Inferno is a bomb defusal map in Counter-Strike, with the official file name de_inferno. It is set in a small Italian village with old houses, a square, and narrow passages. In the community the map is often simply called "Infer."
How the map is laid out
As in other maps of this mode, there are two bombsites — places where the terrorists plant the bomb: "A" and "B". While one side tries to reach a site and plant the bomb, the other (the counter-terrorists) defends both positions.
The main feature of Inferno is its tightness. The passages are narrow and long sightlines are almost absent, so most gunfights happen at short range and around corners. Because of this, grenades are especially important on the map: smokes (smoke screens that block vision), molotovs (incendiary grenades that force an opponent off a position), and flashes (blinding grenades). A well-executed set of grenades often decides a round before the first shot is fired.
Notable places on the map that commentators often mention: "Banana" — the narrow passage to site "B", which teams fight to control at the start of the round, and "Apartments" and "Mid" — the approaches to site "A". These names have become established in the community and are used at every level of play.
How the word is used
Inferno is one of the maps in the map pool (the list of maps from which teams choose where to play a match). Before a series, teams go through the pick and ban procedure: they take turns removing maps that are uncomfortable for them and selecting their strong ones. People say a team "plays Infer well" or "Infer is their weak map," and this is a significant part of match preparation.
An example from practice: in the description of the StarLadder StarSeries Fall 2026 final, Vitality beat Aurora Gaming 3:1, and the only map they lost was Inferno, 11:13. Details like this show that even the strongest team can lose on an individual map where the opponent has prepared better.
Where the map comes from
Inferno appeared in Counter-Strike a long time ago and has been updated regularly since then while preserving its recognizable layout. Its visual style and key locations are familiar to players across several generations of the series, so the map remains popular with both professionals and ordinary players on public servers.
Because of the dense close-range fights, Inferno is considered a map where teamwork and skillful use of utility (the term players use for all grenades and support items) matter. A lone aggressive player without support usually doesn't last long here.