IEM Cologne 2025, one of the most prestigious tournaments of the year in Counter-Strike 2, concluded on August 3 with a resounding victory for Team Spirit. Yet it wasn’t just the teams that drew the attention of analysts — Inferno emerged as the most popular map of the event, being played 23 times, confidently outpacing all other maps in frequency.
What’s especially notable is that Inferno also recorded the highest win rate on the T-side — 52.3%, highlighting a growing trend: a map once known for classic CT-side dominance is now shifting toward balance or even a slight edge for the attackers.
Map Stats at a Glance
- Inferno — 23 maps, 52.3% T-side win rate
- Nuke — 20 maps, 38.9% T
- Ancient — 20 maps, 45.9% T
- Mirage — 19 maps, 47% T
- Dust2 — 15 maps, 45.7% T
- Train — 10 maps, 40.1% T
- Overpass — 7 maps, 45.8% T
Why Inferno Stands on Top Again
Inferno has always had a special place in the map pool thanks to its compact design, creative offensive options, and the iconic “banana control” on the B-site. In CS2, these elements became even more important, especially with updates introducing dynamic smoke grenades. In the new meta, attacking teams have started to execute retakes and aggressive pushes more confidently and frequently, which led to a record-breaking offensive success rate.
The Map’s Evolution: From Classic to Contemporary
Year after year, Inferno adapts to the evolving meta. In CS2, with its upgraded visuals and physics, the map retained its tactical depth — but players seem to be squeezing even more out of it. Most teams included Inferno in their active pool, and some — like Spirit, NAVI, or FaZe — even built their strategies around consistent performances on it.
Conclusion: A Map That Unites Generations
IEM Cologne 2025 once again proved that Inferno is the heart of Counter-Strike. It’s the only map that has remained relevant for decades, consistently returning to the competitive map pool after game overhauls and major patches. And this summer, it once again became the stage for the most intense, beautiful, and tactically rich matches of the tournament.