CS2 Map Veto Simulator
Simulate the map ban/pick process between two teams. See how each veto decision shifts win probabilities based on real map pool data from PandaScore.
How Pro Map Vetoes Work
Every professional CS2 series starts before the first shot is fired — with the veto. The two teams take turns removing and selecting maps from the seven-map Active Duty pool (Ancient, Anubis, Cache, Dust2, Inferno, Mirage, and Nuke as of July 2026) until the series is set.
In a best-of-three, the sequence is: Team 1 bans, Team 2 bans, Team 1 picks the first map, Team 2 picks the second, then each team bans once more and the last remaining map becomes the decider. In a best-of-five, each team bans a single map, the teams alternate four picks, and the final map is the decider. Side selection typically goes to the team that did not pick the map, which is why teams sometimes "float" a strong map into the decider rather than picking it themselves.
Veto strategy is a genuine layer of preparation. Most rosters carry a permaban — the map they never play — which makes their first ban predictable. From there, analysts look at recent map form, prepared anti-strats, and how comfortable each team is on the likely decider. A veto that forces an opponent onto their third-best map is worth real percentage points before the match begins.
What the Win-Probability Model Does
As you run the veto in the simulator, each map card shows both teams' recent win rate on that map, sourced from PandaScore competitive match data. The model turns those two win rates into a single head-to-head probability per map, then combines the picked maps into a series win probability using standard binomial math — in a BO3, for example, it sums the probability of every path to two map wins. Use the Auto-Complete button to see how a purely stats-driven veto would play out: each side bans the opponent's best remaining map and picks its own.
Keep the model's limits in mind. It does not know about side selection, roster changes, stand-ins, or how teams match up stylistically — it is a form-based baseline, not a betting edge. For deeper numbers, pair it with our Map Meta stats and Head-to-Head Comparator.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the current CS2 Active Duty map pool?
- As of July 2026, the Active Duty pool is Ancient, Anubis, Cache, Dust2, Inferno, Mirage, and Nuke. Cache replaced Overpass when Premier Season 5 launched on July 6, 2026, and Anubis replaced Train earlier in the year. This simulator always uses the seven-map Active Duty pool.
- How does the map veto work in professional CS2?
- In a standard BO3, the higher seed bans first: Team A bans, Team B bans, Team A picks map 1, Team B picks map 2, then two more bans (A then B) leave the final map as the decider. In a BO5, each team bans once, then teams alternate four picks and the last remaining map is the decider. The team that did not pick a map usually gets to choose its starting side on it.
- How does this simulator calculate win probability?
- Each team's recent per-map win rates come from PandaScore competitive match data. For every map, the model converts the two win rates into a head-to-head map probability, then combines the probabilities of all picked maps into a series win probability using the binomial mathematics of a BO3 or BO5. It is a simplified model — it does not account for side selection, roster changes, or head-to-head history.
- Why do teams ban maps instead of just picking their best ones?
- Bans remove your weakest maps before the opponent can pick them. Strong teams typically use their first ban on their "permaban" — the map they never play — and use picks for maps where they have prepared strategies or strong recent form. Reading an opponent's likely veto is a real part of professional preparation.