CS 1.6 Maps List — Every Classic Map Explained

Counter-Strike 1.6 shipped with 22 default maps across three prefixes: de_ (bomb defusal), cs_ (hostage rescue), and as_ (VIP assassination). Community mappers added thousands more over the years. This is the essential list — the maps every player should know.

Map naming conventions

• *`de_` — Bomb defusal**. Terrorists plant a bomb at bombsite A or B; CTs try to defuse. Round timer: 1:55 by default.
• *`cs_` — Hostage rescue**. CTs escort hostages from the T-controlled area to a rescue zone. Named after "Counter-Strike" prefix.
• *`as_` — VIP assassination**. One CT is the VIP; Ts win by killing them, CTs win by escorting them to safety. Rare in modern play.
• *`fy_`** — community "fight yard" arena maps (not shipped by default).
• *`aim_`** — community aim-training maps.
• he_* / awp_* — community weapon-specific maps.

The competitive defaults

These are the maps that defined 1.6 competitive play from 2003–2012.

de_dust2

• Author: David Johnston (2001)
• The most played Counter-Strike map in history. Dust2 defined the language of CS: Long A, Cat, Mid, Xbox, Tunnels, B site, Goose.
• Layout: symmetric 5-lane design. T spawn → mid / tunnels / long. CT spawn → B / mid / cat.
• Competitive relevance: still played in every CS competitive title including CS2.
• Sequel to de_dust (Beta 4, 1999) — same author.

de_inferno

• Second most iconic map, first shipped in 2000.
• Layout: mediterranean village, tight corridors. Banana → B site, T mid → A apartments/pit.
• Utility-heavy — nade lineups on inferno are a whole subgenre of CS strategy.
• Competitive relevance: constant tournament map through every era.

de_nuke

• Rocket-silo facility. Two-storey bombsite structure (A upstairs on the roof, B downstairs in the vault).
• Vertical map — unique in CS because most maps are single-storey.
• Very CT-favoured historically (60/40 CT win rate typical). Retakes hard, entries hard.

de_train

• Train yard with dozens of railway cars for cover.
• Iconic angles: Ivy, Halls, Kitchen, Popdog, Inner Train Yard, Outer Train Yard.
• AWP-heavy: the map is designed around long sightlines through the train cars.

de_aztec

• Mesoamerican jungle/temple theme. Rope bridge, water canal, temple B site.
• Water zones slow movement — first meaningful "environmental hazard" in a CS map.
• Competitive relevance: less common than dust2/inferno, but a staple of the 2003-2008 map pool.

de_cbble (Cobblestone)

• Medieval European castle. Open A site with catwalks, tight B site in the courtyard.
• Long history in tournament rotation. Revived in CS:GO with a heavy overhaul.

de_prodigy

• Removed from CS 1.6 later, but essential in early tournament play.
• Prototype for the "3-lane" bombsite design that Dust2 refined.

de_chateau

• French chateau. Long A hallway is one of the game's most contested sightlines.
• Less-played in mainstream competitive but present in the shipped map pool.

Hostage rescue maps (cs_)

Hostage-rescue play has near-zero competitive presence, but these maps are hugely popular on casual public servers.

cs_office

• The most played cs_ map ever. Modern American office building — cubicles, meeting rooms, snowy exterior.
• Fast rounds, close-quarters combat, high round count per hour. Shotgun & pistol paradise.
• Almost every non-Steam server hosts a 24/7 office rotation.

cs_italy

• Italian marketplace. Warm colours, tight alleys, T-spawn kitchen with the famous chicken pen.
• Extremely popular casual map. Close second to cs_office in raw playtime.

cs_militia

• Rural farmhouse. Multiple entry points, four hostages spread across the ground floor.
• More strategic than office/italy — supports rifle-heavy play.

cs_havana

• Cuban city block. Introduced later in the beta cycle.

cs_backalley

• Dark alleyway map. Original 1.0 shipping map.

cs_assault

• Warehouse. One of Counter-Strike's oldest maps (Beta 4, 1999). Ts spawn inside, CTs outside — very asymmetric.
• Extremely popular for public servers and 5v5 pickup games.

cs_estate

• Elite residential compound. Large layout with pool area, hedge maze.

cs_747

• Airplane hijacking scenario. Terrorists hold hostages on a Boeing 747.
• Extremely tight quarters. Was one of the retail 1.0 debut maps.

cs_siege

• Police station siege scenario.

VIP assassination maps (as_)

as_oilrig

• Only widely-played as_ map. Offshore oil rig.
• Round rules: one CT is designated VIP (150% movement speed, 200 armour), only carries a USP, can't pick up weapons. CTs escort them to the helipad; Ts try to kill.

VIP mode was much more popular in beta / retail 1.0 and largely died out by 2005 as bomb defusal dominated competitive play.

Community-map staples

Not shipped by default, but so common on non-Steam public servers they might as well be:

• fy_snow, fy_iceworld, fy_pool_day — small arena maps, instant-respawn or "one round one life" variants
• aim_map, aim_ak-colt — aim training and 1v1 duel maps
• awp_india, awp_map — AWP-only maps
• de_rats, de_rats1_2 aka rats — "you're a mouse" scaled-up-kitchen maps
• 35hp_2, 35hp — one-shot low-hp modes
• zm*, ze* — Zombie Mod / Zombie Escape (huge scene, own competitive circuit)
• kz*, bkz* — kreedz jumping/climbing challenge maps
• **surf_*** — surfing physics-abuse maps
• **jail_*** — jailbreak roleplay maps

Map filesizes for reference

Map	.bsp size
de_dust2	~4 MB
de_inferno	~6 MB
de_nuke	~5 MB
cs_office	~3 MB
cs_italy	~2 MB
as_oilrig	~2 MB

Total shipped map footprint: ~80 MB. This is why CS 1.6 fits on a 500 MB install.

What next?

• CS 1.6 Weapons Guide — the guns you'll use on these maps
• CS 1.6 Grenades Guide — the nade lineups per map
• Choose your version — pick a build to play these maps on