CS2 Map Callouts: Mirage, Inferno, Dust2 & Ancient

Callouts are the shared vocabulary of Counter-Strike. A precise call like "two A ramp, one rotating jungle" turns four seconds of panic into an instant, coordinated read of the round. Vague chatter like "guys they're over there" gets people killed. The good news is that the standard callout set for the competitive map pool is stable and well-documented — the same names have been used across CS:GO and CS2 for years, so learning them once pays off forever.

This guide walks through four of the most-played maps — Mirage, Inferno, Dust2 and Ancient — covering the layout of each, the key callouts site by site, and a quick-reference table per map. The goal is not to teach you every smoke and strat, but to make sure that when a teammate says "he’s in tetris" or "rotate short" you know exactly where to look. Every name below is the community-standard term you will hear in matchmaking, FACEIT and the pro scene alike.

Mirage

Mirage is a three-lane map built around control of mid. The A site sits to the west, accessed by Ts through A ramp and palace; the B site sits to the east, reached through apartments and bench. Mid bridges everything: from top mid the Ts can split toward either bombsite, while CTs hold the connector and window angles. Whoever wins the mid duel usually dictates the round, which is why so much of the Mirage callout vocabulary clusters around that central corridor.

• A Ramp — the sloped main entrance to A site from T spawn, the most common T push lane onto A.
• Palace — raised platform/building overlooking A site from the T side, reached up the palace stairs.
• Tetris (Sandwich) — the stacked crates on A site between ramp and stairs; "sandwich" is the gap beside them.
• Stairs — the stairs on A leading up toward CT spawn and the firebox, a common CT hold.
• Jungle — the connector room between CT spawn and A site; CTs rotate through here to defend A.
• Connector — the link joining mid to A site, the choke a mid-controlling team uses to take A.
• Mid — the long central corridor between T side and CT spawn that feeds both sites.
• Top Mid — the T-side high ground over mid where Ts establish control before splitting.
• Window — the elevated window room CTs use to hold mid and watch top mid.
• B Short (Cat / Catwalk) — the catwalk from mid that drops Ts onto B, sometimes called "short".
• B Apartments (Apps) — the multi-level building Ts push through to reach B site.
• Market — the shop building connecting CT spawn to B, a key retake and rotation route.
• Balcony — the upper level of apartments overlooking B site.
• Van (Bench) — the vehicle and bench cover on B site itself.
• CT — CT spawn, the central position CTs rotate from to either bombsite.

Inferno

Inferno is a tight, corridor-heavy map that rewards utility and discipline. The B site is reached almost entirely through banana, a long curving choke that produces some of the most contested early-round fights in the game. The A site is a larger, more open plaza accessed through apartments and the mid corridors, with multiple angles for CTs to hold. Because the lanes are so narrow, callouts here are precise and granular — players distinguish between bottom, top and second positions within the same area.

• Banana — the long curved choke from T side to B site, the defining lane of the map.
• Car — the wrecked vehicle on B site, a primary plant and cover spot.
• Top Banana — the CT-side top of the banana lane where defenders hold and trade.
• Sandbags — the sandbag cover near the top of banana on the CT side, a common B-hold position.
• Mid — the central path from T spawn toward A, passing the boiler and middle.
• Second Mid — the inner mid passage that links toward A short and the apartments side.
• Apartments (Apps) — the building Ts push through to reach A site, with balcony exits.
• Pit — the sunken corner on A site, a deep angle for both CT holds and T plants.
• Graveyard — the elevated area at the back of A site, behind pit; a deep CT hold and flank spot.
• Library — the room connecting CT spawn toward A site, used for rotations and A holds.
• Arch — the archway on the A side connecting CT spawn / Library to Long.
• A Short — the shorter route onto A from the apartments side.
• A Long — the long approach onto A from the CT-spawn side, through arch and past graveyard.
• Boiler — the small room off mid leading toward B, a sneaky flank and hold.
• Dark — the dim cubby in the back corner of B site, a sneaky CT hold.

