Mirage is one of the most iconic maps in Valve’s shooter. But recently, it was also the focus of social networks. The CS:GO community has been arguing about the fate of the map for all that time. And every hater definitely has its defender.
To be honest, it is hard to remember other topics in the game that provoke the same big disputes. Even professional players from the top teams, such as NaVi, didn’t come to a consensus. In this regard, Viktor “sdy” Orudzhev said that Mirage was the worst map in the pool. And the following day, Simple came out in defence of Mirage and tweeted that everyone thinking the map should be removed knew nothing about CS:GO.
Love it or hate it, Mirage is the most popular map on the competitive scene in the entire history of the game. Over the past 10 years, it has been played 21,000 times on the international stage, which is a little more than 5.2 million games in total. Thus, the iconic map is considered the most played map in Valve’s shooter – and this hasn’t changed in 2022. Make sure to check out the https://cover.gg/ page to get up-to-date info on the different team’s performance in terms of specific maps this year. Below, we will leave you with more data and thoughts on this ad-hoc map.
The Most Played Map this Year
In matchmaking and faceit, Mirage is the most popular map on the list, having been played in 30 and 28 percent of matches, respectively. The data provided comes from over 5 million games analyzed from the first half of the 2022 season.
On top of that, the second most-played map Inferno is considerably behind the number one: by 9% in matchmaking and by 7% on faceit. There is also a difference in the number of professional matches played, but we will not take it into account, because Inferno has not been in the competitive map pool for some time. And indeed, it can’t be otherwise: Mirage is the perfect map. Let’s understand what makes it so popular.
Why is Mirage so Popular?
There are many CS:GO maps you can choose to play in the game. But the main task in any competitive game is to win. And there is nothing bad in the desire to win on a simple map, where you can coordinate with almost anyone, who knows the scenario and default smokes. In this way, Mirage especially comes in handy. But is this map beautiful only because everyone knows how to play on it? No, of course not! That is the first reason why gamers pick the card so often.
Here are three more:
The Simplicity is Key
As for the structure, Mirage is built according to the classic CS:GO scheme: three vertical lines intersect with three horizontal lines. Dust, Overpass, and Cash are built using the same system. And such a simple structure without unnecessary turns, narrow pathways, and multi-levels is beautiful in its simplicity.
Totally Balanced Sides
Mirage is a fairly large map and is good to play both defensive and attacking sides. Playing the CT side, you can choose the most convenient position from the many desired ones. Take, for example, B site, in which anti-terrorists are not afraid to run away and play from under captivity, instead of playing aggressively. Also, there are no problems in identifying an enemy’s location and concisely calling it out with other teammates.
Quick Pursuit of the Entire Map
Mirage is probably the only map in the game where the speed and direction of attack can be changed three times per round. Other maps do not have enough space, such as Nuke and Ancient, or time, such as Inferno and Vertigo. And all these allow gamers to throw different styles of play on Mirage. It is sufficient just to mention a slow NaVi game with a thorough check of each position and a rapid exit in the last second, or a Cloud9’s attack with a quick pursuit of the entire map in the first seconds and subsequent slowdown.
Does Mirage Need a Rework?
Since released to the game’s client, the ad-hoc map has remained in the active competitive map pool and has received very few changes, such as a graffiti of an AWP with wings and four red skulls added to the B site after coldzera’s iconic AWP 4k on Mirage. But other than that, the map has largely stayed the same.
To be honest, we don’t think that Mirage actually needs some rework: each pixel stands in its place. But with players and pros frequently asking Valve to step in and make changes to the beloved map, we could expect some adjustments soon.
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