Nuke Callouts & Map Guide
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A nuclear power plant with two bombsites stacked vertically. Nuke is the most CT-sided and most technical map in the pool — sound, timing, and vent plays matter as much as aim.
Nuke Overview & History
Nuke is one of the original Counter-Strike maps, first released in November 1999, and it has been rebuilt more than any other map in the pool — most notably Valve's ground-up rework in 2016 that produced the modern layout. It has been a fixture of top-level play ever since and remains in the Active Duty pool after the July 2026 Season 5 update.
Its defining feature is verticality: A site sits directly above B site, connected by vents, ramps, and ladders. Rotations that take fifteen seconds on other maps take three here — a CT can drop from Heaven through Hell into the vents and appear on B almost instantly. That compression is why Nuke is historically the most CT-sided map in Counter-Strike.
The map splits into two theatres: the interior (Lobby, Ramp, both sites) and Outside, the huge open yard flanking the building. T-sides that only play the interior walk into stacked crossfires; the outside yard is the pressure valve that stretches the defence thin — but crossing it costs smokes and discipline.
Nuke Callouts Map
Every official callout on Nuke, plotted from the game files at its exact in-game position. Hover a callout to see what it means — community names for spots inside these areas are listed below.
Hover or tap a callout to see what it means. Click one to jump to its description.
Positions extracted from the Counter-Strike 2 game files — not hand-placed.
Map data freshness. The Nuke callout positions come straight from the map's own game files. 2 tracked CS2 updates have shipped since the content was last reviewed on 4 July 2026 (most recently 4 August 2026) — including a content update. See what changed → We track Valve’s game files daily, but map geometry is not part of that extraction, so this is a staleness signal rather than a claim that the layout is unchanged.
Pro Competitive Stats
On Nuke, CTs win 57.6% of rounds — a CT-sided map at the pro level. Aggregated from 1549 team map results across 8 tracked teams (a game between two tracked teams counts once per team).
The stronger side takes roughly 57.6% of rounds when CTs hold the advantage. See all CS2 maps compared →
Best Teams on Nuke
Win rate over each team's own tracked Nuke games (minimum 5), from the same sample as the stats above.
| Team | Maps | Win rate |
|---|---|---|
| Vitality | 250 | 65.2% |
| Aurora Gaming | 189 | 60.3% |
| MOUZ | 267 | 59.9% |
| Spirit | 229 | 58.5% |
| G2 | 204 | 57.8% |
Nuke in Recent Tournaments
139 decided Nuke games across 8 tracked events. Share is that map's portion of the event's decided games.
From our tournament archive, captured 2026-08-27. Compare every map's professional meta →
Nuke at a Glance
The vertical map: two stacked bombsites and the fastest rotations in the game, which is why it is CT-friendly.
The five traits are our editorial read of long-established map characteristics, on a four-point scale — not measurements, and not blended into a single score. Callout count and level count come from the map data itself.
What Decides Rounds on Nuke
A callout list tells you what a place is called. This is which places are worth fighting for, and what taking one gives you access to — our read of the map, not a statistic.
Outside
CriticalNuke is decided outside. Nothing reaches the lower bombsite without crossing it, which is why the take is a smoke wall rather than a fight.
OpensSecretGarageB Site
Ramp
ChokepointThe lower approach, and the map's tightest gap — one held angle here stalls a whole hit.
OpensB Site
Heaven
CriticalThe elevated position over A. An unchallenged heaven player sees the entire site, so smoking or clearing it is step one of every A execute.
OpensA SiteRafters
Lobby
SecondaryThe upper approach and the quiet route to trophy. Taking it forces the CTs to split their attention between two levels.
OpensSqueakyTrophy
Vents
Rotation hubThe vertical shortcut between the levels — the reason Nuke rotations are the fastest in the pool.
OpensA SiteB Site
Where the Bomb Goes on Nuke
Common plant spots and the positions they are held from after the plant. Common, not the only ones — the right plant depends on who is still alive and where.
A site
Hut cover sits between the bomb and the elevated CT angles, so a retake from above cannot simply look down at a defuse — they have to come to ground level.
Held fromSqueakyHeavenTrophy
Puts the car between the bomb and the ramp-side arrival, useful when you took the site from lobby and expect the retake to come from below.
