for everything, Vertigo, and good riddance!

Main image: counterstrike.fandom.com

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