CS2 Office Guide – Strategies to Master

Since the release of Counter-Strike 2, Office has been the only map in the competitive map pool to offer the unique game mode of Hostage Rescue. With a different game mode comes different gameplay norms and also a whole lot of fun, but it can all be tough to learn. To help you with mastering Office, we’ve put together a comprehensive CS2 Office Guide, which will cover the key office callouts/positions and in-depth strategies for both the CT and T-side teams.

Key Positions in Office

To start off our CS2 Office Guide, let’s go over some key positions on the Office map. Orienting the Office map so that CT spawn is in the southwest corner of the map, here are the most important locations in Office.

T Spawn – T Spawn is the starting point for all Terrorist players each round. T Spawn is located at the northeast corner of the map.

CT Spawn – CT Spawn is the starting point for all Counter-Terrorists players each round. CT Spawn is located at the southwest corner of the map.

Side Hall/Paper/Kitchen/Projector – These office callouts all surround the T Spawn, and all nine possible hostages are distributed among these locations. Control over these locations is key to the central objective of the game. Be prepared for close-quarters combat in these rooms.

Front Yard – Front Yard is one of two main open areas, connecting to the Front Office, Main Hall, and an alternative route to Main Hall. The Front Yard is crucial for CT player movement, and it is located on the west side of the map.

Garage Yard – Garage Yard is the second of two main open areas and is a hotspot for engagements for both teams. It provides opportunities for the CT team to flank the opposing team and gain control of deep Main Hall. Garage Yard is located at the southeast corner of the map.

Main Hall – Main Hall is essentially the equivalent of “Mid” in Office, providing a long corridor for engagements as well as providing multiple entry points to other parts of the map. Main Hall is essential for map control and player movement of both teams, and it stretches horizontally across the map, centered vertically.

Long Hall – Long Hall provides access to Side Hall and the rest of T Spawn, where hostages may be held. It runs perpendicular to Main Hall and is located directly west of T Spawn.

Long Snipe – Long Snipe is essentially a sniper’s nest available to the CT players, granting vision of the enemy team through Main Hall, the central corridor of the map. Strategic positioning of a sniper here is one of many strategies the CT team can use. Long Snipe is located on the map’s edge, on the west side of the map.

Counter Terrorists’ Strategies

Unlike other maps, the Counter-Terrorists in Office are the ones taking the initiative and launching attacks to break enemy lines and rescue the hostages. Strategic positioning and team coordination are key, so here are some offensive strategies you and your team can use to effectively win initial skirmishes and breakthrough choke points.

Split/Default

One of the most common strategies for the CT team is to split up, delegating one player to Front Office, two players Main Hall, and two players Garage Yard. The aim here is to try to get a pick or at least a trade and, through that hole in the T-Side defense, try to nab a hostage. As the T Spawn complex, which includes Side Hall, Paper, Kitchen, and Projector, is filled with tight corridors, making offensive plays much harder, smoke grenades are key to blocking out corners. One of the two players heading Main Hall can actually support through Long Snipe, providing a long sightline down into T-side defenses, and sniper scopes can be used as key visual equipment to spot enemies. Through delegating players across the map, you’re fully utilizing Office’s potential for flanking and strategic positioning.

Full Team Rush

This strategy is much better for eco rounds, where five SMGs or pistols can easily overpower one T-side player, creating an opportunity for a round win. Your team can go from either Garage Yard or Main Hall, but the key is to stay together and trade out teammates.

Terrorists’ Strategies

As the Terrorist team, your main goal is to establish control down the main corridors and Garage Yard, as well as take advantage of the close-quarters combat provided by the hostage locations. Here is what our CS2 Office Guide recommends for both pre and post-hostage grab.

Pre Hostage Grab

Your goal here is to make as much space as possible for the most map control by controlling the main corridors and making sure there are no holes in your defense that CT players can slip through. Making use of grenades, especially smoke grenades, is crucial to hold off key points of attack. The split of players can vary widely based on the enemy team, but a reliable split is to send one player, Long Hall, two players to Main Hall, and two players to Garage Yard. As all three locations are relatively closed, rotation is made super easy. As always, maintain good team coordination, and you should be gold.

Post Hostage Grab

Grabbing the hostage is far from losing the round; in fact, it’s only half the battle for the CT players. Once a hostage is grabbed, you and your teammates can either opt to camp a common spot for CT players to travel through or simply wait in their spawn, watching the indoor parking area and Front Yard. They are the ones under the pressure of time, so just make use of utility and smoke grenades and be masters of the waiting game.

Wrapping Up!

In our CS2 Office Guide, we’ve covered the key office callouts as well as strategies for both the CT and T-side teams. To learn more information like this on other maps in the competitive Counter-Strike 2 map pool alongside other settings or game customization for CS2, check out the other articles offered right here on the SkinLords blog page! As always, keep learning and have fun out there!