The 5 Worst Maps In CS2 (CSGO) [Ranked]

Based on their play rate, we’ve compiled a list of the five worst maps in CS2 (CSGO).

Italy

I think everyone can agree with me: Italy is the worst map in Counter-Strike 2. Unsurprisingly, the map only has a play rate of 0.3%, the lowest play rate of all ten available maps in CS2 (CSGO). 

One of Italy’s most significant issues is that it is a Hostage Rescue map. The most popular game mode, and what CS is known for, is the Bomb Defusal scenario. It’s a big turn-off for players to play in the Hostage mode, as it’s an entirely different ball game.

The map is filled with narrow pathways, with many entrances to different buildings. It’s a very confusing map for beginners, and not many people want to have close-quarter combat all the time.

Most players wanting to play a Competitive match will always lean to other maps, and Italy is the last resort option. With such a low play rate, queue times for Italy can last ten to twenty minutes, and nobody wants to wait that long.

Ancient

Ancient is the least-favorite map in the Active Duty Map Pool, with a horrendous play rate of 0.9%. Despite being included in the Premier Mode Map Pool, Ancient has the second lowest play rate in the game, even losing to the likes of Office.

The professional scene is really enjoying the map, with many teams turning it into their best map. However, Ancient is very unpopular amongst casual players. Ancient feels like the most CT-sided map, making it less attractive to regular players forced to play the map.

Gameplay on Ancient demands good communication, teamwork, and, most importantly, proper utility usage. Players who are not CS2 (CSGO) tryhards will lack the level of skill and commitment to learn the best smokes on Ancient to make their T-side gameplay competitive, making it an easy no-go.

Still, it is enjoyable to watch professional teams play the map, but it isn’t a viable option for the other 99% of the player base who aren’t in the highest rank.

Anubis

Anubis is the newest addition to the CS2 (CSGO) Competitive Map Pool, but it isn’t too welcomed. The community-made map has a low play rate of 1.3%, which isn’t good enough for a map available in Premier Mode. The map is always first-banned in Premier Mode, and I’ve barely gotten chances to play it.

Unlike Ancient, Anubis is one of the most T-sided maps. Many players have claimed that playing on the CT side is very difficult. The map has lots of open spaces, allowing Terrorists to easily rain down utility on poor Counter-Terrorists who must hold the bomb site.

Anubis was brought into the Active Duty Map Pool on November 18, 2022, and many professional players didn’t like Valve’s decision. Swedish professional player hampus commented that Anubis looked like a Valorant map, and he would rather have other maps like Cobblestone or Cache added in instead.

However, the professional scene is adjusting well to Anubis, but casual players can’t be bothered to play this map, which explains the extremely low play rate of the map.

Office

Like Agency, Office is another Hostage Rescue map and is easily the most popular one in the category. Despite being the most-played Hostage Rescue map, the map still has a shallow pick rate, meaning the game mode is just THAT unappealing. With that being said, Office only has a play rate of 1.5%, which is honestly more than I expected it to have.

Office has been around in Counter-Strike since 2012, over a decade ago! Unfortunately, professional players never play Hostage Rescue maps, so nobody knows what meta should be used in this map.

The map is so unpopular that Silver players can queue into Global Elite players on Office because there simply isn’t anyone wanting to play the map. Queue times on the map will take you a very long time, even if you’re playing during peak hours.

The only reason people would play this map is to de-stress and mess around with their friends.

Vertigo

Finally, it was a close debate between Overpass, but I’ve chosen to add Vertigo to the list. Despite getting attached to the map myself, the same cannot be said for other players, as Vertigo has a play rate of 4.0%, making it the 5th least-played map.

The main problem with Vertigo is the verticality. The map is very confusing for casual players who are unfamiliar with the map. As a Terrorist, you need to go upstairs, climb up ladders, or walk up a ramp to go to the bomb sites, which is just super puzzling for non-Vertigo players.

Even though CS2 (CSGO) was supposed to “enhance” visuals on every map, many players have complained that Vertigo was made too bright, making it hard to see enemies and slightly damaging to the eyes. The different floors of the map also make audio cues quite awkward, so you really have to listen in.

Like Ancient, Vertigo demands proper utility usage, especially molotovs, making it less beginner friendly. If you want to win on the map, make sure to learn the best molotov lineups on Vertigo!