Held fromSqueakyHutHeaven
B site
The box cover forces a retake into the site instead of letting them defuse from the entrance, which is the whole point on a site this small.
Held fromRampDarkBottom Ramp
The concealed corner plant. It costs the CTs the free look into the site they normally get on the way in, and buys the ramp holder time to trade.
Held fromRampBig BoxBottom Ramp
Positions by Role
Pick your role to see the spots you actually play on Nuke. Coverage is partial on some maps — only roles we can describe confidently appear.
- CTAWPerOutside — The outside AWP decides whether the T side can cross at all, which is why it is the first thing an execute smokes.
- CTAWPerHeaven — The elevated angle over the whole A site — the reason A hits open with utility rather than bodies.
- CTAnchorHut — The A anchor position on the site itself, holding the lobby-side entry from behind cover.
- CTAnchorBig Box — The B anchor's cover on a site small enough that position beats reaction.
- CTAnchorDark — The other B angle, letting the anchor hold the same entrance from a place the T side did not see them last round.
- CTSupportRamp — The ramp player: contests the lower approach and is the first body into a B retake.
- TEntrySqueaky — The A entry from lobby — noisy by design, so it is either committed to or used as the fake.
- TEntryRamp — The B entry route, and the one that has to survive the ramp defender before the site is even in play.
- TEntryVents — The other way into B. Dropping vents lands behind the site, which is what makes the ramp-and-vents split work.
- TLurkerSilo — The outside lurk, watching the rotation and the secret route while the team commits inside.
Nuke Angles
Common AWP positions
- CTOutside — The outside AWP decides whether the T-side can cross at all.
- CTHeaven — Sees the whole A site from above; the first thing a T-side execute must smoke.
- CTRamp — Holds the lower approach into B from the ramp side.
- TSilo — T-side outside angle used to trade the cross.
Clearing A site
- Hut
- Sandbags
- Tetris
- Heaven
- Rafters
- Mustang
Hut and the site cover first; heaven and rafters are the elevated angles that punish a plant.
The common sequence, not the only correct one — a teammate's utility or a known setup changes the order. Positions are named with this map's own callouts, so you can find every one of them on the radar above.
Learn Nuke: A Practical Path
- Callouts first. Learn the 48 named positions on the radar above, then hit Test your callouts to drill them until calling comes without thinking.
- The 6 essential lineups. Not all 15 at once — the ones marked Essential are the utility every standard round uses.
- Put them together. The 2 utility sequences show the same grenades in throw order as site executes and retakes.
- Drill it in the workshop. One curated workshop item carries Nuke content — see the list below.
- Practice offline. Generate a practice config with Nuke preselected — infinite utility, trajectories, and rethrows.
- Study the meta. The pro stats above show which side to bet your rounds on; compare every map to know when to pick it.
Workshop maps for Nuke
Curated Steam Workshop items that carry Nuke content — prefire routes, utility lineups, or a performance run set on the map itself. Read the category: it is what tells you whether an item teaches the map or merely runs on it.
- Yprac Hub Utility & Prefire
Links open the item's Steam Workshop page. We curate what these items contain; we do not monitor whether they still load — a Workshop item can be updated or delisted by its author at any time. Browse all workshop maps →
Learn These Nuke Callouts First
12 of 48 — the positions that turn up in how this map is actually played, rather than every micro-spot at once.
The raised catwalk overlooking A site from the CT side — the strongest defensive position on the map.
Decides roundsCommon AWP angleCleared on entryPost-plant position
The metal hut connecting Lobby to A site — molotoved and flashed on nearly every A hit.
Cleared on entryBomb plant spotPost-plant position
The long ramp room descending toward B site — the main interior route to B.
Key areaCommon AWP anglePost-plant position
The large crate above the B ramp entrance — the reference point for B plants and holds.
Bomb plant spotPost-plant position
The shadowed corner by the stairs on B site — a classic anchor and post-plant spot.
Post-plant positionBomb plant spot
The raised nook beside Rafters above the Hut entrance — an off-angle onto the site.
Cleared on entryBomb plant spot
The huge open yard flanking the building — T-side pressure here stretches the CT defence thin.
Decides roundsCommon AWP angle
The raised walkway along the back wall of A site, connected to Heaven.
