Counter-Strike 1.6 is where it all began. Where legends like f0rest and GeT_RiGhT first began to carve their legacy. Many of the best Counter-Strike 1.6 maps remain staples of the series to this day, and we’re here to rank the best of the classics.
8. cs_italy (Italy)
Because cs_italy was a Hostage Rescue Counter-Strike 1.6 map, it didn’t see as much playtime as it deserved. Still, it’s well worth a mention here, with a unique atmosphere and plenty of tight lanes allowing for intense gunfights.
7. de_aztec (Aztec)
de_aztec is the opposite to the previous CS 1.6 map, this time offering plenty of wide-open spaces for players to take tough engagements. Knowing how to use your CS utility is a must for this map.
6. cs_office (Office)
How can you not love cs_office? It has appeared in every iteration of Counter-Strike, but it’s first-ever appearance might just be its best. There’s a simplicity to the map’s design that holds up really well with the gunfights from Counter-Strike 1.6.
5. de_cbble (Cobblestone)
When looking at all the best Counter-Strike 1.6 maps, few have a design quite as unique as de_cbble. Set in a castle, the map has a timeless charm – it’s just a shame it hasn’t come back for CS2 yet. Cobblestone is one of the more open maps in CS 1.6, which won’t be to everyone’s taste.
4. de_train (Train)
The layout of de_train is unlike anything else in the Counter-Strike series. Players are able to climb up onto each of the trains, while also ducking underneath them. This gives Train a unique verticality that few other Counter-Strike 1.6 maps can compete with.
3. de_nuke (Nuke)
Of all the Counter-Strike 1.6 maps still in the Active Duty map pool all these years later, de_nuke might be the most different. While the upper sites remain very similar, the lower tunnels are completely different. The CS 1.6 map version of Nuke features a massive lower tunnels section, and it can be easy to get lost in. That said, the layout is a classic.
2. de_inferno (Inferno)
How could we leave out de_inferno? This Counter-Strike 1.6 map is virtually identical now as it was over 20 years ago, owing to its near-perfect design. The map is perfect for those who see Counter-Strike as a thinking man’s game, with plenty of mind games based on clever rotations on Inferno.
1. de_dust2 (Dust2)
de_dust2 isn’t just one of the best Counter-Strike 1.6 maps – it’s one of the best FPS maps in history. The classic layout of this map remains untouched in the CS2 version. So perfect, that there’s simply no need to change it. When you ask someone to think about Counter-Strike, there’s a good chance they’ll think of Dust2 – the two are synonymous.