Vertigo Callouts & Map Guide
A skyscraper under construction, fought across two exposed floors. Vertigo is Counter-Strike's most claustrophobic map — close-range duels, deadly drops, and boost trickery.
Vertigo Overview & History
Vertigo dates back to early CS:GO, but its competitive chapter began in March 2019 when Valve overhauled it and promoted it to the Active Duty pool in place of Cache — a controversial swap at the time. It held its pool spot into the CS2 era before being rotated out in favour of the returning Train for the 2025 season. It now sits in the reserve pool and remains playable in Competitive matchmaking.
The setting defines the gameplay: two floors of an unfinished high-rise connected by ramps, stairs, and a ladder, with open building edges that make falling a genuine hazard. Sightlines are short and interrupted by concrete pillars and scaffolding, so SMGs, shotguns, and rifles dominate while AWPs struggle to find lanes.
A site sits on the upper floor behind the long A Ramp choke; B site is tucked beside CT spawn, reached through mid or the B Stairs from T spawn. Because the whole map is compressed, utility timing and sound reads matter enormously — a single well-placed molotov can reroute an entire attack.
Vertigo Callouts Map
Named positions on Vertigo, plotted where they sit on the radar. Full descriptions for every callout are below.
A SiteA RampScaffoldA ShortElevatorMidT MidLadderB SiteB StairsBack BT SpawnCT SpawnPro Competitive Stats
On Vertigo, CTs win 51% of rounds — a balanced map at the pro level. Aggregated from 214 tracked matches across 4 teams.
The stronger side takes roughly 54.6% of rounds when sides are near-even. See all CS2 maps compared →
All Callouts (36 positions)
CT Side (17)
A Site
The upper-floor A bombsite between A Ramp, Scaffold, and the Elevator, with open building edges.
Scaffold
The scaffolding route connecting Lane toward A site — the second entrance on A splits.
Lane
The narrow path linking Scaffold to A Short.
A Short
The connecting stretch between Lane/Scaffold and the A site.
Fence
The raised area beside Ramp opposite the site — a CT delay position over the choke.
Sand Bags
The sandbag crates on the corner between Fence and A site — the standard Ramp-watcher spot.
Double
The pair of orange crates beside the A site — plant cover and post-plant anchor.
Elevator
The open elevator shaft space connecting A site to Top Mid and Door — a surprise angle onto the plant zone.
Door
The narrow doorway linking Elevator to CT spawn and Heaven.
Heaven
The connecting space between A site and CT spawn with an elevated look over the site.
Headshot
The head-height angle between Top Mid and Connector that CTs hold against mid pushes.
Connector
The corridor joining mid to B site and CT spawn — the CT rotation pivot.
B Site
The lower B bombsite between Electric Box, Catwalk, and Back B, beside CT spawn.
Catwalk
The exterior platform extending from the building connecting Back B and B Stairs.
Back B
The corner of B site connecting to Catwalk — the deep anchor position.
Electric Box
The large rectangular box between CT spawn and B site — the site's central cover.
CT Spawn
Counter-Terrorist spawn beside B site, connecting to A via Door/Heaven and mid via Connector.
T Side (14)
A Ramp
The long open slope up to A site — the map's primary choke and the target of most T utility.
Big Box
The wooden crate between A Ramp and Bridge — staging cover for Ramp pushes.
Dark
The dim pocket between A Ramp and Big Box — checked before every Ramp climb.
Sheets
The cubby beside A Ramp stacked with building material — a classic close-hold surprise spot.
Bridge
The walkway connecting the Save Spot area to A Ramp.
Underpass
The narrow corridor connecting Bridge toward B Stairs on the lower level.
Save Spot
The corner between Bridge and Underpass where players stash saved weapons.
Under Stairs
The space beneath B Stairs viewing the underside of Catwalk.
Ladder
The ladder connecting the Underpass area up to T Mid.
B Stairs
The staircase from T spawn up to B site — the fast B attack route.
T Spawn
Terrorist spawn on the lower floor, with routes up B Stairs, T Stairs to mid, and Bridge toward Ramp.
Toilets
The pair of portable toilets in T spawn — a spawn-area reference point.
Generator
The raised generator section of T spawn giving access toward T Mid.
T Stairs
The stairs Ts climb from spawn to reach T Mid.
Mid Control (5)
Mid
The central floor area between T Mid and Top Mid — the link between the two sites.
T Mid
The T-side portion of mid, reached from T Stairs and Generator.
Top Mid
The CT-side portion of mid toward Elevator and Connector.
Boost
The crates toward T Mid used to boost players over the mid cover.
Iron
The bundle of metal rods between Mid and T Mid.
How to Play Vertigo T-Side
T-side Vertigo revolves around the A Ramp fight. The standard default sends three players toward Ramp with utility while two watch mid and the B Stairs flank. Ramp control is won with grenades: smoke the top, molotov the Sheets/Dark close positions, and flash over before peeking — CTs holding the choke dry die to coordinated waves.
The B side is the tempo option: fast B Stairs hits reach the site before CT utility is set, especially on pistol rounds and after gun-round wins. Mid control via Boost and Iron opens the Connector route, letting Ts squeeze B from two directions or fake Ramp and swing back through mid.
Executes should always account for the third dimension: boosts over sandbags, Elevator peeks onto A, and drop-downs make static defences exploitable. Post-plant on A, the classic holds are Sandbags, Scaffold, and one player back at Ramp — cover the open plant zone from angles a retake flash cannot clear all at once.
How to Play Vertigo CT-Side
The standard CT setup puts two on A (one Ramp-watcher from Sandbags/Fence, one site or Elevator flex), one mid with the Headshot angle, and two B (one close, one Connector support). The Ramp player's job is delay, not kills — burn utility, call numbers, and fall back to site cover before the wave arrives.
