Valve has pushed an update to the Dust2 bomb explosion radii, which could have a seismic impact on the competitive and casual scene alike.
Ashes to ashes, Dust2 dust. That’s what Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) players might be thinking as they hide behind Car on the B Site with full health, and unexpectedly get blown to smithereens.
It’s not a bug or player error. No, it appears that Valve has increased the bomb explosion radius on Dust2 and decided not to tell players about the significant changes.
Nowhere to hide on B after the update. Image Credit: Valve
The developer has left it up to players to figure out that something changed, how much damage they take on certain spots depending on where the bomb is planted, and which areas are still safe from explosions.
Given that Dust2 is in the competitive active map pool, we could see some unexpected deaths as competition at the Esports World Cup continues, following a first day filled with massive upsets.
Bomb Damage You’ll Take on Popular Dust2 Spots
Not all heroes wear capes. Some don an M80 jersey and share critical information on social media. Thanks go to pro player Michael “Swisher” Schmid, who first revealed the change to followers with an informative tweet via X.
You can check out the details below, with “DEAD” obviously indicating there’s no chance of survival when you’re at a specific spot when the bomb explodes. The values below showcase the damage you’ll take while in particular areas on Dust2, depending on where the bomb is planted.
Default Plant B:
- Car = DEAD
- Tunnel corner near car = DEAD
- Deep tunnel = 38
- Outside tunnel = 21
- Deep CT = 26
Plant A for Long Plat:
- Long corner = 98
- Cat cubby = 64
- Mid door = 44
- Outside long door = 32
- Deep pit = 7
Plant A for Pit:
- Long corner = DEAD
- Cat cubby = 58
- Outside long door = 40
- Mid door = 37
- Deep pit = 11
These new Dust2 bomb damage values on popular spots with the increased radii on all plant positions are live for everyone, including pro players competing at the highest levels of Counter-Strike.
A not-so-pleasant surprise: Valve omits changes
By all accounts, these changes come as fiery surprise to CS2 esports fans, casual gamers, competitive players, and pros alike.
Valve hasn’t told players about the changes. Image Credit: Valve
Fans are sharing their experience with the increased bomb radii on Reddit, with mentions of seeing pro players, including the GOAT, Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev, die due to the change: “I saw s1mple die on Dust2 from bomb explosion with 65 hp in deep tunnel, this is probably why lol”
Valve didn’t note these changes to the bomb explosion radii for the A and B Sites of Dust2 in any recent patch notes. We’ve gone back to check through several months of patch notes, and there’s no mention of bomb explosion radii being increased, on any map, let alone Dust2.
You can check the CS2 patch notes yourself, going back as far as May 2025, before heading into archived territory. It’s unclear if the changes went live with the August 2, 14, or 19 update.