Many CS2 maps have histories spanning well over a decade and are instantly recognizable by players and spectators alike. And if you’re new to the series because of the buzz surrounding this year’s release of Counter-Strike 2 (CS2), you should do yourself a favor and learn more about the game’s official map pool. Knowledge is power, after all.
Join us as we discuss each CS2 map, explain where these maps appear in the different game modes, and look back at old CS and CS:GO maps we would love to see added in a future update.
CS2 Maps
CS2 Map Pool
There are 10 official maps available in CS2 as of this writing. We’ll discuss the entire CS2 map pool, the origin of each map, and the interesting details you may not know. Let’s “go go go!”
Anubis
The Egypt-themed Anubis is the latest bomb defusal map to enter the Active Duty pool (Nov. 18, 2022) following the IEM Rio Major. It is the second community-made map to appear in the biggest tournaments and Majors, and it was created by Roald van der Scheur, “jakuza,” and “jd40.”
Anubis has received praise from the community as a well-balanced map. Valve now manages and owns the map following its release into the Active Duty map pool.
Ancient
With an archaeological site layout and details resembling the Aztec empire, Ancient replaced Train in the Active Duty map pool on May 3, 2021. In CS2, Ancient received minimal changes apart from graphical upgrades and is currently available in all game modes except Wingman. Many gamers see Ancient as a spiritual successor to the Aztec map.
Dust II
David Johnston created Dust II, and we first saw the map appear as an official release on March 13, 2001 in Counter-Strike 1.1—more than two decades ago! In CS2, Dust II is one of the Touchstone maps, which means Valve only upgraded the map’s lightning and graphics while leaving the layout intact from its CS:GO version.
Dust II is the only Reserves Group map in CS2. Despite not currently existing in the Active Duty map pool, it has a good chance of returning to esports events.
Inferno
Based in Italy, Inferno is one of the oldest maps and was released with CS on June 27, 1999. Inferno’s original creator is Chris “Barney” Auty. It is often considered a “decider” third map in competitive CS2, because it’s finely balanced between the T and CT sides.
In CS2, Inferno is part of the Active Duty map pool. It is classified as an “overhaul” map, which means Valve rebuilt everything from the ground up and made several changes. Inferno boasts one of the most iconic callouts in CS history, “Banana,” where thousands of grenades rain down from both the Ts and CTs.
Italy
Created by Glen Cooper and Jaison Green, Italy is a fan-favorite map currently in CS2’s Hostage Rescue group. The map features narrow pathways perfect for creating chokepoints and the iconic marketplace section, where many players have spent hours shooting vegetables and fruits! Italy was released during the original Counter-Strike beta (6.5 update) on June 8, 2000.
Mirage
Mirage first appeared on June 6, 2013 and was created by Michael Hull and CPL. With beautiful Moroccan-style architecture, Mirage is a CS2 touchstone map, which means Valve only upgraded the lighting. It is the only map to appear in all 15 Major Championships and continues its reign in CS2’s Active Duty map pool.
Nuke
Released in November 1999, Nuke’s setting is a North American nuclear power station. It’s become one of the most iconic CS maps over the years. Many consider Nuke a Counter-Terrorist (CT) map, and you’ll often see teams pull ahead on the CT side. In CS2, Valve only updated the lighting and removed the skybox, which classifies Nuke as one of the upgrade maps in the Active Duty map pool.
Office
Office is one of two Hostage maps in CS2 and a long-time favorite for many players. CTs must infiltrate an office building based in the United States and rescue hostages from the Ts. Alex Manilov created the map that debuted in the series way back in 1999.
Overpass
Set in Berlin, Overpass was released on Dec. 18, 2013 and features iconic callouts such as “Monster.” On this map, CTs defend a military shipment to thwart the Ts, who can blow it to smithereens. In CS2, Overpass is part of the Active Duty group and classified as an “overhaul map,” so it was wholly rebuilt with new textures, lighting, and structures.
Vertigo
Vertigo was added to Counter-Strike 1.1 way back on March 13, 2001. True to its name, the map may give you vertigo if you’re not careful, because it takes place within a skyscraper that’s under construction. Many players have fallen off Vertigo as a result of its unique multi-level layout and structure. Vertigo is a “touchstone” map in CS2, with the only change being improved lighting.
New Maps
On June 26, with the The Real MVP update, Valve added some new maps to the map pool. For more information about these head over to our post about new community maps in CS2.
CS2 Classic Competitive Maps
The CS2 Classic Competitive mode features Active Duty, Reserve Group, and Defuse maps. Don’t forget to also check out our post about CS2 Betting Maps where we go into detail about the maps used in major tournaments.
- Mirage
- Overpass
- Inferno
- Vertigo
- Ancient
- Anubis
- Office
- Italy
- Dust II
- Nuke
CS2 Casual Maps
The Casual map pool in CS2 features the same maps as Classic Competitive and Deathmatch, and includes new maps namely:
- Mirage
- Overpass
- Inferno
- Vertigo
- Ancient
- Anubis
- Office
- Italy
- Dust II
- Nuke
- Thera
- Mills
CS2 Deathmatch Maps
Deathmatch features all official CS2 maps, including Active Duty, Reserve Group, and Hostage Rescue group options.
- Mirage
- Overpass
- Inferno
- Vertigo
- Ancient
- Anubis
- Office
- Italy
- Dust II
- Nuke
CS2 Premier Maps
The maps in CS2’s Premier Mode are all from the Active Duty map pool, and they’re used in Majors and all the biggest esports tournaments. All these maps feature A Site and B Site bombsite callouts and finely balanced gameplay.
- Inferno
- Mirage
- Overpass
- Nuke
- Vertigo
- Anubis
- Dust 2
CS2 Wingman Maps
There are only four playable maps in CS2’s Wingman game mode. These are smaller, compact versions of the original maps.
- Overpass
- Vertigo
- Inferno
- Nuke
Will CS2 Bring Back Old Maps?
The release dates of old favorites such as Aztec, Train, and Cobblestone, are unknown, but we’re confident that these classics will make their way into the game’s map pool. Old Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) maps may also return with overhauled visuals thanks to the Source 2 engine when (or if) Valve releases the first CS2 Operation.
CS2 players are hoping for more Wingman options, too, because only four are available via official matchmaking. We agree! And we’d love to see Extraction, Bank, Cascade, and Ravine return as options within Wingman.
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