Mirage is the Counter-Strike map known for its long mid lane and the landmark called Top Mid. It is a bomb-defusal map with a Middle Eastern-inspired setting, including a central courtyard, apartments, a palace area, and narrow routes linking the bombsites.
Mid control is especially important on Mirage because it connects several attacking and defensive paths. From Top Mid, players can pressure short, window, connector, and other routes toward the sites. This structure gives teams many ways to vary their attacks while forcing defenders to gather information and coordinate rotations.
Mirage was based on the Counter-Strike map de_cpl_strike and was originally known as Strike in earlier map history. Players sometimes confuse Mirage with Dust II because both have desert-region visual elements, but their layouts and callouts are distinct. Mirage’s central mid area is one of its defining strategic features.