Mirage Callouts & Map Guide
The most played map in competitive Counter-Strike. A Moroccan-themed three-lane layout where mid control decides rounds, with two bombsites that reward coordinated utility and disciplined trades.
Mirage Overview & History
Mirage began life as de_cpl_strike, a community map created by Michael "BubkeZ" Hüll, before Valve rebuilt it as an official map for CS:GO in 2013. It has stayed in the competitive rotation ever since — through every pool shake-up of the CS:GO era and into CS2, where it remains part of the Active Duty pool after the July 2026 Season 5 update. That longevity makes Mirage the shared language of Counter-Strike: it is the map most players know best at every level, from matchmaking to Majors.
Structurally, Mirage is the textbook three-lane map. A Ramp and Palace feed A site on one flank, B Apartments feeds B on the other, and a long central mid corridor connects everything through Underpass, Catwalk, and Connector. The CT who holds Window (the sniper's nest) sees the whole middle of the map, which is why the opening mid duel shapes almost every round.
Mirage rewards utility knowledge more than raw aim. A handful of set smokes — Window, Connector, Stairs, CT — turn a coin-flip A execute into a controlled site take, and the same is true for apartment flashes into B. If you learn one map's grenades deeply, most players should start here.
Mirage Callouts Map
Named positions on Mirage, plotted where they sit on the radar. Full descriptions for every callout are below.
A SiteStairsJungleConnectorWindow (Sniper's Nest)KitchenCT SpawnB SiteT SpawnA RampPalaceB ApartmentsMidTop MidBoxesUnderpassCat (B Short)Ladder RoomPro Competitive Stats
On Mirage, CTs win 55.4% of rounds — a CT-sided map at the pro level. Aggregated from 1829 tracked matches across 10 teams.
The stronger side takes roughly 55.4% of rounds when CTs hold the advantage. See all CS2 maps compared →
All Callouts (41 positions)
CT Side (22)
A Site
The A bombsite plaza, reached from A Ramp, Palace, Connector/Jungle, and CT. Plants usually go Default or behind Triple Box.
A Default
The standard A plant spot beside the default boxes at the front of the site, plantable from cover.
Tetris
The stack of stepped boxes on the site edge nearest Ramp — a common close-range hold and post-plant hide.
Sandwich
The gap between the Default boxes and Firebox, "sandwiched" between the two — a sneaky off-angle for both sides.
Firebox
The lone box between Sandwich and Stairs, named for the fire graffiti — often molotoved by Ts before entry.
Stairs
The staircase at the back of A site leading up toward the Palace drop — a strong CT hold covering Ramp and Palace.
Ninja
The hidden cubby beneath/behind the Ticket Booth area on A — a classic spot for ninja defuses and sneaky saves.
Ticket Booth
The booth structure on A site near CT; players hide behind or on top of it to surprise site takers.
Triple Box
The stack of three boxes toward the back of A site, a favourite AWP perch covering Ramp and Palace exits.
CT
The passage connecting CT spawn to A site past Ticket Booth — the standard CT rotation route, smoked off in almost every A execute.
Jungle
The shaded room between Connector and A site. Controls the Connector exit and forms a crossfire with Stairs.
Chair
The corner with the chair at the mid end of Connector — a cheeky close hold against Ts pushing from mid.
Window (Sniper's Nest)
The elevated CT window room overlooking all of mid — the most important AWP position on the map.
Kitchen
The room behind Window connecting toward B Market — the fast CT rotation path between mid and B.
CT Spawn
Counter-Terrorist spawn, sitting between A (via CT) and B (via Market/Kitchen) for quick rotations.
B Site
The enclosed B bombsite behind Apartments, defended from Van, Bench, Market, and Short.
Market
The shop interior beside B site with a door onto the site and a window facing Apartments — key CT holding room.
Market Window
The single window in Market overlooking the B site and the Apartments exit — usually smoked or molotoved during B hits.
Market Door
The doorway from Market onto B site — CTs peek it late in executes; Ts must clear it before planting.
Bench
The bench along the back wall of B site — a common post-plant and retake-delay position.
Van
The van parked on B site facing the Apartments exit — the classic close-range B anchor spot.
B Plat
The raised platform on B site near Short where the bomb is often planted for Cat post-plants.
T Side (9)
T Spawn
Terrorist spawn, with routes to A Ramp/Palace on the left, mid ahead, and B Apartments on the right.
T Roof
The rooftop above T spawn — a boost position for early picks toward Top Mid.
A Ramp
The main T entrance to A site from T spawn — an arched ramp corridor that empties onto the site beside Tetris.
