Counter-Strike: Global Offensive contains many elements you may see in real life. The guns and organizations are real, the inscriptions are in real languages, and some of the locations are real as well. That’s what CS.MONEY is going to talk about today.
So let’s figure out where Counter-Strike: Global Offensive matches take place.
Cache — Chernobyl
You can’t but notice this connection. The events of Cache definitely take place in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. There are a bunch of hints. Of course, there are no red containers, armored troop carriers, or yellow barrels with radioactive waste near the sarcophagus.
But there is a Ferris wheel, which has been symbolic in the media for quite a while now. Remember, for instance, the cool mission from the good ol’ Call of Duty Modern Warfare. There are also the pipe towering over the sarcophagus and even the fences — all hinting at the location. The ultimate hint, however, is the billboard with the “Chornobil Forest” inscription (in Ukranian). By the way, this Forest is real, actual forestry.
Overpass — Nuremberg
Another map with an unambiguous location. In the background of Overpass, you can see a huge television tower resembling an egg. It’s the Nuremberg Transmission Tower, nicknamed “the egg” by the locals. The giant rises to a height of almost three hundred meters and will soon enter its fifth decade.
By the way, its shape wasn’t chosen by chance. It’s a kind of tribute to the traditional clock-watch production which was established in the city in the 14th century. The watches were also executed in a distinctive egg-shaped design. That’s how five-hundred-year-old watches ended up in CS:GO.
Vertigo — New York
Vertigo is an unfinished skyscraper surrounded by other high-rises. There are not many cities in the world with a similar density of high buildings. In addition, one of the sides on the map is FBI SWAT. These two facts indicate that the skyscraper Vertigo is located in the United States, most likely in New York.
However, we cannot be entirely sure. Yellow cab cars are common throughout the US and it may well be Seattle or some other metropolis instead of New York.
Nuke — Harrisburg
Another map most likely located in the US is Nuke. This is indicated by several details. For example, all the signs on the map are in English, there is a river nearby, and you can see two huge pipes from pretty much any spot on the map. Given the color of the buildings on the map, Nuke is probably a direct reference to the Three Mile Island power plant.
The accident at this plant was the largest catastrophe in the history of nuclear power in the United States. It had a significant negative impact on the development of the entire industry. If the map was indeed created to resemble the plant in question, the safety awards and slogans about “the safest nuclear power plant in the world” can’t be called anything but dark humor.
Mirage — Marrakesh
The colorful houses, the distinctive architecture style, the carpets — Mirage could be located in dozens of North African or Middle East cities. For example, it could be the city of Marrakesh, Morocco, that served as the basis for the location.
We didn’t find any specific references to this city, but the general style of architecture certainly resembles that of the Kingdom of Morocco. We did find a funny Easter egg though: the red car with an American number plate which you can see if you run from the attack spawn towards B Site.
However, this Easter egg is unlikely to have any profound meaning. Actually, this car is just a model from Left 4 Dead 2, another Valve game, where the events take place in the United States as well.
Assault — Chicago
Although this map has never been in competitive mode and is unlikely to ever enter it, we couldn’t but mention Assault. The setting of this map is Chicago! This is directly indicated by a plate with the name of the station.
What the map and the real station have in common is an impressive age. While Assault is one of the oldest maps in the game, having appeared back in BETA 1.1, Belmont Station is one of the oldest in Chicago: it was opened back in 1900!
Of course, this is not an exhaustive list of CS:GO locations inspired by real-world places. Maybe you know more examples? Share them in the comments section!
