3. Playing Area (Maps)
Matches are played on maps from the official Active Duty Map Pool, which Valve updates periodically. The pool has rotated several times since late 2025: Vertigo was retired in favor of Train, Train was subsequently retired in favor of a returning Anubis, and Overpass was retired in favor of a rebuilt Cache when CS2 Premier Season 5 launched on July 6, 2026.
Active Duty Map Pool (2026)
- Mirage: Classic two-bombsite map with mid control focus
- Inferno: Tight corridors and iconic banana/arch dynamics
- Nuke: Vertically layered map with upper and lower bombsites
- Ancient: Mayan-themed map with distinct A/B site approaches
- Anubis: Egyptian-themed map featuring water-based rotations
- Dust II: The most iconic competitive map in FPS history
- Cache: Rebuilt industrial-complex map reintroduced to Active Duty for Premier Season 5, replacing Overpass
Map Structure
- Each map has two bombsites (A and B) that Terrorists attempt to plant the bomb at
- Maps are designed for 5v5 play with balanced T/CT dynamics
- Spawn points, buy zones, and bombsite boundaries are fixed per map