If you think IEM Katowice was the apex point of CS:GO for 2022, well hold tight because PGL Antwerp is just around the corner. Katowice might be a very important CS:GO event but what makes PGL different from others is that it’s a major tournament sponsored by Valve itself.
With a massive prize pool of $1,000,000 PGL Antwerp will pit the best of the best against each other in the forthcoming weeks. The upcoming official Major will begin on May 9th.
And before it hits, let’s see what maps the legendary teams will be competing on, and how these maps perform in terms of balance.
Ancient
The most recent map to join the pool in a controversial move, a rather unbalanced map. It has some competitive potential but still needs adjustments and certainly not a team or fan favourite. It has nice aesthetics though.
Nuke
It's no secret that Nuke is substantially stacked in favour of counter-terrorists. According to Valve's measurements, it's the most uneven map, while according to HLTV numbers, it's the second most lopsided. Of course, winning as a terrorist is not impossible, but it is considerably more difficult.
Counter-terrorists have a significant advantage in that they can grab the high ground and ambush terrorists from a variety of blind locations. Terrorists approaching bomb locations may be greeted by an AWP shot from distance, leaving them with little options for defence.
Vertigo
Vertigo sticks out like a sore thumb when compared to the well-defined Inferno, Mirage, and Dust II. But it doesn't mean Vertigo isn't entertaining. It's not the most balanced map, but it's got a lot of fascinating and dynamic chokepoints and smoke points.
Dust II
Well, how many times can one talk about Dust. You know it, we know it. It’s been here since time immemorial and it will be here until the end of days.
For good reason too: Dust II is the most popular map in all first-person shooters. The layout balance is refined to every minute detail, with three entrance points into each bombsite and three lanes inside the map, to prevent either team from acquiring an edge at the start of the game. On Dust II, coordinated teams can thrive, but solo queuers can also excel under the appropriate conditions.
Inferno
Inferno is a classic Counter-Strike level with an intrinsic risk and reward structure based entirely on a team's map dominance.
CTs are granted map control at the beginning, while T-side players must discover strategies to drive them back in order to gain control of the bombsites.
Communication is essential for success on Inferno because taking a site on both defence and offense by yourself is quite difficult. This crucial point emphasises that CS:GO is a team game, not a game of individual showboating but of course when a player pulls off an ace on this map, it's even better.
Mirage
Mirage is a three-lane map that is ideal for practising strategy. The round tempo may be strongly influenced by the aggression of the T-side players, allowing CT adaptability throughout the purchase rounds. Mirage's momentum may be changed by a successful execution or retake phase, similar to how a map demands solid rotations and map control, because the map layout allows for variants of both phases for both teams.
Overpass
CTs are granted an excessive amount of map control at the start of each round, similar to Inferno. When T-side players successfully enter the bombsites, the defence is penalised by a difficult rotation on both locations. Another cause of difficulties on Overpass is its extensive ranges of sight, which provide AWPers and anybody with superb aim an advantage. This, along with proper situational awareness, enables a wide range of playstyles from expert aimers to astute strategists.
