de_mirage
Mirage
The eternal benchmark of competitive CS2.
OVERVIEW
Mirage is set in a Moroccan-inspired city district bathed in warm desert light. Originally introduced as a community map in 2013, it became a fixture of every competitive pool and has survived every major CS revision intact. Its longevity is no accident - Mirage is arguably the most balanced, best-designed map in the history of Counter-Strike.
The layout is a classic three-lane design: A site approached via Ramp and Palace, B site accessed through Apartments, and a heavily contested mid area whose control - Connector, Window room, Top Mid - dictates the rhythm of every round. Neither side has a structural advantage in timings, which is rare in CS2.
Mirage punishes poor utility usage more than almost any other map. Site executes require coordinated smokes on CT Spawn, Jungle, and Stairs to be viable. Pistol rounds, force-buys, and full eco rounds all play differently here, making Mirage the definitive test of tactical depth and individual mechanical skill across every economy state.
Long-term pro statistics consistently show T/CT win rates within 1-2% of 50/50 across all skill levels.
BOMBSITES
Site A
Open, skybox-free site with Ramp and Palace as entry lanes; CT default anchors in Jungle and behind Stairs.
Site B
Compact site at the base of Apartments; short CT Spawn rotation makes late defuses extremely risky.
CALLOUTS 14 positions
KEY UTILITY
smoke CT Spawn from T Ramp, smoke Jungle from Top Mid, smoke Stairs from Palace.
smoke CT from B Short, smoke Window from Apartments hallway.
flash over Window from T spawn to take Connector; pop-flash for B Short push.
Jungle one-way smoke from Ticket Booth slows CT rotations significantly.
Connector smoke from T spawn denies CT vision during mid-to-B rotations.
