Counter-Strike 2 has brought across many of the classic maps from the Counter-Strike series, some of them now coming up on two decades old. But which maps are the best in CS2, and which have overstayed their welcome? These are the best and worst maps in CS2.
Counter-Strike maps take a lot of time to get right, and often require thousands of rounds to iron out all the weird angles, timings, and rotations. Thankfully, most of these maps are many years old, and are as close to perfect as they will come.
Admittedly, others are still a little rough around the edges and may require some updates to get right. In total, there are 9 competitive maps right now in CS2. For now, these are the best maps in CS2 to play in competitive modes.
CS2 map tier list
9. Office
Unfortunately for Office, it has to be relegated to the bottom of the list, mainly because it is a hostage map, which is an inherently less balanced mode. And, to be honest, the map isn’t all that balanced either.
That doesn’t stop it being fun though – so don’t write Office off entirely. But, if you’re looking for the true, competitive gameplay on offer in CS2, you won’t find it here.
8. Vertigo
One of the newer maps added to the active duty map pool, Vertigo has come a very long way from its frankly awful beginnings. While it doesn’t rank very highly on the list here, it is certainly a competitively viable map, not something that could always be said about this highrise experience.
But, it still lacks the tactical depth and opportunities for creativity that other maps ranked higher on the list allow. It can be a fun map, but particularly challenging when playing with a less-than-coordinated team of random teammates.
7. Dust II
It might be the most iconic CS map of all time, and maybe even of all first-person shooters, but Dust2’s age has started to show, with it mercifully rotated out of the active duty map pool in 2022.
It’s still a fun map to play, but the gameplay has become stale after all these years, and even with the changes to smokes in CS2, it’s not enough for Dust2 to truly match up to the competitive excellence like some of the maps higher up our rankings.
6. Anubis
Anubis is the newest map in the competitive pool, and given it’s still so new, it’s impressively good. We fully expect there are more updates to come for Anubis, to improve the balance a little bit, as it still remains a little tilted towards the T side. But it’s an excellent map when your team is on the same page.
The problem for Anubis currently is that most of your random teammates won’t know a lot of smoke or flash lineups yet, meaning it gets very chaotic fast. Also, the team with the better AWPer will dominate mid most matches.
5. Inferno
If this ranking was based on the best-looking CS2 maps, Inferno would likely be top. Unfortunately, we also have to judge it on the gameplay. While positive steps have been taken to make retaking more viable in the CS2 version, it’s still one of the most save-heavy maps in rotation. Retaking either A or B at a player disadvantage is still an absolute nightmare.
The removal of sky boxes in CS2 has also added a layer of complexity when taking mid, as CTs can now smoke T ramp right from spawn. This leads to a lot of very aggressive CT pushes down mid, which isn’t much fun for the Ts. But it’s not all bad – Inferno is still a classic of CS and so finds itself in the middle of the pack.
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4. Ancient
Other than Anubis, Ancient is the next youngest map in rotation. Inspired by the classic vibes of Aztec, Ancient is a much more competitive and balanced version. With CT spawns pushed back, Ts can finally have a chance at more than a few rounds.
Again, the removal of sky boxes in CS2 makes for even more intricate smoke lineups, and they work better here than on Inferno. Ancient feels like a nearly perfectly balanced map at this point. The only criticism players still have is the long rotations, as well as the insanely huge bomb radius – which makes saving a real challenge.
3. Overpass
Overpass is often considered the hardest map to play if your team isn’t coordinated, but if you feel like putting your team on your back, it’s also a map that allows for a lot of individual creativity. With multiple lanes of attack for the Ts, you can keep the CTs guessing at all times with your movements and utility.
The map still plays the same as it did in CS:GO, but you’ll need to learn a few new smoke and Molotov lineups, particularly for B site, where proportions have changed slightly. A close game of Overpass is always a fun, if challenging, experience.
2. Mirage
By far the most popular map in CS:GO and still so in CS2, Mirage is the ultimate pugging experience. Like Overpass, there is enough room to get creative on this map that you won’t feel totally incapable of winning the round if your teammates aren’t quite pulling their weight.
Where Mirage really shines though is when your team is on the same page. Fighting for mid is always a high-risk, high-reward combat loop, and relies as much on your utility usage as raw aim and crosshair placement. Mirage hasn’t had a single significant update in years, but, does it really need it?
1. Nuke
Nuke finds itself in top spot of our best CS2 maps ranking, thanks to its deep tactical nuance, unique design, and excellent balance. Thanks to several small but impactful iterations over the years, the current version of Nuke feels like Counter-Strike map design as close to perfect as it can get.
There’s no doubt that it requires strong teamwork to win this map, both on the T and CT side, but ultimately that’s what CS is all about. But, even if your team is not singing from the same hymn sheet, you can still have lots of fun and express yourself on this map as a solo player. And that goes for rifling as well as AWPing, with a good mix of long and medium-range fights. For now, Nuke is the gold-standard Counter-Strike map.
That concludes our ranking of the best maps in Counter-Strike 2, that can be played competitively in Premier (except Office) or Competitive queue.
We know that there are still more maps set to be added to CS2, such as Train, so when these are added we’ll be sure to update our rankings.
In the meantime, check out our other CS2 guides:
What is sub-tick in Counter-Strike 2? | All smoke changes in Counter-Strike 2 | Can you play Counter-Strike 2 on Linux or macOS? | Can banned CS:GO players play Counter-Strike 2? | What will happen to my CSGO skins? | Will Counter-Strike 2 come to Steam Deck? | Valve officially reveals Counter-Strike 2 | Everything we know about Counter-Strike 2
