Vertigo is set to get a crazy new cyberpunk reskin

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive looks pretty good these days, especially for a game that has been around for several years. The trouble is that anyone who hasn’t played the game extensively may not be able to instantly pick out CSGO from the many other first-person shooters whose color palettes are primarily made up of browns and grays.

But what if that wasn’t the case? A modder under the handle Swain posted some concept screenshots of a cyberpunk reskin of Vertigo on social media. The reimagined map instantly caught on with fans, who expressed their support to the creator.

This unique take on Vertigo draws clear inspiration from popular media in the cyberpunk genre. The most obvious parallels are with classic anime film Akira, which takes place in a dark version of Tokyo contrasted by bright neons. Other fans have mentioned noir thriller Blade Runner as a point of comparison.

This style lends itself well to various popular CSGO skins, with the most obvious examples being the Neo-Noir, Neon Rider, and Neon Revolution skins.

The redesigned Vertigo map is definitely an interesting one, but the nighttime skyline would present a few challenges from a design perspective. Ensuring that visibility is clean without compromising the new cyberpunk aesthetic is a tough hurdle to clear for any designer, especially when there are now numerous agent skins that need to be considered, any of which might blend into these darker background colors.

Either way, this new take on Vertigo is an interesting one. While newly skinned versions of established maps are not a new concept, with one of the best examples being Team Fortress 2’s “Pyrovision” cosmetic that turned everything in the game cute and cartoonish, this hasn’t been seen as much in CSGO.

Fans interested in tracking this new version of Vertigo can give its creators a follow on the Steam Workshop.