How Vertigo and Nuke Are Unlike Any Other CS:GO Map

Even though the general layout of most maps is the same, there are a few notable standouts. Nuke and Vertigo are different in their design and teams’ playstyle. Both of these maps have had a controversial induction to the map pool and have required extensive balance updates.

Switch back to 2020, and most of the criticism for these two maps have fallen off. Nuke was the most played map at ESL One Cologne 2020: Europe. Here’s how the maps found their place in the competitive meta.

What Makes Nuke and Vertigo Different?

Both Nuke and Vertigo have multi-level map designs. 

Competitive maps in CS:GO are defusal maps. The objective for the terrorists is to plant and detonate the C4 while Counter-Terrorists aim to prevent the terrorists. The map design for most of the maps in the pool has several similarities. The maps are played on a single level and there is usually a fine balance in movement timings, rotation routes and grenade usage on these maps. 

Nuke and Vertigo have a multi-level design. Players have to move across floors to access bombsites. They also have to check out angles that are not at eye level. While this isn’t a problem once you are accustomed to the map and certain angles, it can be somewhat daunting for first-time players. 

The advantage for CTs on Nuke makes it a challenge for Terrorists to break into bombsites. Retakes are also difficult. Similarly, terrorists have an advantage on Vertigo and the onus lies on the CTs to defend (or in most cases, retake) the bombsites. Nuke and Vertigo are not balanced maps and were never designed to be so.

Valve has released several balance patches to smooth out the inherent one-sided nature of these maps. CS:GO fans won’t see 13-2, 12-3 scorelines as often on these maps anymore. But the gameplay still tilts towards one side and the core playstyle on Vertigo and Nuke remains similar as before. 

The now-accepted one-sided nature of these maps is an opportunity in disguise for underdogs. While top teams often win based on the high individual skill of players, Nuke and Vertigo are the dream choices for lower-tier teams. A tier 2 team that masters these maps can hold a trump card against a better-ranked opponent due to unique strategies and innovative performances.

In-game leaders and coaches play a big part in a team’s performance on these maps. The mid-round calls and strategies directly impact the course of the game. No amount of aim or skill can compensate for poor positioning or an inferior strategy especially on Nuke and Vertigo.

Teams have often relied on Nuke and Vertigo to get any possible advantage over their opponents. It can be a good way to upset Tier 1 teams. But for most teams mastering these maps is about having an advantage over similarly-skilled opponents and winning tournaments. 

The focus on strategy on these maps brings forth avenues of success for CS:GO teams. Teams have higher chances of innovative strategies and playstyle on Nuke and Vertigo. As much as teams tend to focus on developing new strategies, it is equally important to understand the enemy’s playstyle and counter it. 

Vertigo

Vertigo was added to the competitive map pool in 2019. Image Credit: Wiki. 

Valve added Vertigo to the competitive map pool in March 2019. The announcement was a massive surprise to CS:GO professionals, fans and tournament organizers. The CS:GO map pool has remained largely constant since the release of Overpass and Cobblestone all the way back in 2013. 

There have been extensive changes to the A bombsite as it was extremely unbalanced previously.

The first professional match on Vertigo took place on April 3, 2019 between Nordavind and AGO. Nordavind picked the map and it was evident that the team was prepared with decent strategies and set grenades. They also had good rotations and timely reactions to certain plays by AGO. AGO was underprepared, and frankly, so were most of the CS:GO teams at the time.

Vertigo has the potential for multiple environmental kills. The map is two floors on a high-rise building. For an under-construction high-rise, Vertigo does not have the proper precautions at the edges. The first played match did not see a single environmental kill. ColdZera’s fall from grace was exciting for the map’s showcase during a showmatch on the sidelines of the StarSeries i-League Season 7. It was also the first time a player fell off the map in a LAN environment, although he won’t be getting a graffiti for this death any time soon. 

Initial reactions to the new active duty map were largely critical. Pro players did not approve of this map’s addition to the map pool. A big reason for this was a resistance to change, but the map’s initial design was very flawed and not good from a competitive point of view. 

Most of the early games on this map were extremely one-sided with little action before the actual bombplant. There was a period when the meta on this map was to ninja-defuse the bomb because CTs could not retake the bombsite without a massive advantage. 

Mid is a very important area on this map. Mid grants access to various important locations on the map and terrorists can backstab the A site players and also the B site players. Controlling mid is crucial to effectively defend the entire bombsite. In case you lose mid, CT players often double down with aggressive plays on either side of the map. Needless to say, it is not always successful and hence the additional importance of defending mid. 

The Norwegian players on Nordavind were prepared on this map but tier 1 teams took their sweet time to develop new strategies and playstyles on the map. DreamHack Open Rio de Janeiro 2019 was the first LAN event to feature Vertigo in its map pool.

Valve has made multiple changes to the map constantly updating and balancing the map for competitive play. The complaints surrounding the map have died down and teams are more accepting of its current version. It will still take time for teams to accept Vertigo as the go-to map, but there is progress on that front. 

Nuke

Nuke is one of the oldest maps in the game. Image Credit: Wiki. 

Nuke is one of the oldest maps in the Counter-Strike franchise. The map was added to the game in 1999 and has remained an integral part of esports history. Some of the best and iconic moments in Counter-Strike are based on Nuke. 

Nuke is a very CT sided map and has the biggest disparity between the two sides. Screengrab via HLTV.

Despite being an extremely CT sided map, the level of play and strategy required on this map exceeds most of its counterparts. Nuke was the most picked map at ESL One Cologne 2020: Online Europe. As teams adjust to the unique map design, CS:GO viewers have been witness to innovative gameplays and intricate and minute details on this map. 

The improvements in CS:GO observing (Thank you Rush!) have also helped in improving the Nuke viewing experience. 

While Nuke also has a multi-level design, it is very different from Vertigo. The bombsites on Nuke are vertically displaced and they are on top of each other. This design was a big problem for professionals on Nuke as it was nearly impossible to differentiate the sound cues between the two sites. Valve’s August 2 CS:GO update changed the way bomb sounds work in CS:GO with different sounds for each bomb site. 

Mahone_TV breaks down blameF’s approach on Nuke highlighting small but significant decisions that contribute to the team’s performance on the map. Teams can go deep with their Nuke playbook and always alter minute details in their playstyle that can catch opponents off-guard. 

With well-planned T side smokes on Nuke, CS:GO players can eliminate the need to check every corner and still put up a strong T side. The outer Nuke area on Nuke provides ample opportunities for varied gameplay for CTs and Ts. 

Nuke is not the most played map in the pool. The map requires teams to come up with innovative strategies and often has a huge advantage for a team that has practiced on the map. Screengrab via HLTV.

Nuke has a special place in Counter-Strike. Some of the most iconic streaks in Counter-Strike Global Offensive have seen the top teams dominate Nuke. NiP’s 87-0 LAN map win streak saw the Swedes dominate Nuke. Years later, Astralis had a 30-map win streak on Nuke which was eventually stopped by ENCE at BLAST Pro Series Madrid 2019.

CS:GO bettors that understand these intricate details about Nuke and Vertigo can get a significant advantage before placing their bets. Some teams are better equipped to play these maps and can hold a significant advantage not only on these maps but also in the map veto phase. 

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