Reached from a key areaCleared on entry
The room with the loud squeaky door opening onto A site — its sound telegraphs every entry.
Reached from a key areaPost-plant position
The trophy-case room between Radio and Control on the way to Ramp.
Reached from a key areaPost-plant position
The upper bombsite inside the reactor hall, entered via Hut, Squeaky, and Main.
Reached from a key area
The lower bombsite in the reactor basement, entered from Ramp, Doors/Window, vents, and Secret.
Reached from a key area
All Callouts (48 positions)
Official callouts (27)
Defined in the CS2 map files — each one is plotted on the radar above at its exact position.
CT Side (15)
A Site●
The upper bombsite inside the reactor hall, entered via Hut, Squeaky, and Main.
Hut●
The metal hut connecting Lobby to A site — molotoved and flashed on nearly every A hit.
Heaven●
The raised catwalk overlooking A site from the CT side — the strongest defensive position on the map.
Hell●
The area beneath Heaven connecting toward the vents — the fast route between A and B.
Rafters●
The raised walkway along the back wall of A site, connected to Heaven.
B Site●
The lower bombsite in the reactor basement, entered from Ramp, Doors/Window, vents, and Secret.
Tunnels●
The corridor system behind B connecting Secret, Window, and Decon.
Decon●
The decontamination room with a single door connecting the back vents to B site.
Garage●
The warehouse on the CT side of Outside — controls the yard and the Secret approach.
CT Spawn●
Counter-Terrorist spawn beside Heaven's entrance, between A above and B below.
Catwalk●
The raised CT-side walkway over A site, immediately beside Heaven and Hell. It is part of the vertical structure above the site, so anything crossing A has to account for shots from above as well as from ground level.
Crane●
The overhead crane gantry spanning the reactor hall above A site. It is the landmark for calling positions on the site floor beneath it, sitting between Hut and the Rafters wall.
Hut Roof●
The roof of the metal Hut on A site, directly above the Hut entrance from Lobby. It is the upper half of the Hut choke, in view of the Heaven and Rafters positions that watch the doorway below.
Locker Room●
The locker room on the CT side of the building, between the spawn area and the Garage side of Outside. It is a rotation room — the interior link between defending the yard and defending the sites.
Observation●
The window room overlooking B site from behind glass, between the tunnels behind B and the site itself. It lets the defence look onto the plant zone without standing in it, and it is one half of the standard B retake pincer.
T Side (9)
T Spawn●
Terrorist spawn in the yard corner, with routes into Lobby or around to Outside.
Lobby●
The first interior room from T spawn, connecting Squeaky, Radio, and the Ramp path.
Trophy●
The trophy-case room between Radio and Control on the way to Ramp.
Control●
The control room connecting Trophy to the top of Ramp — cleared before every Ramp take.
Squeaky●
The room with the loud squeaky door opening onto A site — its sound telegraphs every entry.
Ramp●
The long ramp room descending toward B site — the main interior route to B.
Silo●
The tall silo on the T side of the yard, climbable from T Roof for sightlines over Outside.
Roof●
The roof above Lobby on the T side, reached by the ladder at spawn. It is a T-side vantage point over the yard and the jump-off toward Silo.
Vending●
The vending machines in the Radio room between Lobby and Trophy. They are the reference point inside the T-side interior route toward Ramp, and cover for anyone holding that corridor.
Mid Control (3)
Vents●
The crawl-space vent system linking A site, Secret, and B site — Nuke's vertical shortcut.
Outside●
The huge open yard flanking the building — T-side pressure here stretches the CT defence thin.
Secret●
The stairway from Outside down into the tunnels behind B — the payoff for winning the yard.
Community callouts (21)
Player names in everyday use for spots inside the areas above. The game defines no position for these, so we list them rather than guess them onto the map.
CT Side (17)
Tetris
The stepped boxes in front of Hut on A site — a close anchor spot and retake cover.
Mustang
The raised nook beside Rafters above the Hut entrance — an off-angle onto the site.
Bridge
The walkway linking Rafters to Mustang above A site.
Main
The wide doorway connecting A site to Outside — the route outside players use to hit or retake A.
Headshot
The box at the back of Ramp giving a head-height angle up the slope.
