Counter-Strike has always been an iconic title, with every component of the game contributing to its allure. The gunplay, movement, and community engagement are all highlights of the franchise. At the top, however, belong the number one thing that stays consistent despite the ever-changing nature of CS: the maps. CS throws variety into the mix with a diverse selection of battlegrounds, similar to other entries in the genre. Counter-Strike 2 offers 12 maps in total available for users to play on across multiple game modes.
The classic “Bomb Defusal” scenario game mode, which is the case for Premier, Competitive, and Casual games, utilizes two map pools which are the “Active Duty” and “Reserve” pools. There are seven maps in the Active Duty pool and just one in the Reserve group. The “Hostage” mode is also available in Casual games with two maps exclusive to said gamemode. A fourth type of game, Arms Race, features two exclusive maps that cannot be played with the classic Bomb Defusal or Hostage objectives.
It already seems like the CS2 map pool is already extensive, but the community has been clamoring for more since its release. Whether it’s a completely brand new idea or a remastered version of an old classic, the question remains: will CS2 add more maps?
CS2 New Maps
Counter-Strike 2 did not ship with any new maps on its release, opting to stick to the classics and give a decent spread when it came to potential battleground selection for the players. All of the maps currently in CS2 were either introduced for the first time in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive or are even older than the franchise’s previous installment. As of now, it is still yet to be seen whether or not new maps will come into CS2.
What Are The Current Maps Available?
The twelve maps currently available to play in CS2 are as follows: Mirage, Overpass, Vertigo, Ancient, Inferno, Nuke, Anubis, Dust 2, Office, Italy, Baggage, and Shoots. The first seven maps listed are part of the Active Duty map pool being used in official competitive play.
Dust 2, one of the esports world’s most iconic first-person shooter maps, is the only one currently part of the Reserve group as of March 2024. Office and Italy are exclusive to the Hostage game mode, while the last pair are only playable in Arms Race.
Active Duty Map Breakdown
Mirage
Mirage is one of the oldest active and most iconic maps in the CS franchise. It was added to Global Offensive on June 6, 2013, and has been host to many unforgettable matches for over 11 years running. It is currently part of the Active Duty pool, has never been removed from the competitive rotation since its addition, and holds the distinction of being the only map to feature in every single Counter-Strike Major.
Overpass
Overpass is another current Active Duty map that has been in the game for an extensive amount of time. It was added to CS:GO in December 2013 as part of the Winter Offensive update and has been a constant part of the competitive rotation. Overpass has been played on in all CS Major Championships except the first two that took place before it was added in-game.
Vertigo
Vertigo is technically one of the newest maps in the current competitive pool. Its old design was added to Global Offensive way back in 2012 but removed from the game entirely in November 2017 citing a lack of popularity. It was reworked for two years and its present layout was officially released on March 19, 2019. Just over a week later, it was moved to the Active Duty map pool and has not left since.
Ancient
Ancient is one of the newer maps included in the competitive rotation having been released in December 2020 in the midst of Counter-Strike’s pandemic era. It replaced Train in the Active Duty pool on May 3, 2021, and has been featured in four CS Majors.
Inferno
Inferno holds the same legendary status as that of Mirage and Overpass for the sheer amount of breathtaking CS that it has played host to over the years. It is the oldest Active Duty map with its roots dating back to the very first Counter-Strike game and has received numerous updates and overhauls with each new installment to the franchise. After missing ESL One: Cologne 2016 and ELEAGUE Atlanta 2017, it was added back to the competitive rotation on February 3, 2017, and has not been taken out since.
Nuke
Nuke is another map as old as the CS franchise itself. Released nearly 25 years ago, its ability to keep producing world-class level matches serves as a testament to its endurance as one of the game’s best battlefields. Nuke missed three consecutive Majors in CS:GO before getting reinstated to the Active Duty map pool in February 2016.
Anubis
Anubis is one of the newest maps part of the Active Duty pool, having been introduced to the game in March 2020. It was removed from the game in May 2021 but eventually added back over a year later in celebration of CS:GO’s tenth birthday. Anubis replaced Dust 2 in the competitive rotation on November 18, 2022, making it the most recent addition to the map pool.
Will CS2 Have New Maps?
While there is no exact confirmation or timeline for when maps are released, but it has been quite some time since a significant change was made to the competitive pool. Old maps, such as Cache, are currently in the process of being remastered and made fit to be played in CS2 which gives supporters of the game something to look forward to. As of April 2024, the game’s first-ever Major in Copenhagen has just concluded which would make a sudden change in the Active Duty map pool not that shocking if it were to happen. Still, with no official announcement from Valve or any independent map creator, CS2 fans can only wait with excitement for what is yet to come.