Dust2

Dust2 is the most iconic map in Counter-Strike and arguably the easiest to learn callouts for because its three lanes are so cleanly separated. A long and the catwalk feed the A site to the south; the tunnels and B platform feed the B site to the north; and a wide-open mid, anchored by mid doors, lets both teams contest the centre and flank. Its straightforward geometry makes Dust2 the perfect map to drill callout fundamentals.

• Long A — the long open corridor from T side to A site, the signature lane of the map.
• Pit — the sunken corner at the end of long A on the A site, a deep CT or entry angle.
• Blue (Car) — the blue shipping container and car at the mouth of long A.
• A Site (Goose) — the A bombsite plaza; "goose" is the boxes/default plant area on A.
• Catwalk (Short) — the elevated walkway from mid onto A, the short route to the site.
• Mid Doors — the double doors splitting mid; controlling them controls mid.
• Lower Tunnels — the lower section of the B tunnel system from T side.
• Upper Tunnels — the upper tunnel that exits onto B site near the platform.
• B Platform (Window) — the raised platform and window overlooking B site.
• B Car — the vehicle on B site used as plant cover and a common hold.
• T Spawn — the terrorist starting area feeding long, mid and tunnels.
• CT Spawn — the counter-terrorist spawn central to A and B rotations.
• Suicide — the exposed tunnel from T spawn into mid, in full view of mid doors; the risky "suicide" run.

Ancient

Ancient is the newest map of the four and the most vertical. The A site is defended from the temple high ground and reached by Ts through A main; the B site sits on the opposite side, approached through B main and the ramp/cave route. Mid is a dense, multi-level space anchored by the donut — a circular pillar formation — plus the red and green coloured rooms that give players quick reference points. The verticality and tight angles make clear callouts especially important here.

• A Main — the primary T entrance onto A site, leading from T side up toward the temple.
• Donut — the circular pillar formation in mid, named for its round shape; a key mid landmark.
• Ramp (Cave) — the ramp/cave route on the B side connecting the ruins/cave up onto B site, a common T push lane onto B.
• Temple — the elevated temple structure and stairs overlooking A site, a strong CT hold.
• B Main — the main T approach onto B site from the T side of the map.
• Scary Alley — the narrow side passage near B that connects toward A/CT, often smoked off.
• Water — the knee-deep water corridor between tunnel and the ruins on the T/B side, feeding the B approach.
• Mid — the central area between the sites, contested through donut and the side rooms.
• Red — the small red-walled room at the CT side top of mid, a reference and hold spot.
• Green — the green-tinted room/connector used to rotate and reference positions in mid.
• CT — CT spawn, the central hub CTs rotate from to defend either site.

How to learn callouts fast

You do not memorise callouts by staring at a diagram once — you build them into muscle memory by repetition in the actual map. The fastest method is to load a map in an offline practice server, walk every lane, and say each callout out loud as you arrive at it. Pairing the word with the physical movement locks it in far faster than passive reading. Within two or three passes per map, the names start coming automatically.

• Load the map offline ("map de_mirage" in console) and physically walk to every named spot, saying the callout aloud as you arrive.
• Learn site by site — master all of A first, then B, then mid — rather than trying to absorb the whole map at once.
• Watch a pro demo or a creator’s POV and pause whenever they make a call; map the word to the on-screen location.
• Front-load the location in every call you make: place, then count, then action.
• Drill in deathmatch and casual where the stakes are low, so the right name is reflexive by the time you reach a ranked match.

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"A team that shares the same map of words sees the round before it happens. Callouts are the cheapest, fastest upgrade to your Counter-Strike — no aim training required."

Master these four maps and you will already communicate fluently across the bulk of the active duty pool. The same principles — standard names, location-first calls, and a little offline drilling — carry directly over to Nuke, Overpass, Anubis and Train. Get the vocabulary right and every other part of your game gets easier.