Wingman – here’s our guide to the popular 2v2 gamemode

BLAST.tv•January 29, 2024•12:33 PM

Counter Strike 2 is usually played 5 versus 5, but there is a mode for you and your best friend: Wingman.

How does it work, what do the maps look like, and what’s so cool about it?

What is Wingman?

In CS2 Wingman is the name of a game mode designed for two people that play against a pair of opponents.

Of course the normal maps wouldn’t work in such a setting so Valve hat to change quite a bit about them, more on that later. A cool feature is that they kept ranks; you can become Global Elite in Wingman in Counter-Strike 2.

The mode is played a little differently to a 5v5 match, which means you need to win 9 rounds to win the game, with 8 rounds per half.

You still have to plant or defuse the bomb, depending on which side you are on, and you can also buy guns, etc., just like in a normal match.

Gamemode and Inception

Counter-Strike always had an inherent issue: competitive play is only possible in a 5v5 setting, which makes it hard for smaller groups to enjoy the game to its full extent.

Not everyone has 4 friends available to play all the time, so Valve came up with an exciting twist: adjust the maps and make CS possible to play in 2v2.

Of course, 2v2 was possible before on private servers and modded maps, but in 2017, Valve introduced official ranked play, and the mode was made available in-game with matchmaking services enabled.

This change allowed friends who previously had to queue up and play with three random teammates to enjoy a good time together and train their communication and clutch skills.

How do I access the Wingman mode?

First of all you have to level up your CS2 profile by playing a few deathmatch or casual games, after that the Wingman mode unlucks.

Once that’s out of the way, you click play and select “Wingman” on the top row of available modes.

It’s literally that simple!

Best played with a friend, you can also queue alone and get matched with a random person, which makes it possible to find new gaming partners (or enemies, haha).

The games can be over really fast; not only is 2v2 quick, but rounds only last a maximum of 90 seconds, and there are only 8 rounds per half, perfect for a little break.

You can rack up a lot of games in a long session and the situations are intense, as soon as your teammate is down there is noone else to fall back on, which makes for great clutch training.

Here is everything condensed in bullet points:

Number of Players: 2v2
Match Format: Best of 16 rounds
First to 9 rounds
Round Duration: 90 seconds
Objective: Bomb defusal
Maps: Scaled down for faster play

CS2 Wingman Ranks

The ranks in Wingman are exactly the same as in the normal competitive matchmaking world.

However, in CS2, you can’t confuse the Wingman rank with the new Premier-Queue rank, which has a numerical value. Wingman ranks are still the same as in CS:GO from Silver I to Global Elite, just like they are in the ordinary competitive queue.

The ranks don’t depend on your other ranks in Premier or competitive, so you can also have some fun with it or go all in and become Global Elite, even if your regular five-man squad would not be good enough to do that.

Wingman Maps in CS2

There are four different maps to choose from: Overpass, Vertigo, Inferno and Nuke. All of them have been adjusted and changed, so that it fits the 2v2 situation and also offers better timings for both teams.

On each map, we only have one available bombspot. The spots themselves have not been altered, though; the gameplay experience in Wingman is still authentic and realistic.

Here is a list of all the maps and the biggest differences to their “big brothers”

Overpass:

Only the B bombsite is available
connector/underpass is open, but you can’t go upstairs
Monster and B short are unchanged
T Spawn is next to the stairs, CTs spawn in heaven

Vertigo:

Only B is available
Middle and ladder are still open, but you can’t go to A
Spawns are unchanged for both teams

Inferno:

Only A bombsite is available
Appartments are accessible
CTs spawn at A spot, T’s spawn close to top mid

Nuke:

Only B is available
Vents are open, but cut off in front of the ladder part
Window and Decon are accessible
Ts spawn in secret stairs CTs spawn in ramp

Sadly there are no other bombsites available for all of the maps, but it wouldn’t necessarily make sense to have a B spot on Inferno, it could be fun, but only for a few rounds, after that it probably would become more like torture. Maybe we will see more maps in the future, we certainly hope so.

Now that you know everything about Wingman, you should check it out, ping one of your friends and queue up to have some fun; who knows, maybe you’ll grind it until you’re Global Elite?