Counter-Strike: Global Offensive's Dust2 revamped

The iconic level De_dust2 has returned revamped to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive [official site], having been removed from the main playlists in February. This new version makes a few tweaks to how it plays and brings a fresh new look. Kiss that early '10s murk and grime goodbye and welcome in this modern city. The new Dust2 hit test servers last week then fully, properly launched for everyone last night.

Valve explain their three main goals with the revision:

• Improve player readability throughout the map
• Refine movement around the world including cover
• Upgrade the visuals to be in line with modern maps

In short, they've removed a lot of overly dark spots that housed campers or confused the eye, they've removed a lot of knobbly geometry bits and physics props that could mess with movement, and they'd made it all pretty-like (including a pleasing amount of plants). Do see Valve's post for loads of comparisons and explanations of individual changes. They also explain a little about the look:

"The Bombsite B section of the map is now a historic Kasbah under restoration while Bombsite A is a bazaar and hotel. The texture resolution has been quadrupled and a North African prop set established for all you community mappers to use. Now, the bad news is the 2 pizza parlors are no more. The good news: they've been replaced by 2 dentist offices. Coincidence? Probably not."

The update bringing the new Dust2 packed some solid other changes too, focused on sound. The HRTF algorithm, the new-ish option for better positional audio, is improved. Loads of unique sounds to give a richer sonic environment are in too: jump landing sounds for most surfaces; sounds for picking up weapons and grendaes; and bullet impacts for vehicles and barrels. All of which should make it a lot easier to judge what's going on in the world using your ears.

Volume of the Music Kit soundtracks is rebalanced so they're less ear-blastingly loud too.

Check the patch notes for full details.