Major new CS:GO update improves visibility, flips Dust2 B Site door and more

While everyone is anxiously awaiting the long-rumoured CS:GO Source 2 port, Valve continues to improve the game. In the major new CS:GO update, the developer has improved on the player visibility issue across all maps with a fantastic new graphic setting.

CS:GO Boost Player Contrast

Player visibility has been an issue in CS:GO for a very long time. With the major new CS:GO update, Valve has added a new graphic setting called “Boost Player Contrast”, with the aim of making characters stand out from the background.

This Boost Player Contrast setting is turned on by default as of the latest update.

What the new CS:GO setting does:

• Increases the character’s contrast against the background at far distances.
• Strengthens edge pixels for characters at far distances.
• Creates a small blur around a character to reduce background noise.
• Creates a small contrasting halo around a character when there is no colour difference between the character and the environment.

Valve also modified the textures of some character models, and adjusted fog. In CS:GO, fog is applied separately to characters and to the rest of the game world. Valve has decreased the fogging on characters across all maps, to help characters stand out from the background at longer distances.

Further, Valve has continued to improve visibility by changing specific areas of some maps. This includes inverting the infamous door at Dust2’s B Bombsite.

Map changes in new CS:GO update

You can check out the map changes and improvements Valve has made in this major CS:GO update, with most of these changes helping to improve visibility.

Overpass:

• Removed large ivy-models near bathrooms by A site
• Removed thin windows in bathrooms by A site
• Removed bicycle by picnic by A long
• Brightened up connector tunnel
• Brightened up T spawn
• Added nice stone trims

Dust2:

• Flipped B site doors
• Simplified background when looking from B tunnels towards truck in mid
• Changed fog start distance from 1000 to 512, changed max density from .2 to .4
• Raised windows by A site ramp to make characters stand out more

Mirage:

• Removed trash pile at top of mid
• Trimmed plant by T spawn, towards apartments
• Boosted light in market window
• Fixed silent dropdown bug from B site balcony
• Changed angle of ladder in ladder-room
• Inferno:
• Trimmed ivy by CT spawn towards A site arch
• Fixed CSM shadow from tower in mid

Train:

• Added new train bumper model with flat top

Cache:

• Replaced ladder to sniper’s nest with a box
• Cleaned up several important angles.
• Added 1v1 Arenas
• Replaced cargo containers with new model for improved performance
• Visibility improvements in T entrance to A Main
• Fixed unwanted/unintuitive wallbang in Mid Shed
• Subtle color tweaks
• Various clipping fixes
• Optimizations

There you have it, everything new in the big CS:GO update from Valve. While it is not the Source 2 port, it is definitely a nice update. Visibility improvements is something the community have been asking for since 2012, after all.

Header image via Valve