What Is Wingman Mode In CS:GO

There are only a few ranked game modes in Counter-Strike, and the Wingman mode is one of them. Counter-Strike is mostly known for having five players going against another five, creating chaotic and action-packed gameplay.

However, some players find Counter-Strike’s regular game modes to be too hectic, while others aren’t too comfortable with playing Competitive matches with strangers that might flame them. Whatever the reason is, the Wingman mode is always available for players looking for a more “chill” approach to Counter-Strike.

Wingman mode was introduced to Counter-Strike Global Offensive in May 23, 2017, as a part of the Operation Hydra update. It was one of the three Hydra Events, alongside War Games and Weapons Expert. The game mode was so well-received by the community that Valve decided to permanently add it to the game. 

The Wingman mode allows parties of two players to immediately queue for a ranked match in the game mode. So, you only need to invite one friend to play instead of spending thirty minutes calling three others and forcing them to get on. 

Since there will only be four players on a Wingman server, gameplay becomes swift and concise, with less action going on. It is perfect for a pair of players who want to play a relaxing game while striking a conversation.

It is evident that Counter-Strike’s Wingman mode must have varying rules and round formats from regular Competitive gameplay. In this section of the article, we’ll go through all the rules and formats for Wingman mode. 

Singular Bomb Sites

Wingman games are still played on several Counter-Strike maps in the Active Duty Pool. However, to adjust to the fewer number of players in a Wingman mode match, the maps have been shrunk to focus on one bomb site.

Players don’t have to run around an entire map, hoping to catch two others. Instead, Valve has made it easier for players to dive right into the action by making the battlegrounds smaller. There are invisible walls or custom barriers to prevent players from exiting the play area. 

Spawn Points And Buy Zones

Since the maps have been made smaller as discussed above, Wingman players will have different spawn points and buy zones compared to Counter-Strike’s regular game modes. 

Players will begin rounds much closer to the bomb sites, reducing the time it takes to walk towards their objectives. There are essentially brand new spawn points for Wingman maps, which also acts as a team’s buy zone.

Make sure to purchase all your desired equipment in the freeze time, as running back to grab something you forgot will create a massive positioning advantage in rounds!

Shorter Round Durations

Since there are fewer players and less area to cover, there is no need for Wingman mode rounds to follow the 1 minute and 55 second round timers that Competitive mode uses. 

In Wingman mode, round timers are significantly decreased to 1 minute and 30 seconds, or 90 seconds. This is more than enough time for players to carefully approach their rounds and pull off a well-coordinated two-man bomb site execution. 

Also, don’t be that guy who saves in Wingman mode. Don’t run down the clock and save, as it is also relatively difficult since enemy players won’t have to go around the entire map hunting you down. 

Fewer Rounds To Play

Wingman is all about fast-paced gameplay, so naturally, Valve has decided to reduce the number of rounds needed for a team to win.

Counter-Strike currently uses the MR12 format, which stands for “maximum rounds = 12,” meaning a team needs 13 rounds to win in regulation. Wingman mode is rocking the MR8 format, which means there are 8 rounds in a half, and 9 is required to win. 

As usual, teams will switch sides after halftime, which means 8 rounds must be played before the swap. 

Since Wingman is a ranked mode in Counter-Strike, it is not immediately accessible for all players, especially new ones. 

Valve wants to prevent newbies who have no clue of what’s happening in a game to grief another player who is trying their best to win. Fortunately, the requirements to unlock Wingman mode aren’t too demanding, and can be completed in a day or two.

All new players should see a visible progress bar under the Wingman game mode. This bar indicates how many more experience points you need to finally unlock the Wingman mode. To gather experience points, all you have to do is play unranked game modes on official Valve servers.

You can play any unranked game mode such as Deathmatch, Casual, or Arms Race. After completing a match, the progress bar will begin filling up. You will get more experience points if you perform better on these matches, so make sure to lock in!

It should take you anywhere from 5 to 8 Deathmatch of Casual games to fill up the progress bar and be able to queue for your first Wingman mode match. 

How To Play Wingman Mode In CSGO

Now that you have successfully unlocked the Wingman mode, you’re good to finally play your first match. You should grab a friend to play with and ensure they also meet the requirements to play on the game mode. Otherwise, you can always solo-queue and match with another lonely player and make a new friend.

Here is a step-by-step guide to playing the Wingman mode in CSGO:

1. Launch Counter-Strike 2.
2. Form a party by inviting your friend. (Skip this step if you are solo queuing)
3. Next, hit the “Play” button at the top of your main menu screen.
4. Select “Matchmaking.”
5. In the available game modes, select “Wingman.”
6. Then, select which Wingman maps you would like to queue for. 
7. Once everything is set, click the green “Go” button at the bottom of your screen.

You will be matched with and against players around your skill level, so you don’t have to worry about running into some incredibly good players on your first run. However, queue times for Wingman matches might take longer than regular Competitive queue, as it is a less-popular game mode. 

Unlike Competitive mode, there are only four maps available in the Wingman game mode. These maps can also be found in the Active Duty or Reserve Map pool. However, as discussed previously, the maps are shrunk into only one bomb site to adjust to the number of players in the game. 

