Ultimate CS2 (CSGO) Wingman Guide [Ranks & Maps]

The Wingman game mode in CS2 (CSGO) was added as one of the three Hydra events, the other two game modes being War Games and Weapons Expert. However, Wingman game mode was made a permanent addition to CS2 (CSGO) in November 2017 due to it being extremely popular.

What is CS2 (CSGO) Wingman Game Mode?

CS2 (CSGO) Wingman is a 2v2 competitive game mode that is set on maps with one bombsite and uses a best-of-16 round format. If the total rounds end with a draw at the end then there is no extra round, the game just ends with a draw.

These matches have similar rules to a standard game mode, but CS2 (CSGO) Wingman mode matches take place on smaller versions of most maps with invisible walls, spawns closer to the bombsite and the round timer is set to only 1 minute and 30 seconds.

It results in games that are much faster than normal CS2 (CSGO) matches in Competitive which can also make them more emotional as a result. Playing Wingman is a bit of a stress test for most players though when playing with a friend as a duo, it can be played more relaxed, plus the gameplay is also more fast paced compared to the competitive mode. ‍

All CS2 (CSGO) Wingman Maps

While there were more maps in the pool for the Wingman game mode, some of them were exclusive to the Hydra event at launch. Currently, there is a good variety of maps for this mode. Changes could be made in the future but these are the currently supported maps for the Wingman game mode:

• Cobblestone (Bombsite B)
• Inferno (Bombsite A)
• Lake
• Overpass (Bombsite B)
• Rialto
• Shortdust
• Nuke (Bombsite B)
• Train (Bombsite A)
• Vertigo (Bombsite B)

As the list above shows, CS2 (CSGO) Wingman does have more maps available to play than the active-duty map pool for the full Competitive Mode.

The Shortdust and Shortnuke maps are smaller versions of two compact maps made of Dust 2 and Nuke. Some maps also have invisible walls to restrict players to just one bombsite and to give them a smaller area to work with.

Wingman Game Mode Ranks

While this is not the classic Competitive Matchmaking, Wingman mode also has a competitive ranking system for players. It's separate from the regular ranking system in the game so CS2 (CSGO) Wingman Ranks do not affect the normal ranking system nor the Danger Zone Ranking System. The CS2 (CSGO) Wingman game mode rankings starts with Silver 1 and goes up to Global Elite as the highest rank.

There are 18 different ranks to go through to reach the top rank for this mode. It uses the same rank titles and positioning as the standard CS2 (CSGO) competitive mode.

Typically, Wingman has a smaller player base than the main Competitive Mode. Fewer players regularly play this mode which also means that most players will find they have higher CS2 (CSGO) Wingman Ranks than in the Competitive Mode. Here are all the 18 current CS2 (CSGO) Wingman Ranks:

The rank increases are a reflection of the lower player count available for this mode which is due to various reasons. Keep in mind however that the Wingman rank does not count towards the overall Competitive rank or wins.

How does the Wingman ELO Ranking System work?

Valve has been keeping the ELO system for Wingman locked uptight over the years so it's hard to know how CS2 (CSGO) Wingman Ranks works exactly. Until Valve releases the full information, some assumptions can be made about how this mode works. These assumptions are based on things that are commonly seen in the game and ranking system itself. Here are some of the key factors which are determining your CS2 (CSGO) Wingman Rank:

• Region of the Player
• Your CS2 (CSGO) Rank
• Rank of the opponent
• Rank of the Teammates
• Your score (Kills, Deaths & Assists)
• Number of rounds won

It looks as though Wingman mode also uses performance when associating ranks with players which means, the better you perform against high-ranking players then the better your rank will be in this mode. The Wingman Mode having a lower player base means that players end up playing against others with completely different CS2 (CSGO) Wingman Ranks. This is why you might see rank fluctuations sometimes in addition to a higher rank than in the main Competitive games.

Wingman might not be a popular mode, but it's still loved by many. The fact that this ranking is different from the main Competitive Mode also makes Wingman a great place to test different things and to learn about CS2 (CSGO) somewhat safely.

It can also feel more 'safe' to learn things such asBunnyhopping and aiming without the added pressure of a full team or a full game. Wingman presents as something more 'casual' when this isn't the case at all. All in All, we love to play Wingman game mode when we need to relax a bit or we don’t have much time and still want to play some Counter Strike.