After months of small but still significant changes and improvements, Valve has finally released the Kraken.
Their January 29 update not only changed the Active Duty map pool. It also significantly boosted the CT side.
Map Changes
The much-anticipated new version of Train is finally here. Unsurprisingly, the map that it replaced is Vertigo. Almost everyone hated this map and for good reason.
Meanwhile, players and fans alike have fond memories of Train. But this isn’t exactly the Train we used to know. It’s been improved in lots of ways and it’s guaranteed to facilitate the creation of numerous clutch and ace clips.
Weapon Changes
In the last several months, the CT side felt a bit underwhelming and the meta evolved in ways that gave the T side a significant advantage of most maps. Something had to be done and Valve decided to reduce the price of two key weapons: M4A4 and FAMAS.
The first one now costs just $2900, while the second one costs $1950. These small buffs will give the CT side the opportunity to buy more utility and potentially win more rounds.
When you calculate the difference for just one player and one round, it’s not that much: $100 for your typical M4A4 round. But for an entire team, it’s $400 or even $500 if no AWP is bought.
The scope dot on AUG/SG was also adjusted, making them more effective at range. Very few players buy such weapons but for those who do, this is a welcome change.
The accuracy of the MP9, MP5-SD, and MP7 was reduced but only when using these weapons while crouched. This might eliminate some of the tactics currently employed by players to gain an advantage while competing against better-equipped opponents.
Other Changes
With the arrival of Premier Season Two, Premier matchmaking has resumed, and ranked players will need to win 10 matches for recalibration. In many cases, this will be postponed by a few weeks because of IEM Katowice 2025, which is about to start.
