Nuke Map Guide
Nuclear facility
A vertical stacked-site nuclear facility. Two bomb sites on top of each other with vents, ramp, hut, and the iconic outside push through heaven/squeaky door define Nuke's unique layout.
Nuke Radar Overview
Full de_nuke top-down map with callouts. Smoke lineups coming soon.
Nuke Layout & Bombsites
A site: Main hall, Heaven, Hut. B site: Below A, Vents, Ramp Room, Squeaky. Outside: Garage, Silo, Secret.
History & Lore
Released with the original Counter-Strike in 1999, Nuke was rebuilt for CS:GO in 2016 with a complete visual and structural overhaul. Its asymmetric design makes it the most CT-sided map in the active duty pool.
Core Tactics — CT & T Side
CT side: anchor ramp + heaven, control outside with AWP, rotate via vents. T side: outside control with smokes on heaven/garage, fake A to drop B via vents.
Competitive History on Nuke
Nuke is the map Astralis built a dynasty on — their 2017-2019 Nuke run famously hit a 30+ map win streak. More recently, FaZe and NAVI have traded Nuke series at Majors. The asymmetric vertical design makes Nuke the highest skill-ceiling map in the active duty pool.
Nuke CS2 Meta Notes
CS2 Nuke has significantly improved vent audio cues, nerfing some of the quieter T-side executes. Outside control plays have been rebalanced with smoke volume changes. Heaven hold has marginally weaker angles due to lighting rework.
Nuke Economy & Buy Rounds
T side: Nuke is notoriously CT-sided, so eco rounds should focus on information gathering rather than site takes. Save for full round 4 buy. CT side: AWP is mandatory for outside control; double SSG saves work on forced buy rounds.
Recommended Weapons for Nuke
Nuke CS2 FAQ
What is Heaven on Nuke?
Heaven is the elevated balcony overlooking A site on de_nuke. It is one of the strongest CT defensive positions and a common AWP post.
Why is Nuke CT-sided?
Nuke's vertical layout, short CT rotations (vents), and outside chokepoint make it structurally CT-favoured. Professional sides commonly finish 12-3 CT / 4-11 T before a half-time flip.
Best T-side execute on Nuke A?
Outside control via Main smoke + Mini smoke + Far-side smoke, then split A via ramp and main. Molotov in heaven corner to flush AWP.
What are Vents on Nuke?
Vents are the narrow ducts connecting A site (upper) to B site (lower). They allow fast CT rotations and T-side information gathering via audio cues.
When was Nuke reworked for CS2?
Nuke has been in Counter-Strike since 1999. It was reworked for CS:GO in 2016 and migrated to CS2 Source 2 with visual updates in 2023.
