History and Evolution of the Inferno Map in Counter-Strike

Inferno, also known as de_inferno, is one of the most enduring bomb defusal maps in the Counter-Strike franchise. It first appeared in the original CS in 2000 and, unlike most contemporary locations, included a variety of narrow paths and hiding spots.

Christopher “Narby” Auty has reportedly designed this map in only two weeks. Despite such a narrow time frame, the author paid lots of attention to small details like background and textures, giving this labyrinth of stone walls and crates its distinct feel. The players immediately liked the location’s vibe, granting it a spot in further installments of the Counter-Strike franchise.

Inferno’s change log is the game’s history in microcosm. Although much time has passed since its last upgrade for Counter-Strike 2, many players still wonder what the latest changes are. After a full-on exploration of all the CS Inferno evolution changes and their effects on gameplay, we are ready to share our findings with you.

Inferno Map Evolution (Since 2000)

The map has gone a long way from the dark fortress it once was, resembling now a small village somewhere in the mountains of Europe. So, what were the most notable steps in the evolution of CS Inferno?

Original Counter-Strike (2000)

Initially, Chris Auty designed Inferno as a huge abandoned stronghold, with the lighting set to evening. However, Valve slightly changed the setting in CS 1.6, shifting the time to noon. Also, at this step in the CS2 Inferno’s evolution, the terrorist’s goal was to blow up the oil pipelines.

Of course, the map didn’t look all that cool by today’s standard, but we believe one can still appreciate the effort behind the carefully-crafted layout In short, this first step in CS2 Inferno’s history was totally different from its modern version. Here are some of the most notable differences:

1. The first thing you’d notice upon loading the map would probably be a pit near the CT-Spawn. Terrorists could use it to set traps for the CT team while protecting the bomb planted on the B-Bombsite.

   

2. The players had to jump on boxes to enter the Library from the CT-Spawn.

   

3. There was a pit near the A-Site, perfect for setting up ambushes.

   

4. There was no direct connection between the Apartment’s Corridor and Bedroom. Nonetheless, there was a metal barrier players could destroy to crawl between these locations.

   

5. Finally, you’d be amazed to discover a sniper’s nest over the T-Ramp (which was a narrow tunnel from T-Spawn). There was a ladder the players could use to get to this spot.

   

Counter-Strike: Condition Zero (2004)

The next stage of Inferno’s design evolution began in 2004. Ritual Entertainment slightly enhanced the map to release it in Counter-Strike: Condition Zero. All in all, the renewed Inferno looked way more attractive than its predecessor. The update added a variety of new details and textures to the map and also shifted back to nighttime.

This version of the map retained a pleasant, relaxing atmosphere with amazing background sounds and eye-catching retro graphics. At the same time, it didn’t feature any significant gameplay changes and was pretty much similar to the map from the original Counter-Strike. An interesting exception is that the A and B Bombsites were swapped in this version (for no reason in particular), and will remain like this all the way until CS:GO.

Counter-Strike: Source (2004)

The release of Counter-Strike: Source marked a crucial shift in CS Inferno’s evolution. The community first saw the renewed version of the map six months after the release of Condition Zero. The new CS: Source completely overhauled the location, turning the stronghold into a beautiful village. Once again, the time was set to a sunny day.

The map included a lot of interesting details like a destroyed ZIL near the Balcony, flower pots, straw cubes, etc. Plus, the developers added new hiding spots and changed some locations, including:

1. All boxes located at the B-Bombsite were replaced with hay bales, while the A-Site received its famous pond. It was also possible to eliminate a player standing at the Top Mid if you were shooting in the wall of the house near the B-Bombsite.

   

2. The narrow tunnel at T-Ramp was removed along with the sniper’s nest.

   

3. A variety of obstacles now appeared on Banana, including pillars and piles of wood. This change made it easier to take cover at this callout, making A-Bombsite rushes significantly easier to pull off.

   

4. The barricade on the Top Banana was replaced with a car, introducing the well-known callout for this location. Even now, many players refer to this spot as “The Car.”

   

5. The Counter-Terrorist spawn was changed from a back alley to an open yard with a well, and the pit there was removed.

   

6. There was a new passageway between the Aps Corridor and the Bedroom.

   

7. Finally, the entrance to the Library from the CT-Spawn was slightly changed, and the pit near the B-Bombsite removed.

   

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (2012)

CS:GO introduced several visual improvements for Inferno. The designers from Valve made the map look more colorful and realistic with palette changes and almost total re-texturing. In addition, there were significant layout changes, such as:

1. The A and B bombsites were swapped back to their rightful places. Plus, some nuclear containment barrels could now be found at the bombsites.

   

2. Chickens were first introduced to the location! This was definitely the most iconic update in the history of the Inferno map.

   

Unfortunately, the first version of the Inferno map was removed from the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive in April 2016, with the updated Nuke replacing it in the roster.

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (October 2016)

The evolution of the Counter-Strike Inferno map continued when the location officially returned to CS:GO in October 2016. First things first, visibility and brightness were significantly improved, making the map way more comfortable to play. Besides, there were some gameplay changes:

1. The Car on the Top Banana was replaced by barrels, leaving new players to wonder why the callout was still referred to as “the car”.

   

2. The Bedroom’s windows became larger, providing better visibility into the Second Mid. Also, the hay stacks below the windows were replaced with stairs. This way, it was possible (but not easy!) to enter the Bedroom directly from the Mid.

   

In 2017, Inferno replaced Dust II in the Active Duty Group, and quickly became one of the most played competitive maps in the game.

Counter-Strike 2 (2023)

Luckily for the old-time fans, Inferno was among the maps updated to run on the new Source 2 engine. The Church, bombsites, and buildings were all reworked, and considering further lightning changes in the update, the good old map looked almost unrecognizable. Now, let’s check the evolution of the Inferno map in CS2 and its most significant differences from the its previous iterations:

1. Railings have been removed on the T-side’s corner. This change provides a new speed and jump advantage to this spot.

   

2. The roof piece next to the balcony entrance was removed, meaning no more skill jumps to the upper balcony.

   

3. The T-Apartments received only slight changes with little to no impact on gameplay. One standout update is that the location’s interior now received more sunlight.

   

4. The corner in the A-Site Pit has been removed, which is quite noticeable from the visual perspective, but that doesn’t affect gameplay all that much.

   

5. The small area around the A-site has received a major change, with an easily accessible piece of roof replacing two balconies previously featured there.

   

6. The only significant gameplay addition in the Brackets is a new corner that can be used for cover. Also, the flower pot position was removed.

   

7. Going further into the Mid, the barrels around this corner are gone, with the corner area on the left becoming much narrower. Note also the newly appeared balcony that can now block your throwables.

   

8. CT-spawn has also become much more spacious, which should provide a major dynamics boost. No more pillars and awkward corners over the left-side fence.

   

9. Hey, the Church seems to no longer be under construction—and yeah, you can no longer throw grenades through the roof here.

   

10. This area should certainly add dynamics to battles, as there is more free space where the coffins used to be, while the added pillar makes the Church corner more strategically viable.

    

11. All the boxes on the B-Site have become wooden, meaning you can now shoot through them.

    

BOTTOM LINE

Inferno map’s evolution reached its final form in CS2, combining all the best features from its storied past. We can see the boxes from the original Counter-Strike, the exciting atmosphere from Condition Zero, the amazing village design from Source, and, yes, the chickens from Global Offensive. To say that the map has changed significantly since its release would be an understatement, but it remains one of the most recognizable locations in the whole franchise.