Inferno is just the best map in the Counter-Strike series. In fact, it might just be amongst the best map ever designed for the world of first person shooters.
Set in a picturesque little Italian hamlet, its bomb defusal backdrop revolves around Ts attempting to destroy one of two crucial pipelines running through the area, with CTs attempting to stop them. It is made up in the shape of a rectangle, with the traditional positions of both sides starting at opposite ends of the map and both bomb sites in the remaining corners. In comparison to other maps currently in the pool, Inferno can feel quite small which makes it a great pick for starting out on, levelling up and honing your skills.
This small size also helps unleash some of the most last-grasp and sudden rotations around the map for pro players and teams. It’s a pretty common sight to see rounds go the whole distance on Inferno, with both teams holding their angles and blocking the way only for a frantic scramble to one site throwing everything up in the air. It’s a great sight for fans of the game to watch, but really does make in-game calling a real tricky skill to master on the map.
There’s a good balance between helping newcomers level up and develop, whilst simultaneously keeping the top tier of pros suitably enticed, which helps establish Inferno as a real skill gaming map and often leaves it as a decider both teams are happy playing in best of three or best of five matches at professional tournaments and competitions.
The Stats
According to HLTV’s latest map statistics, Inferno has been played professionally 13,643 times at the time of writing. That number puts it second in the leaderboard behind only Mirage, a map with a similar sort of design and feel as Inferno and often used as a decider in a best of three or five series.
In terms of win probability, you’ll be hard pressed to find a map as balanced as Inferno. Like most CS:GO maps there is a slight CT side bias, however its 51%/49% split is literally as even as you can get in game. That obviously helps keep things interesting for spectators who enjoy a long, hard fought contest.
The Most Famous Spot In Counter-Strike?
Is there a more infamous location in all of CS:GO than Banana? Talismanic individuals such as Friburg for Ninjas in Pyjamas or Flusha for Fnatic have built their entire legendary careers around mastering this curved stretch leading from Mid to Bombsite B, and the contest for control of it in every round is undeniably crucial in determining a winner.
For Ts, having control of it essentially leaves an entire bombsite and plant open for the taking, whilst for CTs it is a way of strategically forcing their opponents back and bolstering up an already harder bombsite A to try and take.
It’s also harder to find a spot in CS where grenades and utility are more called upon. Smokes, Molotovs, Flashbangs and Grenades are all strewn across the straight in the frantic openings to the round, and mastering a couple of the lesser-known calls and shots can swing entire rounds in huge ways which goes again into the surprisingly high skill ceiling for a map most players have put hundreds of hours into over the years.