CSGO gets new community maps with the end of Operation Riptide
A whole batch of new maps just got added to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive with the ending of Operation Riptide.
On February 21, Valve revealed the newest batch of community maps coming to CSGO. The new options include two competitive maps, two Wingman maps, and a pair of community-made Danger Zone locales. The addition also means the
removal of Operation Riptide
community maps, as none will be promoted to regular play. While Operation Riptide is officially over, fans still have a chance to redeem stars until March 27.
The two new competitive maps are Iris and Climb. Iris, by
BubkeZ and Oliver, is an industrial warehouse with a similar vibe to Train. The complex middle area provides plenty of space for sneaky rotations and utility setups. Climb takes place in a Brazilian climbing gym filled with lots of side rooms ripe for lurking. The joint effort between
‘RZL, Squidski, and Coachi
is as fun to play as it is to explore.
To make room for these new playgrounds, the maps added for Operation Riptide will no longer be available on official Valve servers. Fans of Basalt, Insertion_2, Ravine, Extraction, and County will have to look for community servers to continue playing those maps. None of them made the cut into official maps, but fans will remember them for the Operation Riptide stars they granted.
New Danger Zone maps Vineyard and Ember added to CSGO
In addition to the new batch of community maps, CSGO also now has two new maps for Danger Zone. Battle royale enthusiasts can now look forward to playing on Vineyard and Ember. The former is a quaint vineyard in the Italian countryside while the latter takes place on a volcano. Both will bring a change of pace to the regular gameplay loop of looting and shooting.
With the addition of these two maps, there are now four available maps with Blacksite and Sirocco. Community Danger Zone map County has been removed as part of the update. One of the biggest complaints about Danger Zone is the rotating map system where players can only queue for one map on a random rotation. Now that a specific map could require up to a 90-minute wait, it might be time to allow Danger Zone players to queue for specific maps.
Read Also
Counter-Strike
IEM Cologne Major Stage 3 preview: who’s making it to the playoffs?
Owen Harsono
The IEM Cologne Major is the biggest tournament of the year, and after two stages of play, it’s finally time to unleash the big boys. Stage 3 will feature the 16 best teams in the world, but only eight can advance to the Playoffs and play on the big stage. Here’s our IEM Cologne Major Stage 3 preview. Before we got to Stage 3, a lot of things happened in ...
Counter-Strike
IEM Cologne Major 2026 CS2 Stage 3 Pick’Em Predictions
Owen Harsono
It’s that time of the year again, as the next Counter-Strike 2 Major is right around the corner. The IEM Cologne 2026 Major is set to start on June 2, meaning you still have some time to lock in your Pick’Em predictions. The Pick’Em Challenge is one of the most exciting parts of the CS2 Majors, as it allows you to test your knowledge and predict which teams make it ...
Counter-Strike
Team Spirit concede just 10 rounds in Stage 2 of the IEM Cologne Major
Owen Harsono
It was pretty weird seeing Team Spirit having to start the IEM Cologne Major from Stage 2, but they quickly proved why that was a mistake. With donk shooting on all fronts, the Eastern Europeans speed ran the competition to book their spot in Stage 3. With how they’ve been playing, it’s hard not to wonder whether they can actually win the entire thing. These boys can sometimes be known ...
Counter-Strike
BIG pull off 0-12 comeback to stay alive – IEM Cologne Major Stage 1 recap
Owen Harsono
We’ve just witnessed arguably the worst choke in Counter-Strike Major history, and we’re only on the first stage of the IEM Cologne Major. If you didn’t tune into the Stage 1 matches, here’s what you need to know heading into Stage 2. Many fans tend to underestimate Stage 1 teams for fair reasons, but some survivors in this tournament look extremely promising. Two Eastern European teams, BetBoom Team and B8, ...
Counter-Strike
Who will win the IEM Cologne Major 2026?
Owen Harsono
If you’re looking to play it safe and back one team at the Counter-Strike 2 IEM Cologne 2026 Major, traders prediction markets platforms have a clear frontrunner – it’s Team Vitality. But if it’s not meant to be, there are a few other candidates that could lift the trophy. Here’s what traders on Polymarket and Kalshi think. If you haven’t been watching CS2 this year and are only jumping on ...
Counter-Strike
The 10 best CS2 players who have never won a Major
Owen Harsono
In Counter-Strike, winning a Major immediately puts you into legend status. It’s an achievement that proves you won the game’s biggest trophy. However, there have been some really good players that could never get their hands on the biggest trophy that Counter-Strike esports has to offer. Here is WIN.gg's list of best CS2 players who have never won a Major. ScreaM is one of Counter-Strike's most famous players for one ...
Counter-Strike
IEM Cologne Major 2026: All the teams, favorites, and outright betting odds
Owen Harsono
Mark your calendars, as the IEM Cologne Major kicks off on June 2, 2026. We’re going to see the best teams in the world compete, but which ones are actually favored to take the title? This will be the first time in 10 years that IEM Cologne will return as a Counter-Strike Major, so the stakes this year are much higher than they’ve been in a decade. In this guide, ...