Shadows
The dark corner at the bottom of A Ramp beside the site — a favourite lurk and post-plant spot.
Palace
The elevated interior above A site reached from T spawn — Ts drop from its two exits onto the site during A hits.
Pillars
The columned area beneath the Palace exit on A site — checked constantly during site takes and retakes.
B Apartments
The long apartment corridor from T spawn to B site — the primary T route into B.
Apps Ramp
The ramp inside B Apartments climbing from T spawn up to the apartment interior.
Side Alley
The narrow alley branching off Apartments toward Underpass — used to fake B then hit mid.
Mid Control (10)
Connector
The corridor linking mid to Jungle and A site. Whoever holds Connector can rotate or split faster than the enemy.
Mid
The central corridor between Top Mid and Window. Controlling it unlocks Connector (toward A) and Catwalk (toward B).
Top Mid
The T-side mouth of mid, exposed to Window — where Ts smoke and fight for map control each round.
Boxes
The stack of boxes in Top Mid that Ts hide behind to play the Window duel or boost for picks.
Underpass
The tunnel running from the B Apartments side beneath mid, emerging at bottom mid under Window — the sneaky route between B and mid.
Cat (B Short)
The catwalk climbing from mid toward B site — the "short" route to B, guarded by CTs from Window and Site.
Short Corner
The tight corner at the top of Cat before it opens onto B Plat — always cleared before a Short push continues.
Ladder Room
The small room with a ladder connecting mid toward the B half of the map — an alternative flank route.
Vent
The vent passage linking Ladder Room and the B Short area — noisy, but useful for late-round flanks.
Boost
The boost spot at Top Mid where a teammate lifts a player to see over the mid boxes toward Window.
How to Play Mirage T-Side
T-side Mirage starts with mid. A standard default puts two players top mid, one lurking Palace or A Ramp, and two in B Apartments. From there the round is about information: if the mid pair can smoke Window and touch Short, CTs must commit their Connector player, and the map opens up for a split toward either site.
The classic A execute needs three smokes — Window (from T spawn), CT (blocking the path from CT spawn), and Stairs or Jungle — plus Palace and Ramp flashes thrown together. Entry from Palace and Ramp simultaneously stretches the two A defenders in opposite directions. Against retakes, the strongest post-plant setups put one player Palace or Shadows, one Sandwich or Default, and a Ramp anchor watching CT.
B executes are cheaper: an apartment flash, a Short smoke to cut off Cat, and a Market smoke or molotov to deal with the Window-room player. Because B site is close to apartments, contact plays — walking apartments quietly then hitting the site without utility warning — work well against passive B anchors. Practice the standard throws on our lineups page before queueing.
How to Play Mirage CT-Side
CT Mirage is usually played 2-1-2: two A (commonly one Stairs/Ticket Booth, one Jungle or CT), one mid anchor in Window, and two B (one apartments-side, one Short or Van). The Window player is the backbone of the defence — an AWP there controls top mid, denies the Short boost, and can rotate through Kitchen to B in seconds.
Early utility matters: a Top Mid molotov delays the mid default, a Palace smoke or molotov stalls A hits, and an apartments flash lets the B pair take a free fight at the entrance. The B duo should trade aggression round to round — sometimes pushing apartments for info, sometimes falling back to crossfire Van and Bench so the site never plays the same way twice.
Retakes on A are among the most practiced situations in Counter-Strike: players come from CT and Connector with a retake smoke on Ramp, using Jungle and Stairs cover to isolate fights. Save your best utility for these moments — a well-placed retake flash from Connector routinely wins 3v3 post-plants.
Key Duels & Angles
Window vs Top Mid (AWP duel)
The defining opening fight. The CT AWP in Window holds the top-mid gap; Ts counter with an early smoke, a shoulder-peek to bait the shot, or a double flash-over from T spawn. Winning this duel decides who owns mid for the round.
Palace exit vs Stairs/Ticket Booth
Ts dropping from Palace are exposed to a Stairs player holding the drop-down. A Palace pop-flash flips this fight; without it, the CT usually wins the first pick.
Apartments door vs Van/Bench crossfire
The first T out of B Apartments gets seen by two angles at once. Entry players should flash wide and clear Van first while a teammate trades toward Bench and Market.
Connector vs Underpass
CTs pushing Connector meet Ts coming up from Underpass at close range. Sound cues rule this fight — soft-dropping into Underpass keeps the timing ambiguous.
Jungle vs A Ramp (retake angle)
In post-plant situations the Jungle-to-Ramp sightline is the key retake duel. Ts hide in Shadows or behind Default box; CTs clear layer by layer with a teammate watching Palace.
