Ancient Callouts in CS2: Every Position and What It Is For (2026)

This guide explains all 45 Ancient callouts that players use in CS2 in 2026. They are grouped into seven areas: T Spawn with Water and Tunnel, the A Main route, A site, Mid with Donut and House, the B approach through Ramp, Ruins and Lane, B site, and CT Spawn with Temple. For each callout you get where it is, what it is for and which side usually holds it. Ancient is in the Active Duty map pool, so you can play it in Premier as well as in Competitive.

Ancient is a jungle temple map that Valve added to the game on December 3, 2020 with Operation Broken Fang. It has been in Active Duty since May 3, 2021. The names below describe the CS2 version, which got new materials and a nighttime version in August 2025. The layout and the callouts are the same in both versions.

Two sites and a narrow mid: how Ancient is laid out in CS2

Ts start at the bottom of the map, next to the water. A site is on the left, at the end of the long A Main hallway. B site is on the right, at the top of Ramp. Mid runs up the center from Bottom Mid to Top Mid, and CTs watch it from House. Donut links mid with A, and Jaguar and Cave link mid with B, so whoever controls mid can reach either site quickly.

CTs start at the top, between the two sites. Temple and CT Lane lead to A, Back Halls lead to B, and Connector leads down to House and mid. Most rounds on Ancient come down to one question: do the Ts take mid, or do they go straight to a site through A Main or Ramp.

The map has been in the game for almost six years. These are the dates that matter for callouts:

1. Dec 3, 2020 Ancient arrives with Operation Broken Fang.
2. May 3, 2021 Ancient replaces Train in Active Duty, with a revamped A site.
3. Aug 7, 2023 Ancient is added to Competitive in the CS2 Limited Test.
4. Aug 14, 2025 New materials and a nighttime version of Ancient.
5. Jul 8, 2026 Premier Season Five starts; Ancient stays in the pool.

The nighttime version, de_ancient_night, is only available in Casual and Deathmatch, so Premier and Competitive matches are always played on the daytime map. Since February 2026 the official map guides work on both versions. In CS2 Valve has mostly fixed clipping, gaps and stuck spots on Ancient instead of moving walls, so the names have stayed stable. The changes that matter for calls are in the tables below: the stairs in A Main, House near CT Spawn, the plywood in Cave and the doors inside Jaguar.

Ancient on your loadout: the Ancient Collection

Ancient has its own skin collection. Valve released The Ancient Collection on December 3, 2020, as one of the three weapon collections of Operation Broken Fang, and it does not drop from a weapon case. The top skin is the M4A1-S | Welcome to the Jungle, the only Covert skin in the collection. The other rare skins are the AK-47 | Panthera onca and P90 | Run and Hide (both Classified) and the USP-S | Ancient Visions and XM1014 | Ancient Lore (both Restricted). On October 31, 2026 the M4A1-S | Welcome to the Jungle started at $820.67 on SkinsMonkey.

The full list of 19 skins, down to the Consumer Grade ones, is on The Ancient Collection page in our WIKI. The same page links the Souvenir packages from Majors where Ancient was played. You can trade for any of these skins on SkinsMonkey.

T Spawn, Water and Tunnel: where every T round starts

The T side of Ancient is small, and the routes split early. T Stairs take you left toward Split and the A side. Tunnel takes you right toward Water, and from there you go up to mid or over to the B side. A T who wants to lurk usually decides here, in the first seconds of the round.

Callout	Where it is	Who uses it and why
T Spawn	The Terrorist start at the bottom of the map, partly in shallow water.	Ts buy and split here. Routes go to T Stairs and Tunnel.
T Stairs	The stairs from T Spawn up toward Split.	The T route to A Main and Bottom Mid.
Tunnel	The short passage from T Spawn toward Water.	Ts walk through it to reach mid or the B side.
Water	The open, wet area right of T Spawn, between Tunnel and Ruins.	The T path to B through Ruins and to mid through Lane. Movement in water makes noise.

Water is easy to hear. If you are a T and you want to hide where you go, walk out of the water before you run. Valve also fixed a case in October 2024 where players could detect movement through water from across the map, so a careful walk here now gives away less.

Split, A Main and Outside A: the long road to A

The A route is one long path with few side exits. Ts go from Split through Outside A, climb A Stairs and walk the long A Main hallway into the site. Because there is only one way in from this side, CTs often push it early with utility, and Ts who want A usually send one or two players through Donut at the same time.

Callout	Where it is	Who uses it and why
Split	The area above T Stairs where the paths to A and mid separate.	Ts decide here between A Main and Bottom Mid.
Outside A	The open area between Split and A Stairs.	Ts gather here before they go up. CTs throw grenades into it.
A Stairs	The staircase that leads up into A Main.	The only climb on the T route to A. Valve reworked its collision in November 2024.
A Long	The first, longer part of the A Main hallway.	Ts walk it to the site. A CT who pushes early fights here.
A Main	The end of the hallway, where it opens onto A site.	The T entry to A. CTs hold it from the site.
Boost (A)	The planter next to the exit of A Main, used as a boost.	Ts or CTs boost up here for an angle over the site.

