Although Counter-Strike is one of the most popular games in the world, there is still one game mode that goes underappreciated: Wingman. If you want to know how to play, how long a Wingman game lasts, how to win fast, and how to advance in the CS2 Wingman ranks then you’re in the right place.
The 5v5 Bomb Defusal game mode is core to Counter-Strike, but it can be quite intense at times. Sometimes you just need a break!
Credit: Valve Corporation
That’s why in 2017, Valve released a new game mode: Wingman. It’s a 2v2 game mode in which the CTs try to defend a single bombsite against the T side. A fast-paced and hectic time is guaranteed when playing this game mode, as rushing the bombsite is often the best course of action for the T side due to the reduced map size. This provides a good opportunity to have some extra fun if you don’t have much time. You’ll definitely see an improvement in your clutch win percentage!
Fun and games aside, it also allows for players to better their in-game communication, execution, map awareness, and other fundamental aspects that a training CS2 map may not offer. Wingman mode’s own set of compact maps and its own ranking systems keep things competitive and serious amid the fun element.
Wingman is the perfect game mode for both veterans and beginners alike. It helps improve their overall skills, which they would be practically using during competitive match-making.
Unlike regular match-making, in Wingman, a team needs to secure victories in 9 out of the 16 rounds to win the game. As the name implies, you’ll only be playing on a team of 2 instead of 5 too. The round timer is recalibrated to 1 minute and 30 seconds to keep things fast-paced and simple. If there’s a draw, the game ends without offering extra rounds to decide a winner. For a real advantage, it’s worth knowing all CS2 Wingman maps before you jump into a game.
These are the available Counter-Strike Wingman maps:
Entrance to bombsite B on Overpass Credit: B on Twitter
It’s worth mentioning that there are more CS2 Wingman maps available to us once compared to the official competitive map pool (active duty).
The latest maps to the Wingman pool are Boyard and Chalice, which were added as part of the December 2022 update to the game. The pair are Wingman exclusive, meaning that they’ve been designed specifically to work in a 2v2 environment, unlike many of the Bomb Defusal maps that are designed for 5v5 play. The small size of the new maps also means that there is great attention to detail scattered throughout, with every nook and cranny tested to ensure it fits CS2’s strategic play.
In terms of design, the two maps are extremely similar in how they play. They’re of similar size, and both are mazes that don’t make great use of verticality in the way that other CS2 maps do. The addition of Boyard and Chalice will definitely come as welcome news to players. The Wingman map pool is always changing, with many maps coming and going in the past, but players won’t turn down an opportunity to freshen it up once again. After all, a new map is new to everyone. If you can be the first to learn every trick on the map, you’ll be climbing the CS2 Wingman ranks in no time.
Over the years, Wingman has had a lot of maps available to play, but as the game mode has evolved some have become obsolete. Valve has had no qualms about removing a map when it no longer fits with the game mode. Here’s the full list of every map removed from the Wingman map pool in the past:
As you can see, some of these maps were removed from the game proper. The others were simply removed from the map pool, and are still available to play in private matches. You’ll also be able to view the maps in your CS2 Wingman match history, even if you can’t play on them anymore.
To be honest, Wingman will never be a part of CS2 news despite a couple of attempts made by the popular tournament hosts. If it ever does appear again, it will almost certainly be part of a show match just for fun with no real stakes.
This game mode is ideal for practice scenarios where you want to check how well you can coordinate and hold a site with a friend. Use it as a practice method together with AimLab to give yourself the flick reflexes and the ability to coordinate for your main matches. You should definitely see your 5v5 win percentage go up, even if it’s only slightly.
It’s not particularly difficult to play Wingman but that doesn’t mean you won’t need some CS2 wingman tips. You’ll need to queue for the game either by yourself or with a friend.
We recommend you play this mode with a friend because it is more interesting that way, and you’ll reap far more benefits. There’s nothing more frustrating than going into a Wingman match and the other player doesn’t have a microphone, especially in a game mode where fast communication is crucial. By playing with a friend, you totally avert this problem. If you have a partner you regularly play with in 5v5s, but can’t seem to quite align with on how to approach sites together, jump into CS2 Wingman and practice simple defend/attack scenarios.
A total of 16 rounds will be played. Tie is an option. However, if you want to win, you will have to seal a total of 9 rounds, so keep that in mind. Furthermore, you will only have one bombsite available on all of the maps I mentioned above. You are also entitled to 90 seconds of gameplay during rounds unlike 120 seconds available to you in competitive mode.
Credit: Valve Corporation
While it may seem like Wingman is very similar to the main game mode, it does differ in several key ways. For the best chance at success, simply follow our CS2 Wingman Tips:
Don’t get discouraged if you’ve lost 7 or even 8 rounds in a row as Ts on Overpass. Due to the spawn’s proximity to the bomb site, CTs have a significant advantage in this mode. The exception here is Shortdust, which is T sided.
Your utils, including mollies, grenades and smokes are even more important in Wingman. They can be used to zone and control your opponents who don’t have a full 5 man team to back them up.
This goes without saying regardless of which game mode you’re playing but is particularly important in Wingman. Knowing when to eco and when to full buy can make all the difference. Make sure to talk to your teammate too, there’s not much point buying double AWPs in in Wingman!
Just like in the competitive mode, you will enjoy quite a big spectrum of CS2 ranks. However, it is much easier to climb the ranks in Wingman mode. You should not be surprised if you get that Global Elite status fast.
So what do all CS2 Wingman ranks look like? Find the list below:
You’ll notice that Wingman uses the same ranking system as in the standard Competitive mode. This is to keep consistency across the game, so you know how your 2v2 game compares to your 5v5.
Wingman is a really fun game mode if you just want to mess around with a friend. While it is true that you may gain valuable experience from it, it is mostly just a game for messing around. Lots of people join games to troll and mess around. At the end of the day, I think we forget that we don’t need to always play so seriously. It is ok to play silly games for fun as well.
If you are a casual player who just wants to have fun with your friend, or an experienced player just looking to mess around, then you should definitely give Wingman a try. If you’re a newer player looking to gain competitive ranks fast, it can also be a great training tool.
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