Common Strategies & Executes
The executes below lean on standard utility — practice the exact throws on our Mirage smoke & flash lineups page.
T-Side Attack
Default → Mid Split A
Take mid with a Window smoke, then split A through Connector and Ramp/Palace simultaneously. The Connector pair cuts off Jungle while entry players clear site from Ramp.
Full A Execute
Smoke Window, CT, and Stairs; flash from Palace and Ramp together. Five players hit the site in one wave, then set up post-plant in Shadows, Sandwich, and Ramp.
B Apartments Execute
Flash out of Apartments, smoke Short and Market Window, molotov Van. Plant for B Plat and hold the site from Bench, Apartments, and Short.
B Contact Play
Walk Apartments with no utility warning, then hit the site together the moment the first duel starts. Best against CTs who stack utility elsewhere after seeing a mid default.
CT-Side Defense
A Anchor + Connector Control
One player Stairs/Ticket Booth, one Jungle, with Window supporting Connector. Molotov Ramp on hit sounds and hold retake-ready positions rather than overcommitting.
B Apartment Aggression
Two CTs flash into Apartments at round start for info and an early pick, then fall back to Van/Market crossfires before the T wave arrives.
Tactical Tips
Control mid early. Winning the Window duel or forcing the AWP back gives T-side the whole map.
Learn the four standard A-execute smokes (Window, CT, Stairs, Jungle) — they turn 50/50 hits into clean site takes.
As CT, vary the B setup between aggressive apartment pushes and passive Van/Bench crossfires.
Use Underpass for timing plays: soft-drop in to keep rotations silent and hit mid from below.
Post-plant on A, split your players between Palace/Shadows and Ramp so one retake flash cannot clear both.
Mirage in Pro Play
Mirage is historically the most picked map in professional Counter-Strike — the "safe pick" almost every roster keeps in its pool, which is exactly why it is rarely banned and why pro teams treat it as the benchmark of fundamentals. Pro rounds revolve around mid control and fast B rotations through Kitchen, and the window AWP battle has produced some of the game's most famous highlights.
Because everyone plays it, innovation on Mirage is incremental: pros differentiate with utility timings (late window smokes, re-executes after baiting out retake nades) and with apartment lurk timings rather than novel site hits. The live pro stats above track how the map is currently leaning between CT and T sides at the top level.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What are the most important callouts to learn first on Mirage?
- Start with the round-deciding areas: Window (sniper's nest), Connector, Top Mid, A Ramp, Palace, Jungle, Stairs, B Apartments, Van, and Market. Those ten cover the large majority of mid-round communication; the micro-spots on each site (Tetris, Sandwich, Firebox, Ninja) come naturally with playtime.
- What smokes do I need for a Mirage A execute?
- The standard A hit uses three smokes — Window (thrown from T spawn), CT (blocking the rotation from CT spawn), and Stairs or Jungle — plus flashes over Palace and Ramp. With those down, the only dry angles left are on-site players, who can be cleared with a coordinated five-man entry.
- Why is Window so important on Mirage?
- The Window room (sniper's nest) sees the entire mid corridor, denies the Catwalk boost, and rotates to B through Kitchen in seconds. An AWP holding Window effectively locks three routes at once, which is why T-sides smoke it almost every round and why the opening mid duel is the most contested fight on the map.
- Is Palace a T or CT position?
- Palace is a T-side route: an elevated interior reached from T spawn that overlooks A site, with two drop-down exits. Ts use it to flank A hits or hold post-plants. CTs occasionally boost into it early for information, but holding it long-term is risky because the only exits drop onto the site.
- How do I stop B rushes on Mirage?
- Utility and spacing. An early apartments molotov or flash breaks the rush timing, while the two B players hold separated angles — one close (Van or site boxes), one deep (Bench or Market) — so the first Ts through the door cannot trade both. A fast Kitchen rotation from the Window player usually arrives in time to clean up.
- What is Underpass used for?
- Underpass is the tunnel that runs from the B Apartments side of the map beneath mid, coming up at bottom mid underneath Window. Ts use it to convert B-side presence into mid control or to flank a Connector push; CTs drop it late in rounds to hunt lurkers or escape a lost site.
- Is Mirage CT or T sided?
- Across 1829 tracked pro matches, CTs win 55.4% of rounds on Mirage versus 49.1% for Terrorists, making it a CT-sided map at the professional level.
- How often is Mirage picked in pro CS2?
- Mirage has an average pick rate of 16% and a ban rate of 24.2% across 10 tracked teams. The pistol round is won 52.8% of the time in the map's data sample.