Mid is the defence's pivot: the Headshot angle sees T Mid pushes, and Connector control lets CTs collapse to either site in seconds. An aggressive mid player with a teammate boosting them creates picks, but dying there unzips both sites, so aggression must be measured.
Retakes on Vertigo are among the hardest in the game because post-plant Ts hold tight angles at close range. The retake formula is vertical: flash through Elevator or Door onto A, trade through the smoke, and use Heaven's angle where possible. On B, come from Connector and CT together and clear Back B last.
Key Duels & Angles
A Ramp choke
The map's defining fight: Ts pushing the long ramp against CTs holding from Sandbags and site cover. Utility decides it — the side that lands its smoke/molotov combination first dictates the engagement.
Mid Headshot angle
The CT holding Headshot sees T Mid at head height only — a punishing angle that stops mid pushes cold until it is smoked or flashed off.
B Stairs rush vs close anchors
Fast Ts up B Stairs meet anchors hiding at Electric Box and Back B. The first flash decides everything at this range; anchors who reposition after each round are far harder to pre-aim.
Elevator peek onto A
The Elevator gap gives CTs (and retaking players) a surprise angle onto the A plant zone. Post-plant Ts must respect it — a single Elevator peek kills careless defenders of open plants.
Boost spot battles
Vertigo's boosts — over mid Iron, onto Scaffold, above Sandbags — create sightlines that ignore the map's usual cover. Teams that rehearse boost peeks steal rounds; teams that forget to check them lose players to angles that "shouldn't exist".
Common Strategies & Executes
The executes below lean on standard utility — practice the exact throws on our Vertigo smoke & flash lineups page.
T-Side Attack
Full Ramp Execute
Smoke the top of Ramp, molotov Sheets and Dark, and push behind a flash wave with all five. Plant behind Double and hold the Sandbags/Scaffold/Ramp triangle.
Fast B Stairs
Straight from spawn up B Stairs with flashes over the top. Beats CT utility timing — the standard pistol-round and anti-eco punish.
Mid Boost → B Split
Boost over mid for a pick or info, take Connector, then hit B from Stairs and Connector simultaneously.
Ramp Fake → Mid Swing
Throw Ramp utility and show two players, then swing the pack through T Mid and Elevator onto A from the other direction as CTs stack the choke.
CT-Side Defense
Delay Defence
Every position plays for time: Ramp utility from Sandbags, Headshot mid hold, close B anchor. Rotations are seconds away — the defence wins by never dying first.
Elevator Retake
On lost A sites, regroup at Door/Heaven, flash through Elevator, and trade onto the open plant zone while a second player clears Scaffold.
Tactical Tips
Watch the edges — fall damage and full drops kill more players here than most utility.
Win Ramp with grenades, not bodies: smoke top, molotov close spots, flash over.
Check boost angles every round; Vertigo sightlines change with one teammate's shoulders.
As CT, delay at Ramp and fall back — dying in the choke unzips the whole site.
SMGs and shotguns shine in force rounds; long AWP lanes barely exist.
Vertigo in Pro Play
Pro Vertigo was a systems map: teams with drilled Ramp executes and disciplined B-flank timing performed far above their raw firepower, and the map became known for fast, scrappy rounds with heavy SMG use and famous boost innovations. Its tight geometry made it a frequent permaban for aim-first rosters.
Since leaving Active Duty for Train in the 2025 rotation, Vertigo has been out of the tier-one spotlight, though it remains in matchmaking and could rotate back as the pool continues its seasonal shuffles. The stats module above reflects tracked competitive data where available.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Vertigo still in the CS2 map pool?
- Vertigo is in the reserve pool, not Active Duty. It was rotated out when Train returned for the 2025 season, having held an Active Duty spot since March 2019. It remains fully playable in Competitive matchmaking, and reserve maps have historically rotated back into the pool.
- Why is A Ramp so important on Vertigo?
- It is the only wide route onto the A site, and the map's geometry funnels most T rounds through it. Whoever wins the utility exchange at the choke — smoke on top, molotovs into the close spots, flashes over — usually wins the round. That is why both teams build their A-side plans around Ramp first.
- What weapons work best on Vertigo?
- Rifles remain the standard, but Vertigo is the friendliest map in the pool for SMGs and shotguns: engagements happen at doorway range, and the MAG-7 or MP9 trades evenly in the chokes. AWPs have only a couple of workable lanes (mid and Ramp) and are easily flushed with utility.
- How do I avoid falling off the map?
- Treat the building edges as walls that kill: never wide-swing near an open edge, jump-throw utility from a step back, and be careful shoulder-peeking Scaffold and Catwalk. Many Vertigo deaths are self-inflicted — knowing where the floor ends is genuinely part of map knowledge here.
- How should Ts attack B site?
- Two ways: raw speed up B Stairs before the CT setup finishes (ideal on pistols and force-buy punishes), or a mid take that opens Connector for a two-direction squeeze. Against stacked B defences, fake the Stairs push and swing back through mid — the site is small enough that anchors cannot hide from a coordinated split.
- When was Vertigo in the Active Duty pool?
- Vertigo entered the Active Duty pool in March 2019, replacing Cache after Valve's competitive overhaul of the map. It stayed through the transition to CS2 and left the pool when Train was rotated in for the 2025 season — a run of roughly six years at the top level.
- Is Vertigo CT or T sided?
- Across 214 tracked pro matches, CTs win 51% of rounds on Vertigo versus 54.6% for Terrorists, making it a balanced map at the professional level.
- How often is Vertigo picked in pro CS2?
- Vertigo has an average pick rate of 3.8% and a ban rate of 4.5% across 4 tracked teams. The pistol round is won 53.7% of the time in the map's data sample.