Cache map designer FMPONE shows CSGO fans preview of rework

It may be a month until Cache returns to competitive Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, but map designer FMPONE is already giving fans a sneak peak at some of the location’s changes.

FMPONE put a photo of Cache as his Twitter header, which only made CSGO players even more excited to see the totally reworked map after it was pulled from the active duty map pool in March.

The art in this image very closely resembles stained glass at Cafe Pripyat, a Ukranian eatery located near the Chernobyl power plant. Overlooking the water, Pripyat was a popular destination for young adults until nuclear disaster struck in 1986. Visitors would walk nearby or climb up to the observation tower. Now, Pripyat is a ghost city, abandoned when it was deemed unsafe.

This brings a whole new curiosity to Cache, making fans wonder if Cache may be totally reworked to resemble the toxic city in other ways. The original map is located in Pripyat, and the power plant can be seen in the background.

Cache creator FMPONE continues to drop Cache hints

At the end of June, FMPONE had hinted on Twitter that the newest version of Cache may be done. He released a photo of the minimap, but no further information was given. The vague nature of the tweet didn’t stop CSGO players from speculating what changes might be coming to Cache.

In the image, the word “apple” is visible above the T spawn area. This didn’t seem too significant at first, until FMPONE made a follow-up post that consisted of a single apple emoji. Fans theorized that this could be a connection to “The Big Apple,” or New York City. A few months later, it seems these theories weren’t too far off, since the map will be revealed for the first time at ESL One New York on September 29.

Others believed the apple was a reference to a popular YouTube video depicting a woman eating radioactive apples in Chernobyl.

With FMPONE’s most recent artwork reveal, it seems like this theory might not be too far off either. It’s possible that the reworked de_cache will feature more landmarks from the infamous abandoned city, including the aforementioned cafe.

Cache in the active duty map pool

Cache was removed from CSGO’s active duty map pool in March, replaced by Vertigo. While it remains in the game’s competitive and casual matchmaking pools, Cache isn’t available in professional tournament play.

The removal of Cache didn’t come as a surprise to the CSGO community, since it followed rumors of a possible rework. Valve has removed maps in the past, often with the intention of reworking them. Reworked maps are updated to ensure they’re still visually appealing to players of all levels and to change up gameplay rhythms, although nobody is quite sure how Valve picks which maps to rework. 

After seven months of waiting, Cache will be revealed with its new design at ESL One New York. The new version will be played in a showmatch, but fans in attendance will also have the chance to play on the map that same day. No date has been given for its return to the active map pool.