When you call a T in this area, say how far along he is: “one Outside A” and “one A Main” mean very different things for a CT on site. Valve fixed holes in the A Main hallway in September 2026, so the walls look the same but some old pixel gaps no longer work.

A site: Big Box, Triple and the CT positions behind

A site has two T entrances: A Main from the left and Short from the mid side through Donut. CTs play it from Temple, Plat and Back Site, which are all behind the site, so a T execute usually smokes those positions first. Valve revamped A site in May 2021 when Ancient entered Active Duty, and in September 2021 it made the plant zones on both sites larger.

Callout	Where it is	Who uses it and why
Short (A)	The entrance onto A from Donut, on the mid side of the site.	Ts from mid enter here. CTs hold it from Temple and Triple.
A Site	The bombsite at the end of A Main.	Ts plant here. CTs retake from Temple and CT Lane.
Default (A)	The usual plant spot in the middle of the site.	Ts plant here when they have the whole site.
Triple	The stack of three boxes on the Short side of the site.	Cover for a T after the plant and for a CT on retake.
Big Box	The large box on the A Main side of the site.	Ts clear it on entry. CTs hide behind it for a close fight.
Plat	The raised platform at the back left of the site.	A CT position that sees A Main. Ts clear it before the plant.
Back Site	The back of A, between Plat and Temple.	CTs hold and retake from here.

In November 2024 Valve removed a tree on A site that made a distracting shadow. A plain call on A is the box plus a number: “two Big Box” or “one Triple”. If a T is on Plat, say it first, because Plat sees most of the site.

Mid, Donut and House: the center of every round

Mid on Ancient is narrow, and it is the fastest way to either site. Ts who take it can go to A through Donut or to B through Jaguar and Cave. CTs usually hold it from House at the top, often with an AWP, and Ts need a smoke on top mid before they can walk up.

Callout	Where it is	Who uses it and why
Bottom Mid	The low end of mid, next to Split.	Ts enter mid from here.
Mid	The long middle path between Bottom Mid and Top Mid.	The main fight for map control. Ts smoke it to cross.
Xbox	The box at the bottom of mid, near Cat.	Ts use it as cover and to boost when they take mid.
Cat / Heaven (also Catwalk, Window)	The raised walkway on the right side of lower mid, toward Jaguar.	Ts use it to go from mid toward B. CTs peek it from Jaguar.
Cubby (Mid)	A small pocket on the right side of mid.	Ts or CTs hide here to catch a player who walks past.
Top Mid	The top of mid, below House.	CTs hold it. Ts who reach it can go to Donut or toward Connector.
Donut	The small room on the left of mid that leads to Short (A).	The fast T route from mid to A. CTs push it to cut that route.
House / Red Room	The building at the top of mid, near Connector.	The main CT position that watches mid.
Jaguar / Cat Room (also Lamp Room)	The room on the right of mid that connects to Cave and Dark.	The link from mid to B. CTs hold it to stop Ts from cutting the B rotation.

Valve made several changes in this area during CS2. In October 2023 it changed visibility in Donut, in November 2024 it fixed spots in House where players got stuck, and in August 2025 it reverted the roof decorations on House near CT Spawn. In September 2026 it adjusted the door geometry and grenade clipping inside Jaguar, so if you have old smokes for Jaguar, test them again.

Ramp, Ruins and Lane: how Ts reach B

The B approach has two T paths. The main one goes from Water through Ruins and Doors up Ramp onto the site. The second goes up Lane past Wood toward Dark, on the mid side of B. CTs on B watch the top of Ramp, so Ts usually smoke it before they walk up.

Callout	Where it is	Who uses it and why
Ruins (also Outside B)	The ruined area above Water, in front of Doors.	Ts gather here before a B hit. CTs throw grenades into it.
Doors	The doorway between Ruins and the bottom of Ramp.	Ts pass through it. A CT who pushes B early fights here.
Boost (B)	The boost spot next to the bottom of Ramp.	A T boosts up here to see over the top of Ramp.
Ramp	The slope from Doors up to B site.	The main T entry to B. CTs hold the top of it.
Lane (also Construction)	The path from the Water side up toward Wood and Dark.	The second T route to B. Ts use it to hit B from two sides.
Wood	The wooden cover at the top of Lane, before Dark.	Ts wait here before they push Dark.

Valve fixed a collision gap at the bottom of B Ramp in November 2024 and a spot behind the rubble pile on the T side of B where dropped items got stuck in August 2025. When you call Ts on this side, say “Ramp” or “Lane”, because the two routes reach the site from different sides.

B site: Pillar, Cave and the CT entrances

B site is built around a central Pillar. Ts come in from Ramp and from Dark. CTs come in from the top through Short and Long, from Back Halls, and from the mid side through Cave. A CT in Cave can see the site and Dark at the same time, which makes it the first position Ts need to clear.

