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The Nuke map (pictured) is one of the oldest and most popular maps in Counter Strike overall (source: counterstrike.fandom.com)
Since Counter Strike 1.6, the map pool has gone through a considerable transformation, but many core concepts from 1.6 have endured and received a modern look in the new Counter Strike 2. Today we will dive into the Active Duty maps, which are available for ranked matches and are played at esports tournaments. Of course, there are maps exclusive to less-played game modes (e.g. Shooting Range for Arms Race or Baggage for Deathmatch). These are negligible for several reasons: matches on them do not contribute to your rating (elo, rank) in any way, they are not played on the esports scene, and they do not receive the same care as the Active Duty maps. The basic division of the most-played maps is based on the main objective on a given map. Hostage maps (e.g. Office, Militia) have not appeared in Active Duty for a long time and today serve primarily for casual play. Bomb defusal maps remain the primary focus of CS, and those are the ones we will talk about today.
Jungle, sounds of wild animals, humidity… That is how one could describe the excavation site found on the Ancient map. It is a fairly large map with many options for attacking the sites where the bomb must be planted. The map was created by the Valve developers themselves and introduced to the world in 2020 with Operation Broken Fang. Player opinions on it vary, but that did not stop it from replacing the rather outdated Train map in 2021.
Some believe the map is heavily tilted in favor of the counter-terrorist side, but with small tweaks Valve is trying to balance the gameplay for both sides.
Anubis
The scorching sun and sandstone buildings create the magical atmosphere of the newest addition to Active Duty: the Anubis map. It is a community map that first appeared in 2020 and made it into Active Duty very quickly. However, the map did not work well enough to be part of the competitive scene and was completely removed from the game.
In 2022, a reworked version returned (to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the release of CS:GO) and within a few weeks it appeared in Active Duty again, where it has remained to this day. Since it replaced Dust II, perhaps the most beloved map, it earned the displeasure of fans. Today the map is played fairly often and is known for its slow rounds that nevertheless end in explosive action.
Map preview
Source: counterstrike.fandom.com
Inferno
An Italian town and a midday siesta. The small shops are closed, but that does not stop the terrorists from attacking two spots of the underground gas pipeline. The history of the Inferno map goes all the way back to 1999, when it was created by a community member (Chris “Narby” Auty). With the arrival of Counter Strike 2, this map received perhaps the biggest changes in terms of new technologies and visuals.
Inferno is a fairly small map that some love and others hate, but it guarantees exactly what its name suggests: combat hell.
Mirage
Today, the desert map Mirage is the most-played map. Thanks to its layout it offers matches full of tension: will the terrorists attack the closer and larger bomb site, or choose the slower route through the apartments to the second bombsite? With the arrival of the new version of CS, Mirage did not see many changes – it was mainly affected by new lighting effects and illumination.
Map preview
Source: counterstrike.fandom.com
Nuke
Blowing up the reactors of a nuclear power plant would be a dream for the terrorists, but the heroic counter-terrorist unit is trying to stop them. Nuke is another map that got its first version back in 1999. It has gone through many aesthetic changes as well as changes affecting gameplay. Today the map offers plenty of tactical options for both sides, and once again immediate action at the start of the round meets a slower, more strategic approach.
Overpass
Action in the middle of a busy German city in broad daylight. The Overpass map is an official Valve creation and was the only one designed directly for competitive matches. The large map offers many strategies for both sides, but in any case the terrorists’ main objective is to blow up the weapons cargo in a crashed truck.
Map preview
Source: counterstrike.fandom.com
Vertigo
Vertigo is another community map (created by Chris “Narby” Auty, same as Inferno) that made it into Active Duty. The top of a skyscraper under construction can give more than a few people real vertigo, so be careful near the edges! It is in fact the only map in CS2 Active Duty that you can fall off of and die. The map is once again fairly large and offers many different attack approaches.
Honorable mentions
There are maps we simply must mention in an article about CS. These maps are currently in the reserve pool (reserve maps). Dust II resembles a Middle Eastern city and is based on its predecessor – the Dust map. It is without a doubt the most-played and most popular map in the history of the game.
The snow-covered office spaces of the Office map hide terrorists holding hostages. Opinions on this map vary (at one point it was the main cheater map), but it is perfect for casual play. On the other side of the world we again have sunny Italy and the map it inspired, Italy. Here the counter-terrorists must once again free the hostages, but first they have to win the street fight. It used to be a very popular map, but it has slowly begun to fade into obscurity.
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Frequently asked questions
1️⃣ What is the most-played Active Duty map in CS2?
In the new version of Counter Strike, the most matches have been played on the Mirage map.
2️⃣ On which maps do I earn points toward my rating (elo)?
On all maps available in Premier mode (i.e. the Active Duty maps).
3️⃣ How often do the Active Duty maps change?
Not very often; this happens at most twice a year. It is usually due to a particular map becoming outdated, or an update for a map that was in the reserve pool.
