Valve shoveled some new maps into CS:GO last week, and a couple of them are quite good. Where do these new P90 playgrounds rank alongside CS capitals like de_dust2 and de_inferno? I took a moment to rate every map in the current build.

 A Few Things:

  • I'm excluding maps that are not in the current rotation (e.g. de_blackgold)
  • I'm also excluding Demolition and Arms Race maps, because c'mon
  • I'm mostly judging these maps by how they play in 5-on-5 CS: GO (regardless of your skill level)

A casual Counter-Strike: Global Offensive player can spam the same map over and over reach the Global Elite. In matchmaking the tactics are usually simple so that the team-mates can easily follow and understand what's happening.
The pros do it differently; strategy and tactics are not made up at the beginning of a round, but carefully crafted weeks in advance with hours and hours of practice. Every player has a distinct role that they have to fulfill on every single map. A professional game of Counter-Strike starts in the pick and tire phase.

 Some pros love their old-school 1.6 battlegrounds like Dust 2, Mirage or Nuke. Others perform better on the newer maps like Cobblestone or Overpass. Teams and players get notorious for playing maps so that their opponents have no idea how to counter them, other than banning the map.

 For example, Virtus.pro has a winrate of 64.5 percent on Mirage. This means that they only get it if it slips through the cracks - it's their favorite and best map and they'll take any chance to play on it.
Because maps are so important, we have the chance to ask the pros what their favorites are and why. Hit play on the video below to see what some of the world's best players have to say.

 ARSENAL: ARMS RACE (AR) MAPS

  • Baggage (ar_baggage)

The conflict is occurring in the baggage claim area of a fictional airport somewhere in Germany. The Terrorist faction is the Phoenix Connexion and the Counter-Terrorist faction is the GSG-9.
Baggage is a symmetrical map with team spawns located at just opposite sides of the map. Both teams start on the same level with a wall to block direct line of site at the spawn.

From the spawn point, players have the option to move forward around the wall into the main open conveyor belt area, take the right path up a side conveyor belt up to the topmost area, take the ramp on the left side down to the basement level directly below the open conveyor area.
The Spawn Zones for both teams are color textured. The Terrorist Starting position is yellow while the Counter-Terrorist Starting position is blue.

  • Lake (de_lake)
Lake is a demolition and arms race (arsenal) map taking place at a small estate bordering a lake. The Terrorist faction for this map is the Phoenix Connexion and the Counter-Terrorist faction is SEAL Team 6.


  • Monastery (ar_monastery)
Monastery is a large, open-spaced an arms race (arsenal) map added as part of the October 1, 2012 update. It features the GSG-9 as the Counter-Terrorists, and the Balkans as the Terrorists.


  • Safehouse (de_safehouse)
This is the official release of the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive beta and is available in demolition and arms race (arsenal) modes. In this map, the Terrorists are the Professionals and the Counter-Terrorists are the SWAT team.


Safehouse begins with the Counter-Terrorists behind the house and Terrorists in front of it. As this is a very small map, most of enemy contact is made along the middle from the house to the fence.
  • Shoots (ar_shoots)
Shoots takes place somewhere in Vietnam. The Terrorist faction featured are the Pirates and the Counter-Terrorists are the GIGN.


Shoots is a symmetrical map. The Terrorists and Counter-Terrorists spawn on opposite sides of the map, with identical covers provided for both sides.
  • St. Marc (de_stmarc)
St. Marc takes place in the coastal town of Saint-Marc, Haiti, deep in the Caribbean. The Terrorist Pirate faction fight against the Counter-Terrorist GIGN over a truck carrying chemical weapons.


ARSENAL: DEMOLITION (DE) MAPS
  • Bank (de_bank)
Bank is a demolition (arsenal) map taking place just outside the downtown district of an unspecified US city.

There are 2 factions making an appearance on this map. The Terrorists consist of the Professionals while for the Counter-Terrorists, the SWAT team appears.


Both teams are spawned opposite to each other. The Terrorist team is spawned behind the bank, while Counter-Terrorists are spawned in front of it and must get across the street to get in. This map is close and medium range combat oriented, and most of the action takes place right in the bank or on the roof.

  • Lake (de_lake)
  • Safehouse (de_safehouse)
  • Shortdust (de_shortdust)
Similar to de_shorttrain, it is a modified version of the map Dust, featuring only one bombsite with most of the map cut off. There are also several other changes. Bombsite A has been moved to the interior of the palace and the Terrorist Spawn Zone is located in the underpass.


There are additional pathways as well to accommodate with the changes. There are two holes, one that connects the underpass to bombsite A and the other is located between the front and the aforementioned bombsite. To curb camping, a Humvee was placed close to the hole.

Like its original version, the official factions are the IDF and the Elite Crew.
  • St. Marc
  • Sugarcane
  • Shorttrain
THE FLYING SCOUTSMAN (AR) MAPS
  • Dizzy
  • Lake
  • Safehouse
  • Shoots
WINGMAN (DE) MAPS
  • Cobblestone
  • Inferno
  • Lake
  • Riallo
  • Shortdust
  • Train
  • Shorttrain
ASSASSINATION (AS) MAPS
  • Oilrig
HOSTAGE RESCUE (CS) MAPS
  • 747
  • Agency
  • Assault
  • Backalley
  • Compound
  • Downed
  • Estate
  • Havana
  • Insertion
  • Italy
  • Miami
  • Militia
  • Office
  • Siege
BOMB DEFUSAL (DE) MAPS
  • Airstrip
  • Austria
  • Aztec
  • Cache
  • Canals
  • Cobblestone
  • Catheu
  • Corruption
  • Dust
  • Dust II
  • Fastline
  • Inferno
  • Mirage
  • Nuke
  • Overpass
  • Piranesi
  • Port
  • Prodigy
  • Shipped
  • Sienna
  • Stadium
  • Storm
  • Survivor
  • Tides
  • Torn
  • Train
  • Truth
  • Vertigo
  • Vostok