What Maps Were Added To CSGO In 2022?

Have you played Counter-Strike recently? Have you seen new CS:GO maps? Let’s go through them all!

Along with the last breath of Operation Riptide, CS:GO has been provided with yet another content update on 2/21/2022 that has added a whopping six new maps to various types of play.

Valve is lucky to have a thriving community dwelling in its Steam workshop. Creators provide quality fan-made materials that are up to the company’s standards. Not only that, but to make sure the maps provide the best experience for the players, their reactions are observed, noted, and if the map is to stay in the official roster, it needs to be upgraded accordingly. The maps we’ll be talking about here have already been updated 1-3 times in the month since their publishing.

That’s the context, but let’s get to the bread and butter!

2022 Casual Mode Maps

The general roster has been updated with one bomb scenario and one hostage scene. What are they exactly?

Iris

A bit of a retro vibe goes a long way. More toned down and showing vintage details like cars and banners, Iris might at first seem like a gimmick map, but this is far from true. With the watchful eye of bubkeZ, who’s renowned for his work on the evergreen Mirage, we can expect some decent pathing and high replayability.

Some claim that the map still needs polishing out, because there are deceitful corners on every inch of it. One redditor has posted a map they’ve prepared with a friend and it shows how detailed the structure is.

The map is quite fresh and we still need time to see if the challenge it provides motivates and fascinates players or will they stick to maps which are just a tad more simple.

Climb

A sporting facility turned into an intervention point. Don’t worry, you won’t need to climb the walls here, but it’s definitely worth it to keep your head up and observe. The map has some interesting structural choices, with a lot of long shots and pathing shortcuts, but still very defined by the facility’s building. The lobby hostage is especially put in a very exposed position with the tricky counter in the back of the hall, allowing for Ts to hide behind monitors and make it almost impossible to spot them.

Authors of hostage rescue maps usually bear in mind that these scenarios are not as popular as the defuse ones and surely won’t make it into the light of major events. However, crafting them despite all this is a true expression of staying true to the game’s roots. Also, it makes for a great environment to test out space design solutions, and Climb surely plays with concepts of long shots and open spaces a lot.

On a side note, the name ‘Climb’ is pretty unfortunate because there’s a whole genre of custom maps called climb maps, do don’t get confused!

Wingman Maps Added in 2022

With the growing popularity of a faster, more tense and more tactical 2vs2 mode, it’s no surprise there are new levels added specifically for that gameplay, which deserves more than just limited competitive defusal scenarios.

Crete

Set in a seaside mediterranean town, Crete is a simple three-path map that is designed with a verticality recalling the layout of cs_italy or de_inferno. With several ramps and openings in the architecture, this map is seemingly straightforward but makes you watch your angles carefully.

However, the community’s opinions about it are divided. Some people say that the construction is pretty classic and pros can deduce the placement of enemies very easily. On the other hand, it might serve as a good introduction to Wingman mode for absolute beginners.

Hive

This map is quite peculiar in its layout. A lobby of a building with a lot of honeycomb and hex motives in the decorations (hence the Hive) is a very open bomb site to defend and seemingly an easy job for CTs with decent accuracy. However, the amount of exits for Ts make it quite tricky to observe all of it carefully when there’s just two defenders.

CTs are also quite exposed, but this shouldn’t come off as a problem to more experienced players. Noteworthy, the map is textured in a pretty dark color palette, which is a nice change, but can be a bugger for some.

New Danger Zone Maps 2022

CSGO’s very own battle royale mode has a pretty narrow but very devoted fanbase and new community-made arenas are a welcome addition. February 2022 brough two new maps officially added to the game, and they represent two polarities of an aesthetic spectrum.

Vineyard

Another map in a more European and Mediterranean setting with a pristine and idyllic vibe. It provides stunning views, pushing the Source engine to its limits when it comes to distance rendering and making the lurk exploration as good as any walking simulator.

The ‘freshness’ of the map comes with a price, though. While it’s normal for Danger Zone maps to be open and airy, Vineyard is at times unbearingly empty. The coast is almost catatonic in its simplicity. The looming wine cellars might serve a purpose, but lowkey fall into a backroom category.

Unfortunately, a lot of open space on a flat surface also means that a bump mine and a burst weapon like a shotgun or SMG turn this into a Team Fortress 2 match and guarantees a lot of DFA frustration. What’s left is to hope for a general update, because it’s such an eye-candy.

(Also, there were quite a lot of clipping bugs on it but a recent update fixed most of them).

Ember

A very unique setting puts players in the middle of an element-struck settlement. Somewhere off the coast of Portugal, a hot springs and geyser island resort has suddenly gone desolate because of volcanic eruptions. The mood is almost Silent-Hill like, with ash gray dominating the surroundings. There are distinct parts of the island, with an industrial plant, a lighthouse, a ruined castle and an accommodation suburb.

The little twists that break the mood a little are both lava streams in the middle of the island that are sure to eat you whole if you’re not careful enough and hot air vents that spring you up just like bump mines but at a cost of some of your health. Make of it what you will, but it’s not like it suddenly turns to Quake Arena because of those.

The map is getting careful but very positive reviews and the authors are happy to fix the bugs found by the players.

2022 Maps Summary

It’s incredible to see new settings, new moods and new solutions still being introduced to CSGO maps. Creator dedication is one of the things that keep this game and its franchise alive, and, just like in case of weapon skins, help the CSGO lovers create the game’s history.

If you have any favorite maps that are currently in the Workshop, but you’d like them to appear on the official servers, let us know below!

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