Stack
The boxes in the Turn Pike-side corner of Ramp.
Boost
The boxes by the Control entrance to Ramp, used to boost over the railing.
Turn Pike
The small room between Ramp and Hell — a rotation cut-through and lurk spot.
Bottom Ramp
The base of Ramp where it opens toward B site and Big Box.
Big Box
The large crate above the B ramp entrance — the reference point for B plants and holds.
Dark
The shadowed corner by the stairs on B site — a classic anchor and post-plant spot.
Doors
The double doors from Tunnels/Window onto B site — one half of the standard retake pincer.
Window
The room with the smashable window overlooking B site, between Tunnels and the site.
Back Vents
The vent stretch between Decon and the tunnel area behind B.
CT Red
The red container on the CT side of the yard near Garage.
Lockers
The locker room with a window onto Garage, connecting the CT side interior to Outside.
CT Box
The box near CT spawn by the stairs toward Heaven.
T Side (4)
T Roof
The roof above Lobby, reached by ladder — used for early yard picks and Silo jumps.
Radio
The room with vending machines between Lobby and Trophy — the interior crossroads toward Ramp.
Sandbags
The sandbags between Lobby and Hut, cover for Ts staging an A entry.
T Red
The red shipping container on the T side of the yard, cover for the outside crossing.
How to Play Nuke T-Side
T-side Nuke starts with a decision: inside or outside. Interior rounds fight through Lobby toward Hut/Squeaky for A or down Ramp for B; outside rounds smoke the Garage and Heaven sightlines and send three or more players across the yard toward Secret and Garage. Good T-sides mix both every half so the CTs can never pre-commit.
The classic A hit flows through Lobby with a Main smoke, a Heaven smoke, and a molotov for Hut, entering through both Hut and Squeaky simultaneously. Because rotations are so fast, speed matters more than on any map — a ten-second delay between clearing Lobby and hitting the site invites three extra defenders.
B hits come from Ramp (with Doors/Window control), from Secret after taking Outside, or through the vents after an A fake. The vent drop is Nuke's signature play: show bodies and utility at A, then drop the pack through the vents onto B before Heaven can reposition. Post-plant, hold from Dark, Doors, and back Ramp — and always leave one player watching the Secret stairs.
How to Play Nuke CT-Side
The standard CT setup is 2-1-2 with a twist: two players A (Heaven/site and Hut/Squeaky), one Ramp, one Outside or Garage, and one flexing between B and Secret. The Outside player is the early-warning system — if the yard falls silent, expect everything through Lobby.
Nuke CTs win by holding information chokes rather than sites: Squeaky door opening, Ramp barrels, the Lobby cubbies, Garage window. Utility spent keeping Ts out of Lobby and off the yard buys the whole defence time. An AWP works best Outside or holding Main from the site — the long yard sightlines are the only true AWP lanes on the map.
Retakes lean on verticality. A site retakes come from Heaven and Hut with a flash down; B retakes drop through vents or push Doors/Window together. Because Ts must defend a site with attackers potentially above and below them, disciplined CT sides can win post-plants at a higher rate here than anywhere else — save utility for it.
Key Duels & Angles
Squeaky door vs site anchor
The A anchor holds the squeaky door and Hut exit from Tetris or site boxes. Ts must burn a molotov or flash to open it — opening squeaky dry into a pre-aimed rifle is the map's most common throwaway death.
Outside yard AWP lanes
The long sightlines from Garage/CT Red across the yard to T Red and Silo are Nuke's AWP playground. Ts cross only behind the double-smoke wall; CTs re-peek from new angles after every smoke bloom.
Ramp barrels vs Ramp push
The Ramp player holds the barrels/Headshot angle against Ts pouring down from Trophy/Control. A well-placed molotov splits the push; losing Ramp control usually means losing B.
Heaven vs site entry
Heaven sees the whole A site from above. Entry Ts smoke it or flash it on every hit — and Heaven players learn to drop to Hell mid-fight to re-appear from below instead of dying to the pre-aim.
Vent drop timing
Both teams fight over vent audio. A T dropping vents against a listening CT dies in the tube; the play only works when noise elsewhere (an A fake, an outside flash wave) masks the metal sound.
