14 DAY TRIAL // Valve has just deployed a brand new update to its popular first-person shooter Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, titled Operation Bloodhound and bringing a fresh set of maps to the game and some new unlocks.
The maps, as Valve has accustomed us to with previous such updates, are made by the game's community members. Players will be able to shoot each other on Rails, Resort, Zoo, Log, and on re-released editions of Season and Agency.
It's always good to see new maps making it into Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, and Valve has been doing a pretty good job of curating the community-created content.
There are no balance changes, so you don't have to get adjusted to any new mechanics. The biggest change as far as gameplay goes is the casual match time reduction, down to 2:15, from the previous 3 minutes.
The Bloodhound Access Pass also includes access to two new campaigns, web challenges that players can take part in in order to earn various weapon skins and unlockable crates.
A new profile progression system
While having new maps to play on with your friends is great, many people will probably greet the new metagame progression content with lukewarm feelings.
There is now an additional layer of profile progression called Profile Rank, allowing you to show off with a new title and icon. Additionally, the first time your rank up each week, you'll earn a new weapon drop.
This means that player profiles will now have two different types of rankings, one that measures competitive skill, and another one that tracks how much you've played across all available game modes.
The update also delivers some neat new weapon finishes that can be found in weapons cases, alongside the brand new Falchion knife. You can see it in action and catch a glimpse of its fancy animation in the video below.
Operation Bloodhound will be available until September 30, 2015. You can read the entire patch notes by hitting the button below.
