CS2 update, July 21, 2026: bomb explosion and smoke interaction

• The bomb damage health preview is now revealed when the bomb becomes audible.
• The bomb explosion now interacts with smoke grenade clouds and molotov/incendiary fire.

\Fachwerk

• Updated to the latest version from the Community Workshop (Update Notes)Boulder
• Updated to the latest version from the Community Workshop (Update Notes)Debris
• Updated to the latest version from the Community Workshop (Update Notes)\
• Added Workshop maps section to Play menu for Counter-Strike in Steam China.
• Added a shortcut to Community Servers list to Play menu for Counter-Strike in Steam China.

The bomb explosion now fully interacts with smoke grenade clouds and molotov fire - smoke and flames will obstruct the blast wave propagation. Additionally, players will hear a damage preview audio cue when the bomb becomes audible. These changes affect round tactics and make grenades a more valuable defensive tool.

Community server owners don't need to take special action - the mechanic applies to all matches automatically. The maps Fachwerk, Boulder, and Debris received updates from Community Workshop, so if these maps are hosted on your server, it's recommended to verify their versions are current. For players in Steam China, convenient links to Workshop maps and Community Servers have been added to the Play menu.

Tactically, smoke grenades and molotovs are now more effective against explosions - on servers with active bomb gameplay this may shift the balance when defending sites. Test explosion behavior at your familiar positions.