CS:GO Wingman – Ranks, How to Play, Maps & More

Although CS:GO is one of the most popular games in the world, there is still one game mode that goes underappreciated: Wingman. Let’s go through all the tidbits about how to play, how long a Wingman game lasts, how to win fast, and how to advance in the CS:GO Wingman ranks.

The 5v5 Bomb Defusal game mode is core to CS:GO, but it can be quite intense at times. Sometimes you just need a break! That’s why in 2017, Valve released a fun game mode called Wingman. A 2v2 game mode in which the CTs try to defend a single bombsite against the T side. A fast-paced and hectic time is guaranteed when playing this game mode, as rushing the bombsite is often the best course of action for the T side due to the reduced map size. This provides a good opportunity to have some fun and practice uncomfortable low player count situations for when you get back to competitive. You’ll definitely see an improvement in your clutch win percentage!

Fun and games aside, it also allows for players to better their in-game communication, execution, map awareness, and other fundamental aspects that a training CS:GO map may not offer. Wingman mode’s own set of compact maps and its own ranking systems keep things competitive and serious amid the fun element.

What is CS:GO Wingman?

Wingman is the perfect game mode for both veterans and beginners alike. It helps improve their overall skills, which they would be practically using during competitive match-making.

Unlike regular match-making, in Wingman, a team needs to secure victories in 9 out of the 16 rounds to win the game. The round timer is recalibrated to 1 minute and 30 seconds to keep things fast-paced and simple. If there’s a draw, the game ends without offering extra rounds to decide a winner.

These are the available CS:GO Wingman maps:

Boyard
Chalice
Cobblestone (B bombsite)
Inferno (A bombsite)
Lake
Overpass (B bombsite)
Shortdust
Shortnuke
Train (A bombsite)
Vertigo (B bombsite)

It is interesting to mention that there are more CS:GO Wingman maps available to us once compared to the official competitive map pool (active duty).

The latest maps to the Wingman pool are Boyard and Chalice, which were added as part of the December 2022 update to the game. The pair are Wingman exclusive, meaning that they’ve been designed specifically to work in a 2v2 environment, unlike many of the Bomb Defusal maps that are designed for 5v5 play. The small size of the new maps also means that there is great attention to detail scattered throughout, with every nook and cranny tested to ensure it fits CS:GO’s strategic play.

In terms of design, the two maps are extremely similar in how they play. They’re of similar size, and both are mazes that don’t make great use of verticality in the way that other CS:GO maps do. The addition of Boyard and Chalice will definitely come as welcome news to players. The Wingman map pool is always changing, with many maps coming and going in the past, but players won’t turn down an opportunity to freshen it up once again. After all, a new map is new to everyone. If you can be the first to learn every trick on the map, you’ll be climbing the CS:GO Wingman ranks in no time.

Over the years, Wingman has had a lot of maps available to play, but as the game mode has evolved some have become obsolete. Valve has had no qualms about removing a map when it no longer fits with the game mode. Here’s the full list of every map removed from the Wingman map pool in the past:

Bank
Blagai (removed from the game in December 2022)
Calavera (removed from the game in September 2021)
Cascade (removed from the game in December 2022)
Crete (removed from the game in August 2022)
Elysion
Extraction
Guard
Hive (removed from the game in August 2022)
Pitstop (removed from the game in September 2021)
Ravine
Rialto (removed from the game in December 2020)
Safehouse
Shorttrain
St. Marc

As you can see, some of these maps were removed from the game proper. The others were simply removed from the map pool, and are still available to play in private matches.

To be honest, Wingman will never be a part of CS:GO esports despite a couple of attempts made by the popular tournament hosts. If it ever does appear again, it will almost certainly be part of a show match just for fun with no real stakes.

This game mode is ideal for practice scenarios where you want to check how well you can coordinate and hold a site with a friend. Use it as a practice method together with AimLab to give yourself the flick reflexes and the ability to coordinate for your main matches. You should definitely see your 5v5 win percentage go up, even if it’s only slightly.

How to Play Wingman?

It’s not particularly difficult to play Wingman. The only thing you need to do is to queue for the game either by yourself or with a friend.

We recommend you play this mode with a friend because it is more interesting that way, and you’ll reap far more benefits. There’s nothing more frustrating than going into a Wingman match and the other player doesn’t have a microphone, especially in a game mode where fast communication is crucial. By playing with a friend, you totally avert this problem. If you have a partner you regularly play with in 5v5s, but can’t seem to quite align with on how to approach sites together, jump into CS:GO Wingman and practice simple defend/attack scenarios.

A total of 16 rounds will be played. Tie is an option. However, if you want to win, you will have to seal a total of 9 rounds, so keep that in mind. Furthermore, you will only have one bombsite available on all of the maps I mentioned above. You are also entitled to 90 seconds of gameplay during rounds unlike 120 seconds available to you in competitive mode.

CS:GO Wingman Ranks

Just like in the competitive mode, you will enjoy quite a big spectrum of CS:GO ranks. However, it is much easier to climb the ranks in Wingman mode. You should not be surprised if you get that Global Elite status fast.

So what do CS:GO Wingman ranks look like? Find the list below:

Silver I
Silver II
Silver II
Silver IV
Silver Elite
Silver Elite Master
Gold Nova I
Gold Nova II
Gold Nova III
Gold Nova Master
Master Guardian I
Master Guardian II
Master Guardian Elite
Distinguished Master Guardian
Legendary Eagle
Legendary Eagle Master
Supreme Master First Class
Global Elite

You’ll notice that Wingman uses the same ranking system as in the standard Competitive mode. This is to keep consistency across the game, so you know how your 2v2 game compares to your 5v5.

Wingman Conclusion – Should You Play This Mode?

Wingman is a really fun game mode if you just want to mess around with a friend. While it is true that you may gain valuable experience from it, it is mostly just a game for messing around. Lots of people join games to troll and mess around. At the end of the day, I think we forget that we don’t need to always play so seriously. It is ok to play silly games for fun as well.

If you are a casual player who just wants to have fun with your friend, or an experienced player just looking to mess around, then you should definitely give Wingman a try. If you’re a newer player looking to gain competitive ranks fast, it can also be a great training tool.