This 64-tick Mirage smoke is going to win you more games
Of all the big Counter-Strike: Global Offensive maps, the second most popular has to be Mirage. And there’s a great smoke that could dramatically increase your win rate on the popular map.
Whether playing on FACEIT, ESEA, or just regular old matchmaking, Mirage pops up a ton. While even players of the lowest rank can throw the A-site stairs smoke, players are hard pressed to find someone who knows a real smoke for covering mid window. A top mid smoke that allows attacking to cross is common, but it doesn’t help the team take what they actually need, which is mid control
Mid control is key on Mirage, but the CT side has a serious advantage there. The defending team has three separate angles they can hold middle from, whereas the T side is stuck coming out of underpass or with the classic top-mid peek. For the T side, the angles available from underpass aren’t very favorable
for dueling either window or catwalk. In fact, underpass is pretty much nullified by any position other than connector.
The other attacking option for the attacking side is the top-mid peek. Unfortunately, the peek is so reliant on friendly spawn positions that the Ts can’t count on reaching a dominant position every round.
That’s why it’s so important for players to know a quick window smoke. Until now, window smokes have been complicated to throw, especially on 64-tick matchmaking servers. Luckily, the game’s most inventive players have come to the rescue once again.
Best smoke for mid window on Mirage
This smoke, while still requiring a crouched jumping throw, might be the easiest one for 64-tick servers.
Thrown from the back of T-spawn, it’s a solid tool that can help the attacking team take the most important position on Mirage.
The smoke shown above not only works on Valve’s matchmaking servers, it’s easy to line up and fast to throw, allowing teams to both quickly and reliably execute based off of it. That’s the hallmark of a good smoke, and good utility usage almost always leads to wins. Just ask top pro team Astralis.
M Alzamora
About M Alzamora
There are few things that writer M Alzamora loves more in life than Pokemon. And there are even fewer things that she loves more than her favorite Pokemon, Eevee. But M’s appreciation for gaming isn’t just limited to Nintendo’s famous pocket monsters. She’s interested in every type of game across every genre of gaming, and she has the credentials to prove it. M’s work has also been seen on Working Classicists and gaming sites.
View full profile
Read Also
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, ...
Esports Betting
All IEM Cologne winners and rosters in Counter-Strike history
Owen Harsono
IEM Cologne is one of Counter-Strike’s biggest events, happening every single year. Some seasons, the event is labeled as one of Valve’s two Counter-Strike Majors of the year, but if not, still stands as one of the big events every player chases to win. With the IEM Cologne 2026 Major right around the corner, let’s take a trip down memory lane and check out every single winner of the tournament, ...