Common Strategies & Executes
The executes below lean on standard utility — practice the exact throws on our Nuke smoke & flash lineups page.
T-Side Attack
Standard A Execute
Smoke Main and Heaven, molotov Hut, then enter Squeaky and Hut together off a Lobby flash. Plant behind Tetris cover and hold retakes from site boxes and Squeaky.
Outside Take → Secret Split
Wall off Garage and the CT-Red lane with smokes, cross four players to Secret, and squeeze B from Secret and Ramp simultaneously.
A Fake → Vent Drop
Throw full A utility and show two bodies at Hut, then drop the other three through vents onto B before Heaven repositions. The defining Nuke round-steal.
Ramp Take → B Hit
Clear Ramp off a Control flash and molotov Headshot, then hit B with a Doors smoke, holding post-plant from Dark and back Ramp.
CT-Side Defense
Yard AWP Lock
An AWP in Garage/CT Red denies the outside crossing solo while four players compress the interior chokes — the classic Nuke defence.
Heaven-Hell Flex
The A player rotates between Heaven and Hell mid-round, appearing above or below site entries unpredictably and using vents to answer B pressure instantly.
Tactical Tips
Sound is king: control your own noise in vents and on ramps, and punish theirs.
As T, alternate interior and outside rounds so the defence can never pre-stack.
Smoke Heaven and Main on every A hit — dry entries die from above.
The vent drop works only with cover noise; pair it with an A fake.
As CT, remember the world's fastest rotation is yours: Heaven → Hell → vents → B.
Nuke in Pro Play
Nuke is pro Counter-Strike's great specialisation map: teams that drill its timings win long CT streaks on it, and it has hosted some of the most lopsided halves in Major history. Astralis famously built an era partly on their Nuke defence, and modern teams still treat a strong Nuke as a veto weapon — opponents ban it rather than face a rehearsed system.
Pro T-sides invest heavily in Outside control and double-fake executes between the stacked sites, because raw site hits into a set defence fail. Watch how top teams use vent and Secret timings off A-side pressure — and see the tracked pro stats above for the map's current side balance in CS2.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why is Nuke so CT-sided?
- The bombsites sit directly on top of each other, so CT rotations take seconds — Heaven to B through Hell and the vents is nearly instant. Ts must commit to a site without knowing how many defenders can collapse on it, while every interior approach is a narrow, sound-telegraphed choke. Outside pressure is the T-side answer, but crossing the yard costs utility every round.
- What is the vent play on Nuke?
- The vents connect A site, Secret, and B site vertically. The classic T-side move is faking A — utility, bodies at Hut and Squeaky — then dropping through the vents onto B before the defence can reset. It lives or dies on sound: without cover noise, the metallic vent audio warns every CT in the building.
- How do I take Outside control as a Terrorist?
- Throw the standard double smoke wall to blind Garage and the CT-Red lane, cross behind it in a group, and clear Silo-side angles with flashes. Once the yard is yours, Secret and Garage become entry routes and the CTs must defend five approaches instead of two.
- Where should the AWP play on Nuke?
- Outside, almost always. The yard offers the only long sightlines — Garage to T Red, CT Red to Silo — where the weapon dominates. Inside the building, fights happen at hut-door and vent distances where rifles and even SMGs trade evenly with an AWP.
- What makes a good B retake on Nuke?
- Attacking from two heights at once. Pair a vent drop or Window push with players coming through Doors or Secret, flash the site from Ramp, and pre-aim the standard post-plant spots: Dark, behind Big Box, and back Ramp. Because Ts must watch above and below simultaneously, coordinated B retakes succeed far more often here than on flat maps.
- How long has Nuke been in Counter-Strike?
- Nuke dates back to November 1999 and the original Counter-Strike, making it one of the oldest maps still in competitive rotation. Valve rebuilt it completely in 2016, and that modern layout — carried into CS2 — is the version in today's Active Duty pool.
- Is Nuke CT or T sided?
- Across 1549 tracked team map results, CTs win 57.6% of rounds on Nuke versus 47.9% for Terrorists, making it a CT-sided map at the professional level.
- How often is Nuke picked in pro CS2?
- Nuke has an average pick rate of 12.8% and a ban rate of 19.7% across 8 tracked teams. The pistol round is won 51.6% of the time in the map's data sample.