Valve Has Been Working on Pets for CS2 for Three Years

Valve has been working on an animal companion system, says an insider, who has been divulging details about Valve’s Counter-Strike 2. Apparently, they have been taking this project on for about three years, so 2026 might be the year this long-awaited system debuts to the gaming community.

The insider expects that the inclusion of pets is going to come hand-in-hand with changes that Valve has been planning for CS2. Some of the changes that are expected include improvements in third-party character animations. As per the insider, improvements in these animations are still under development by the developers.

There are also reports of a possible return of the classic maps Safehouse and Lake, which were previously available in casual game modes and were popular among casual players. In addition, according to the dataminer, Valve may continue moving toward a gradual departure from the traditional case system, making the release of new classic cases in the future increasingly unlikely.

These rumors fit into Valve’s broader strategy. Earlier, Valve officially confirmed that on January 19, after the conclusion of the third Premier season, the map Train will be removed from the map pool and replaced by Anubis-a rotation that tournament organizers have already adopted. Additionally, in January, fans estimated that Valve may have earned over $1 billion from case openings alone in 2025.

Valve May Have Earned Over $1 Billion from CS2 Case Keys in 2025

If the insider’s information proves accurate, 2026 could become one of the most change-filled and eventful years in CS2.