Rush is a tactic in which a team advances on a single map site as quickly as possible, without spending time on scouting, throwing utility, or exchanging information. The main bet is on speed and surprise: the opponent simply doesn't have time to react, regroup, or gather enough players at the site.
The term most often appears in the context of CS2 rounds, where rush is contrasted with a default — a measured round execute with gradual map control. If a default is built on information and patience, a rush is built on pressure and tempo: the team literally runs as a group onto the bombsite (the point where the explosive device is planted), counting on overwhelming the defense with numbers and surprise before they can settle into corners and favorable positions.
Rush is used not only as a primary plan but also as a way to break the opponent's timing — the very rhythm of rounds that the defending side gets used to. If a team has played slowly for several rounds in a row and then unexpectedly rushes the site in the first seconds, the defense can be caught off guard simply because it didn't expect that tempo.
Where else rush appears
The term isn't limited to one game. In Dota 2 and other games with progression systems, a similar word describes an early aggressive tempo — for example, the drive to reach decisive fights as quickly as possible before the opponent gains power. The general meaning stays the same: minimal preparation, maximum speed, and pressure on the opponent while they lack the resources or position to respond.
Rush is a risky tactic. It works well as an element of surprise, but when repeated too often it becomes predictable: an experienced defense quickly reads the pattern and starts preparing in advance, placing grenades and holding key entry points. That's why in professional play rush is rarely used as the sole plan — more often it's one tool in a broader tactical set, alternated with defaults and executes so the opponent can't adapt to a single rhythm.