Is Anubis a good replacement for Dust2 in professional play?

Anubis, a brand-new community-made map that has never been used competitively before, replaced the long-standing Dust2 in Valve’s update to the official Active Duty map pool earlier this month.

Dust2 received a respectable amount of play ever since its release, placing fourth among the seven maps. Although its removal does not have the same disastrous consequences as the removal of Mirage or Inferno would have had, it nevertheless will have a big influence on professional play. In the recently concluded Blast Premier Falls Final, Dust2 wasn’t really a favorite among the top teams, according to the statistics. Out of the seven maps used during the competitions, Dust2 was the second least favorite among the team, only being selected three times. 

 

The only teams that seemed to be in favor of the map were the Brazilian underdog Fluxo and the Ukrainian powerhouse Natus Vincere, while other teams were seen rejecting the map through a veto or choosing another map instead. Regardless of whether a team is playing CS:GO at an amateur level or higher up the rankings, Anubis is an intriguing alternative to Dust2. 

The top-tier teams must decide whether to outlaw the new map in order to avoid the high variability of something that will advance at a fast pace or use their skill to win by raw force on a map that no one will be particularly adept at. It’s an ideological debate that will reveal a lot about the perspectives of each squad especially their approach to change. The teams with the best IGLs, coaches, and backroom staff are expected to ascend to the top of Anubis the quickest, at least that’s what the historical data about tactical maps suggest.

Twistzz has a suggestion for teams interested in trying out the new map

Community and professional discussions always erupt when important changes are made, such as those made to the competitive map pool. While professional players typically oppose changes to the map pool, particularly if those changes directly impact their squad, Russel “Twistzz” Van Dulken, the standout rifler for FaZe Clan, has a different opinion on Anubis. During an interview with Pley, the star North American rifler said that Anubis is a very slow-paced map and it is going to be great for the scene. 

To test the waters on this new map and ensure that they’re comfortable with it, Twistzz suggests that each team should practice it for at least one week. Whether the team will select the map or not will be revealed when the map is featured in professional play in December. The new map will be employed at the BLAST Premier World Final, which will take place in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, from December 14 to December 18.

Header: Activision