Callout	Where it is	Who uses it and why
B Site	The bombsite at the top of Ramp.	Ts plant here. CTs retake from Short, Long and Cave.
Pillar	The large pillar in the middle of the site.	Cover for both sides. Ts often plant next to it.
Default (B)	The usual plant spot next to Pillar.	Ts plant here after they take the site.
Cave (also Side Room)	The room on the mid side of B, linked with Jaguar.	A CT holds B from here. Its plywood can be shot through.
Dark	The dark passage below B, between Wood and the site.	The T entry to B from Lane. CTs watch it from Cave.
Cubby (B)	A small corner near Dark at the edge of the site.	A hiding spot for a T after the plant or a CT on a retake.
Short (B)	The CT entrance to B from the top left.	CTs enter B from here on a retake.
Long	The longer CT entrance to B on the top right.	CTs use it to retake from a second side.
Back Halls	The corridor behind B toward CT Spawn.	The CT rotation to B. Ts in it can cut a retake.

In August 2025 Valve restored the ability to shoot through the plywood in Cave, so a T who knows a CT is there can spray through it. Call a T on B by the cover he uses: “one Pillar” or “one Cubby” tells your team more than “one B”.

CT Spawn, Temple and the CT rotations

CTs start between the sites and close to both of them. From CT Spawn, CT Lane and Temple lead to A, Back Halls lead to B, and Connector leads to House and mid. Because mid is so short, a CT team that loses House can be cut off from one site, so the player in Connector decides how fast the rotation is.

Callout	Where it is	Who uses it and why
CT Spawn	The CT start at the top of the map, between the sites.	CTs split to A, B and mid from here.
CT Lane	The path from CT Spawn toward Temple and A.	The CT route to A and a common retake path.
Temple	The temple room behind A site.	CTs hold A from here and retake through it.
Connector	The passage from CT Spawn down to House.	The CT path to mid. Ts who reach it cut the CT rotation.

A call that names the route helps your team decide when to rotate. A CT “in Connector” can reach mid or either site quickly, while a CT “in Temple” is already on A.

Ancient callouts cheat sheet

This table lists every callout in this guide by area, with the side that usually holds each area. The group names are the same as on the map images above.

Area	Callouts	Who usually holds it and why
T Spawn and Water	T Spawn, T Stairs, Tunnel, Water	T side territory; the routes split here
A Main route	Split, Outside A, A Stairs, A Long, A Main, Boost (A)	T side route; CTs push it early
A site	Short (A), A Site, Default (A), Triple, Big Box, Plat, Back Site	CTs hold from Plat, Back Site and Temple
Mid	Bottom Mid, Mid, Xbox, Cat / Heaven, Cubby (Mid), Top Mid, Donut, House / Red Room, Jaguar / Cat Room	CTs hold from House; Ts fight for it
B approach	Ruins, Doors, Boost (B), Ramp, Lane, Wood	T side routes; CTs hold the top of Ramp
B site	B Site, Pillar, Default (B), Cave, Dark, Cubby (B), Short (B), Long, Back Halls	CTs hold from Cave and the top of the site
CT side	CT Spawn, CT Lane, Temple, Connector	CT rotations; Ts take Connector to cut them

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How to learn Ancient callouts quickly

Ancient has fewer odd names than Train, but the same words appear twice: there is a Cubby in mid and on B, a Short and a Boost on both sites, and a Default on each site. Our routine for a new map:

• Start a private match on Ancient with no bots and walk the map in the order of this guide: T Spawn, A Main, A site, then mid, the B approach, B site and CT Spawn. Say each name out loud when you reach it.
• Set up a practice server with the right CS2 console commands (infinite warmup, no round time), so you can stay in one area as long as you need.
• Open the official map guide for Ancient from the pause menu. Valve added starter guides for all Active Duty maps in March 2026.
• Walk from mid to B twice, once through Cat and Jaguar and once through Lane and Dark, so you know where each path comes out.
• Always add the site to the shared names: say “A Short” or “B Short”, “mid Cubby” or “B Cubby”.

Ancient is in Active Duty, so you will see it in Premier as of October 2026. To see the other six maps in the pool, read our guide to the Active Duty map pool. Our guides to Nuke callouts and Train callouts use the same format, and so does our older guide to Mirage callouts.

AC

Bottom line

Learn Ancient by the three links: Donut to A, Jaguar to B and Connector for the CT rotation.

If you play CT side, learn House for mid, Plat, Back Site and Temple for A, and Cave, Short and Long for B, because you will hold or retake from those in many rounds. If you play T side, learn the routes: A Main for A, Ramp and Lane for B, and Donut and Jaguar for the split hits from mid.

The names that cause mistakes are the ones that exist twice. Ancient has a Cubby, a Short, a Boost and a Default on more than one part of the map, so always add the site or say mid. Agree on these names with your team before the match.

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