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A / B sitesReleased 2014-12 · Reviewed June 22, 2026

Nuke

The vertical two-floor map where A is above B and rotations are instant.

Overview

Nuke is the only vertical map in the pool: A site sits on the upper floor and B site directly below it. CT rotations between the sites are the fastest in the game because the floors share vents and doors. Nuke is a map of timings and tight angles, where wallbangs, verticality, and outside control decide rounds. It is one of the hardest maps to learn and one of the most rewarding to master.

Lane schematicAn abstract diagram of how areas connect, not a scale map.
T SPAWNCT SPAWNAA site (upper)A siteA mainRampHutSqueakyOutside and yardOutside / YardGarageSecretContainersHeavenBB site (lower)B siteB rampsVentsDarkHeadshot boxCT spawn / Heaven to yard / Vents rotate

Callouts

The standard names for every area, grouped by bombsite and lane.

Outside and yard

Outside / Yard
The outdoor area on the ground floor, the main T approach to A.
Garage
The T side building entrance to outside, also called T garage.
Secret
The outside tunnel entrance down to B site, a key T split.
Containers
The stacked shipping crates in yard used for cover and boosts.
Heaven
The high catwalk outside overlooking yard and A main.
Silo
The tall structure outside, near the A ramp approach.

A site (upper)

A site
The upper bombsite, open with boxes and a default plant area.
A main
The entrance from yard onto A site, also called main.
Ramp
The ramp from lower to upper near A, a contested choke.
Hut
The small building on A site used as cover and a hold spot.
Squeaky
The door from A main onto A site, a key sound cue.
Rafters
The beams above A site where a CT can hold from high ground.
Default plant
The standard plant on A near hut, safe from rafters.

B site (lower)

B site
The lower bombsite, enclosed with the bomb plant behind a wall.
B ramps
The set of ramps from vents and lower toward B site.
Vents
The vertical ducts connecting upper and lower, a fast rotate or flank.
Dark
The dark corner on B used for hiding during a retake.
Headshot box
The box on B site offering a headshot angle on the entrance.
Decon
The decontamination room near B, part of the lower approach.

CT spawn and rotations

CT spawn
The counter-terrorist spawn on the upper floor near A.
Heaven to yard
The CT route from spawn to the outside catwalk.
Vents rotate
The fast CT drop through vents from upper to B.
T side

Default tactics

Default T play sends most players outside to take yard control, then splits between A main and secret for B. A direct A main hit through squeaky is common but easily punished. Because CT rotates are instant, Ts must trade fast and use wallbangs and smokes to isolate the site they hit.

CT side

Default holds

CTs play three A, two B, with one roaming outside from heaven. Outside control is huge for CTs because it shuts down the T split. B is held from site, dark, and ramps; A from hut, rafters, and squeaky. Vent drops let a CT rotate from A to B in seconds, so fakes are powerful.

Standard utility

The smokes, flashes and molotives that define rounds on Nuke. Descriptions are general references, not pixel-perfect lineups.

SmokeT

Heaven smoke

From outside, smoke heaven to block the CT overlooking yard so Ts can cross to A main or secret.

SmokeT

A main smoke

Smoke off the CT angle from rafters or squeaky to enable a clean A main entry.

MolotovCT

Squeaky molotov

Molotov in front of squeaky door to delay an A main push and force Ts to wait.

MolotovCT

B ramps molly

Molotov the B ramps to stall a lower push and give the vent rotate time to arrive.

FlashT

Outside flash

Pop a flash over the wall from garage to blind a heaven or container CT before taking yard.

SmokeT

Vents smoke

On a B hit, smoke vents to block the instant CT upper-to-lower rotate.

Back to all mapsMap guide reviewed June 22, 2026