List Of Competitive Counter-Strike Maps

''Counter-Strike 2'' and its predecessor '' Counter-Strike: Global Offensive'' are first-person shooter games developed by Valve Corporation and both are the most recent entries in the ''Counter-Strike'' series. The franchise has a very large competitive scene, which has received large media coverage. As a result, the games' multiplayer maps have built longstanding reputations within the series, with some becoming significant to the first person shooter genre as a whole with enduring legacies.

Traditional gameplay of ''Counter-Strike'' features two teams, the Terrorists and Counter Terrorists, fighting for control of a map while trying to fulfill their respective objectives. The goal of the Terrorists is to either kill all Counter Terrorists or plant and detonate a bomb at a bomb site within the level, and the goal of the Counter Terrorists is to either kill all Terrorists or defuse the bomb.

This article serves as a list of maps featured in ''Counter-Strike: Global Offensive'' and ''Counter-Strike 2'' that have established notability in the first-person shooter genre and/or in the games' large competitive scene.

Competitive maps

Different game modes have separate competitive map pools. While many popular levels are designed by Valve Corporation, some community-created maps are also rotated in and may become long-term additions to the competitive scene. Among popular ''Counter-Strike'' maps are levels listed by Valve as "Active Duty." Such maps are considered the most balanced and competitive by Valve and are used in nearly all competitive ''Counter-Strike: Global Offensive'' tournaments.

The list of Active Duty maps changes occasionally, normally by replacing just one map at a time. Maps such as Dust II have been added, then removed, and then added back again at a later date.

As of April 2024, the seven Active Duty maps in Counter-Strike 2 are Ancient, Anubis, Dust II, Inferno, Mirage, Nuke and Vertigo.

Ancient

Ancient (de_ancient) was introduced to the game in a December 2020 update as part of "Operation Broken Fang". The map takes place in an archeological site, likely in Central America, and was created as a homage to a previous ''Counter-Strike'' map titled de_aztec. The map has received consistent changes and upgrades since its introduction.

The map has consistently appeared in competitive tournaments since its introduction and it is among the most played competitive maps alongside Mirage and Inferno. The map is part of the Active Duty map pool.

Anubis

Anubis (de_anubis) is a community-created map introduced in a March 2020 update at the end of "Operation Shattered Web". The map takes place in Egypt. The map was noted for being buggy upon release, but has been updated over time.

In November 2022, Valve contacted the creators of the map, Roald van der Scheur, "Jakuza", and "jd_40", and offered to buy out the rights to it, an unusual occurrence. Upon their acceptance, it replaced Dust II in the competitive map pool in November 2022, becoming the final competitive change before the release of ''Counter-Strike 2.'' The map went from the least popular competitive map to a popular choice during the 2023 Paris Major. The map is part of the Active Duty map pool.

Cache

Cache (de_cache) is a map first made for '' Counter-Strike: Source'' in 2004, and was introduced to the ''Global Offensive's'' main competitive map pool in "Operation Breakout" in 2014. It, along with Anubis, have been the only community-made maps to be featured in the Active Duty map pool. It was removed from the game in March 2019 and replaced by Vertigo, before being updated as a standalone map outside of competitive play later that year.

According to ''Rock, Paper, Shotgun'', Cache has been compared to Inferno and Dust II, as one of the most well designed maps in the ''Counter-Strike'' series. The map was used in a study from Uppsala University for a full analysis on level design in competitive video games. A remake of the original Cache is a very popular demand for ''Counter-Strike 2'' competitive map pool.

Dust II

Inferno

Mirage

Nuke

Overpass

Overpass (de_overpass) was the first competitive map made from the ground up for ''Global Offensive'' in a December 2013 update alongside an updated version of Cobblestone. The map takes place in two different environments, an open canal and a public park. The map has an increased emphasis on long-ranged combat. Overpass was updated in April 2014.

The map was one of the most balanced in the game upon release, and has become a very important competitive map. Overpass was added into the Active Duty map pool in 2014 in Global Offensive, and this was carried over into the start of Counter-Strike 2. In April 2024, Overpass was removed from CS2's active duty pool in order to make room for Dust II's return, which led to mixed reactions from players and members of the pro scene.

Train

Train (de_train) is a map from the original ''Counter-Strike'', remade for ''Global Offensive'' in a December 2014 update. It is set in a trainyard and train station featuring many ladders, high platforms, long angles, and tight corridors. It was removed from the competitive map pool in May of 2021 and replaced by Ancient.

Vertigo

Vertigo (de_vertigo) is a map from the original ''Counter-Strike'' added to ''Global Offensive'' in an October 2012 update and added to the competitive map pool in May 2019, replacing the popular map Cache. The map is situated on the top of a skyscraper in an unnamed city.

Vertigo has become relatively unpopular due to its awkward design and for its replacement of Cache. While the map is still part of the Active Duty map pool, it was a popular choice for removal from ''Counter-Strike 2.''

Other maps

Canals

Canals (de_canals) was added to the game in a March 2017 update. The map takes place in a city inspired by Venice, Italy. It was the first new official ''Counter-Strike'' map since the addition of Overpass in 2013. Canals varies from traditional ''Counter-Strike'' level design, and gives the Terrorists a crescent-shaped starting area that is relatively cramped, but gives the Counter-Terrorists a large open area. The map also features additional routes that allow players to go under parts of the map to stealthily arrive to the bomb sites.

Canals was added to the Reserve map pool, placing it outside of traditional competitive play and the map has not seen play in any of the ''Counter-Strike'' majors. The map has been criticized for having an unorthodox layout that has been considered heavily unbalanced in favor of the Terrorists.

References

{{Counter-Strike series