Train is a memorable and classic Counter-Strike map. We're excited to begin a new chapter in the history of Train by releasing a new and upgraded version for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. We've rebuilt the map from the ground up in order to improve both the visual appearance and competitive gameplay balance of this iconic location.
Our primary goals were to improve the gameplay balance of the map while simultaneously upgrading the overall visual experience. This meant making more intuitive layout changes, then re-interpreting large and small-scale environment elements to improve judgement of space and distance. Check out the video to see a montage of iterative changes made during development. We've also outlined some in-depth explanations of these changes in more detail below.
Train is available now in Competitive Matchmaking and other game modes as a part of the Operation Vanguard map group. Help us improve the map by playing it and giving us your feedback!
Bombsite A changes
The layout of the site has been adjusted to improve the strategic experience of taking or retaking control of the bomb target. Checking Site A for hidden enemies was especially difficult in the previous version of Train. In the upgraded version, it's possible for a confident team to check common hiding spots in a more deliberate and methodical fashion, instead of needing to rush out into dangerous overlapping lines of fire.
The bomb sites are the primary visual and gameplay elements of the map. We wanted to ensure the sites stood out both physically and aesthetically. To accomplish this, we increased the saturation of the nuclear engines and containers relative to the surrounding environment. The subdued tones of the surrounding walls and train cars allow the bright bomb targets to catch and hold visual attention. In order to help spot enemy players, we carefully arranged large, solid areas of environmental color without sacrificing up-close attention to detail.
Since this is a main gameplay area of the map, we strived to ensure the increased graphical fidelity did not interfere with gameplay. For example, the fallen train car containing the bomb target has caused damage to the environment, but the damage is contained to the ground where readability is not an issue. The same consideration was made to the texturing of the surrounding space. The walls are simple and bare towards the player area, but graphical fidelity increases towards the top of the space. To make it easier to judge distances, we added human scale references such as handles, utility props and more.
