With more than 20 years under its belt, the Counter-Strike series’ maps have become iconic locations in all of video games, never mind the competitive esports history they hold. Today, we’ll be going over our top 5 best CS2 maps.

CS Maps Over The Years

Ranking the best CS2 maps means we have a chance to explore the maps in the ways that they’ve come to be a part of the game over the years.

For some maps, the release of the original Counter-Strike 23 years ago was how we got them, and they’ve received updates over the years to keep them fresh. Others are more recent additions to the game. They have come from the various entries to the franchise over the years or even fan map-makers and have been added by popular demand from players.

5: Ancient

Ancient makes our top 5 in 5th place. As well as being the newest map added here (releasing in CS:GO in 2020 and added to the competitive active duty roster in 2021) Ancient is unique among many of the best CS2 maps.

This is because it features so much variance in its verticality. You’ll need to know your Ancient callouts because the map is split into 3 main lines of attack from T side but converts into 2 different bomb sites.

The way that it balances this variety is by restricting T access to the large middle point using a Sniper’s nest. This high ground location gives CT side a massive amount of control over Mid, so it’s in the T’s best interest to properly coordinate their utility use to get out into this space.

4: Dust 2

What is there to say about Dust 2 that’s not been said before? It’s an all time classic, a remade version of the original Dust that arrived in CS 1.1 more than 2 decades ago.

There is a great mix of chokes and exciting open sightlines. There’s been more written and recorded on Dust 2 than almost all the other maps in CS2 so far. Dust 2 stands out despite its age as being balanced between T and CT sides. It makes it a fantastic casual and competitive map alike. If you and your friends want to play some Counter-Strike, Dust 2 is a great bet for a good time.

3: Overpass

Overpass makes the list off its competitive pedigree almost alone. One of the most iconic plays in competitive Counter-Strike was on this map. The Olofboost featuring FNATIC’s Olofmeister saw him jumping on his team’s heads to gain a high ground and fire over the confused members of LDLC and come back from 10 points behind. And that’s just the start of the best CS:GO Major kills on this map. Remastered for CS2, it’s an all time classic.

2: Mirage

Mirage is special among its peers on this list, as it was a fan creation! It was made by community member Michael Hüll. The map was only made an official map post-release of CS:GO. This is despite it being popular from as far back as CS 1.1. What makes it one of the best CS2 maps is it is the ultimate new player friendly map. It has great line-ups that can help teach people how to best use their utilities, which translates to all other maps.

1: Nuke

Nuke is one of the most popular maps in the game. This is largely because it’s design makes it fresh almost every time you play on it. For example, AWP kills come fast when you’re holding Outside, but well timed flashes can help move players out. It’s exceptionally well balanced so that each player’s strengths can stand out. With underground movement, verticality on its bombsites, and exciting long sightlines, Nuke still remains one of the most iconic maps in CS2.

Read more: Best CS2 players in 2024 | Top 5 CS2 players