CS2 Update to Bring Cache and New Armory Collection

The CS2 community is buzzing with anticipation after Valve updated the official CS2 X profile banner with imagery that unmistakably hints towards Cache. The move has been widely interpreted not as a random move but as a deliberate signal that one of Counter-Strike's most beloved maps is finally coming home.

CS2 updates X cover image with Cache (Screenshot from CS2 X account)

Valve's social media banner tease follows a pattern the community has seen before. When Train was being prepared for its return in late 2024, Valve updated the CS2 profile banner on November 5, and the map went live just nine days later on November 14.

If the same timeline applies here, Cache could be officially playable before the end of April 2026. This is far from Valve's first hint, as the studio purchased full rights to Cache from its original creator, FMPONE, back in May 2025.

Cache Is Ready and Community-Approved

The groundwork for Cache's return has been in place for months. FMPONE released a full CS2 remake of Cache through the Steam Workshop, which the community has been playtesting extensively. He also confirmed Valve has the rights to Cache.

Valve has since been radio silent about the map, and is reportedly rebuilding the map with CS2's technical standards in mind. The delay, however, has put the community in a frenzy, with the community asking the devs for Cache after every update.

In April 2026, Cache won a FACEIT community vote with over 190,000 votes, comfortably defeating Train and Vertigo for an optional pool slot that launched on April 22, underlining the map's popularity

New Collections Incoming

The upcoming Cache update is expected to bring notable collection changes alongside it, following a pattern Valve has been consistent with each major map pool shakeup. Currently, the Sport and Field Collection and the Train Collection are both visibly marked as leaving soon directly within the CS2 store, signaling that their time in the active drop pool is drawing to a close. Alongside these two collections, two sticker packs are also flagged for removal in the near future.

Multiple CS2 collections are about to leave the store (In-game screenshot)

The collections that will replace the existing collections are likely the "Call to Armory" submissions. The themes for these weapon and sticker collections are as follows:

Weapon finishes:
- Arabesque Art and Arabian Mythology
- Spy/Tech
Stickers:
- Auto Racing

Additionally, a new Cache-specific skin collection is widely anticipated to accompany the map's official release, much like how Valve revamped the Anubis Collection when that map returned to the pool.

Estimated Timeline

Based on Valve's established precedent with Train's return, the Cache update could land within the last week of April or the first days of May 2026. FACEIT has already launched the map on their servers, and the profile banner tease suggests the addition is imminent. We can also expect Cache to join the Active Duty Map pool with Premier Season 5, and Valve has historically tied major map pool changes to new seasonal resets.

The community has waited over seven years since Cache was last in the active duty pool, removed back in March 2019 in favor of Vertigo. If Valve follows its own playbook, the wait is almost over.

Don't forget to follow Strafe Esports for the latest news on your favorite esports titles, and check out our X profile for the most recent content and coverage.

Also, stay tuned to the Strafe YouTube channel for exclusive interviews, press conferences, and much more.

Featured Image Credit: Valve/FMPONE

Animgraph 2 Is Live: New CS2 Third-Person Animations Have Just Arrived

A New Chapter Begins: karrigan Takes the Wheel at Team Falcons