Above all else, Counter Strike 2 is a competitive game, with a sprawling eSports scene, and the best CS2 players competing for hundreds of thousands in cash prizes. Over time there were many maps introduced to the game, and although they all shared the classic fast-paced FPS gameplay of the Counter Strike franchise, with so many different maps to choose from it would be difficult to balance the game for competitive gameplay. There are T-sided maps in the game, while some other maps are easier for the CT team to play. In order to deal with this issue, Valve has introduced a feature to the game, known as the active duty CS2 map pool.

So what exactly is the Active duty map pool, and what CS2 maps does it include? At Skinsmonkey we’ve got you covered! Here’s everything you need to know about the active duty map pool in Counter Strike 2!

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What Are The Active Duty Maps?

As of writing this article, there are currently twelve maps total in Counter Strike 2, with two of them dedicated to the arms race game mode. In order to keep things balanced, the devs have separated the maps into different groups, allowing players to better prepare for competitive play. The maps that are available to players in the premier mode are referred to as the active duty map pool. At the moment, there are seven maps in the pool, with Dust 2 added in the last update. The current active duty map pool includes:

  • Dust II
  • Mirage
  • Inferno
  • Nuke
  • Vertigo
  • Ancient
  • Anubis

These maps are available to players in the premier mode at all ranks but are also the maps that the pros play on in professional tournaments. The active duty pool encompasses some of the most iconic maps in the Counter Strike franchise, well-balanced and facilitating fast action.

What Other Maps Are There In Counter Strike 2?

Although the competitive maps include only seven entries, it can get boring to play the same maps over and over again. If you’d like to try a community map or a hostage map from time to time, you’ll be happy to learn, that there are other Counter Strike 2 maps as well, with new maps regularly added to the game. There’s a rich history of Counter Strike maps, and if you want to try something else beside regular maps, CS2 also includes:

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Two Arms Race Maps

There are two maps in the game, which have been specifically optimized for the arms race mode, Baggage and Shoots. These maps are not available in the competitive map pool, and can only be played in the arms race. They are much smaller than regular maps, and have no bomb sites or hostages, meaning that the players are forced to participate in a fast-paced, non-stop action.

Competitive Maps

One of the biggest changes introduced in Counter Strike 2 was the new ranked system. The ranked gameplay was split into two groups – premier and competitive maps. While in the premier mode, you get points for each match that allow you to climb regional scoreboards, in the competitive mode you get a separate rank for each map. When queuing you also select which map you want to play. Currently, the competitive maps include the following:

  • Dust 2
  • Mirage
  • Inferno
  • Overpass
  • Nuke
  • Vertigo
  • Ancient
  • Anubis
  • Office

CS2 Wingman Maps

Finally, there’s an additional game mode available in CS2, known as the wingman CS2 mode. The matches are played in pairs, with two players on each team competing in fast-paced rounds on miniature versions of regular maps. There are currently four maps added in the wingman mode:

  • Vertigo
  • Nuke
  • Overpass
  • Inferno

Keep in mind that the maps that appear in the wingman mode include certain alterations, and can be lacking some features, which are available in their standard version.

In Conclusion

This about wraps up everything you need to know about the CS2 competitive pool of maps. If you liked this guide, make sure to check out the rest of the SkinsMonkey blog, where we regularly post more tips, tricks,  guides, and even free CS2 skins giveaways!