Different game modes have separate map pools, but Valve designates a group of seven as the "Active Duty" pool. Such maps are considered the most balanced and competitive by Valve and were used in nearly all competitive
Counter-Strike esports tournaments, as well as the Premier
matchmaking mode. The group of seven are chosen from a wider set of maps, with some community-created maps and some designed by Valve. The list of Active Duty maps changes occasionally, generally by replacing one map at a time. Maps such as Dust II have been added, removed, and added back again. As of January 2026, the seven Active Duty maps in
Counter-Strike 2 are Ancient, Anubis,
Dust II,
Inferno,
Mirage,
Nuke and Overpass.
Ancient Ancient (de_ancient) was introduced to the game in a December 2020 update as part of "Operation Broken Fang". The map takes place in an archeological site, likely in
Central America, and was created as a homage to a previous
Counter-Strike map titled de_aztec. The map has received consistent changes and upgrades since its introduction. The map has consistently appeared in competitive tournaments since its introduction and it is among the most played competitive maps alongside
Mirage and
Inferno. The map is part of the Active Duty map pool. The map is set in
Egypt. The map was noted for being buggy upon release, but has been updated over time. In November 2022, Valve contacted the creators of the map, Roald van der Scheur, "Jakuza", and "jd_40", and offered to buy out the rights to it, an unusual occurrence. Upon their acceptance, it replaced
Dust II in the competitive map pool in November 2022, becoming the final competitive change before the release of
Counter-Strike 2. The map went from the least popular competitive map to a popular choice during the
2023 Paris Major. The map was part of the Active Duty map pool until July 2025, when it was replaced by Overpass. Anubis would return to the Active Duty pool in January 2026, replacing Train.
Cache Cache (de_cache) is a map first made for
Counter-Strike: Source in 2004, and was introduced to the ''Global Offensive's'' main competitive map pool in "Operation Breakout" in 2014. It, along with Anubis, have been the only community-made maps to be featured in the Active Duty map pool. It was removed from the game in March 2019 and replaced by Vertigo, before being updated as a standalone map outside of competitive play later that year. According to
Rock, Paper, Shotgun, Cache has been compared to Inferno and Dust II, as one of the most well designed maps in the
Counter-Strike series. The map was used in a study from
Uppsala University for a full analysis on level design in competitive video games. A remake of the original Cache is a very popular demand for
Counter-Strike 2 competitive map pool. Following its overhaul for
Counter-Strike 2, Valve reportedly purchased the map from its creator FMPONE on May 24, 2025. The new version of Cache was released via a
Counter-Strike 2 update on April 28, 2026.
Dust II Inferno Mirage Nuke Overpass Overpass (de_overpass) was the first competitive map intentionally designed for
Global Offensive, and was released in a December 2013 update alongside an updated version of Cobblestone. The map features a roadway bridging over an open canal, adjacent to a public park. Overpass was updated in April 2014. The map was one of the most balanced in the game upon release, and has become a very important competitive map. Overpass was added into the Active Duty map pool in 2014 in
Global Offensive, Overpass would be added back into the active duty pool in July 2025, replacing Anubis. Train was added back to the competitive map pool in January of 2025, replacing Vertigo, before being removed a year later in favor of Anubis. The map is situated on the top of a skyscraper in an unnamed city. Vertigo has become relatively unpopular due to its awkward design. While the map was part of the Active Duty map pool, it was a popular choice for removal from
Counter-Strike 2. In January of 2025, Vertigo was removed from the Active Duty map pool (in preparation for the
2025 BLAST Austin Major) and replaced by Train. == Other maps ==