Though Dust 2 is the most popular Counter-Strike: Global Offensive map in the game’s history, Mirage has nearly been able to keep up with it among pro and casual players alike.
Because of that, anyone who queues for every defusal map has a pretty darn good chance of winding up on Mirage. That means that it’s always a good idea to brush up on the map’s proper callouts.
Mirage is one of the most straightforward maps in CSGO. It has large bombsite areas with relatively few props or tight choke points that the T side is forced to break through in order to penetrate the CT defense. Offsetting that is the middle area of the map, which gives the T side a path towards both sites.
The CT side has the opportunity to defend both sites and mid from afar. On the A side are long sight lines that give CTs the choice of either sniping incoming enemies from afar or getting up in their face in short-range combat. On the B side are a pair of narrow hallways that terrorists will need to push through.
Because of the relatively limited number of props, players mostly just need to familiarize themselves with locations on the map. Most of these are standardized names that can be found on other CSGO maps including catwalk, apartments, and connector. Many of the unique areas are fairly straightforward for callouts as well, with pillars and market having those names for obvious reasons.
That isn’t to say there aren’t any weird or unintuitive calls. The entire A site is something of a mess in this regard, with the different sets of boxes being referred to as firebox, triple, and stack. Opposite from those boxes are Tetris, sandwich, and jungle.
The B site’s most important callouts are all easy. Bench, van, and market are all simple, while “empty” is so named because it’s the only empty corner in the B bomb site. The trickiest callouts are around the exits from the catwalk, with E box being to the left and GeT_RiGhT to the right.
Why is Mirage so popular?
Mirage is popular in CSGO because it is effectively balanced between the offensive and defensive sides, affording players of all play styles the opportunity to have fun. Players looking to flex their muscles with the AWP can go to ticket and hold the A site or rush into window to shut down mid. Players looking to show off a new nade lineup they learned have plenty of options. The list goes on.
A big part of Mirage’s popularity is the simple fact that it’s been around for a very long time. Mirage has been on CSGO’s active duty rotation since the concept was invented, something not even Dust 2 can claim.
Steven Rondina
About Steven Rondina
Steven Rondina is a true lifelong gamer. His earliest memories are of playing video games, and he has continued playing them throughout his life with no plans to stop any time soon. Steven’s favorite franchises in gaming include Pokemon, Dark Souls, and Counter-Strike. He has previously published with Bleacher Report and other gaming outlets.
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