The four maps available in the Wingman game mode are:

• Inferno, focused on the A bomb site
• Vertigo, focused on the A bomb site
• Nuke, focused on the B bomb site
• Overpass, focused on the B bomb site

These Counter-Strike maps have additional barriers, fences, and walls in place to block off players from exiting the play area. The smaller map encourages fast-paced play so players don’t waste too much time in Wingman mode games. 

Like Competitive mode, players can select which of the four maps they would like to play on. You can select all four maps, or only one; the choice is yours. Since Wingman is a ranked game mode, make sure to play on maps you are familiar with so you can provide helpful callouts to your teammates and expect where enemy players could come from.

The Wingman mode follows the skill groups in Counter-Strike’s competitive game mode, with ranks such as Legendary Eagle and Gold Nova Master. However, these medals look slightly different from Competitive mode’s to help players distinguish between the two game modes. 

A player will have two separate skill groups, one for Competitive mode and one for Wingman mode. These medals are separated, and will not affect each other in any way. 

Here is a list of all the Wingman mode ranks:

• Silver I
• Silver II
• Silver III
• 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
• The Global Elite

Both Competitive and Wingman ranks use a hidden elo system, where players gain or lose elo points based on wins or losses. Valse still has not revealed how the elo calculations work, but community members generally agree that getting round MVPs and winning by a large margin will help players rank up faster in Wingman mode. 

Are Wingman Ranks Inflated?

You might have seen Gold Nova players having an exceptionally high Wingman rank such as Supreme Master First Class or even The Global Elite. Many players are left wondering if the Wingman ranks are generally inflated, which is a claim agreed by many members of the community.

Your Wingman rank does not reflect your actual skill in Competitive matches, as it is an entirely different game mode with varying rules and formats. Many players have noticed or reported that they have been ranking up incredibly quickly in Wingman mode compared to Competitive, and most agree that climbing the Wingman ranks is considerably easier. 

Additionally, the Wingman player base is way smaller than the Competitive game mode, as less players are actively queuing for Wingman matches. Valve sees this small sample size of players and decided to make ranking up much easier on Wingman. 

So, don’t be too surprised if you’re playing against Global Elite players on Wingman mode, as it doesn’t necessarily mean those players are in the top 1% of Counter-Strike players. Take Wingman ranks with a grain of salt, as they aren’t too accurate. Let’s hope Valve readjusts the system to give these ranks more clarity and meaning. 

If you’re having a read of this article, we’ll bet that you have not received your Wingman rank yet. Even if you’ve played one or two matches, your rank status will remain as “uncalibrated,” meaning you don’t have a rank yet. This is completely normal, because you must first go through a placement process just like Competitive mode.

Your twenty or so matches on the Wingman game mode might be a little inconsistent, as the game will try to match you against players of different skill groups to get a good idea of where you’re at. So, don’t be too discouraged if you get stomped by players who are significantly better than you!

To receive your first Wingman rank, you must win a total of 10 matches. It doesn’t matter how many losses it takes you to secure these wins. Still, your first rank might not be an accurate indicator of your actual skill, since the sample size of matches is still relatively small.

If you are placed in one of the lower ranks, don’t be too sad as ranking up in Wingman mode is much easier and faster than Competitive mode. 

If you’re just getting started and want to figure out how to rank up quickly, here are some pointers to put you on the right track:

Learn The Maps

First and foremost, it is crucial that you familiarize yourself with the Wingman maps. The available maps are also in the Active Duty Map pool, so they shouldn’t be entirely new to you. Additionally, the map has essentially been shrunk to half, so there are less angles and positions to remember.

Make sure to know all the callouts so communication with your partner can flow both ways. Control the key areas of the maps, such as choke points that can give you the upper hand over enemy players.

Communicate With Your Teammate

Giving callouts or listening to your teammates can be quite hectic in a regular Competitive match, as five players are constantly passing on information to others. However, in Wingman, you only have to worry about one other person talking and hearing you out. 

Ensure both of you are on the same page, thinking of the same moves to do next. Coordinate strategies and peek at enemy players in sync. When playing on the Terrorist side, try sticking together with your teammate to approach fights and trade each other out. 

Use Proper Utility

Utility wins games. For those unfamiliar, “utility” is another way of saying grenades, which refers to flashbangs, smokes, HE grenades, and molotovs. In the constricted play areas Wingman mode offers, flushing enemies out of position with effective grenade usage will help you win rounds.

Try learning the most effective smoke and flashbang lineups to set your teammate up for easy frags. Coordinating a pop flash can help the both of you surprise an enemy player and create a man-advantage situation. 

Manage Your Finances

Forcing a purchase every round can be lethal to your team’s economic situation. Avoid force-buying after losses and take some necessary eco rounds to get your finances back on track.

Make sure both of you are coordinating your purchases and buying together. We don’t want to see one teammate saving and the other investing in full weaponry. If one player goes for a low buy, both should go for a low buy.

Don’t Play The Same Angles

Again, let’s remember that we’re not using the entire map when playing on Wingman mode. It is crucial that you don’t hide behind the same position every round, as enemies can predict it easily and force you out with a molotov or even pre-fire the angle.

Change up the positions every round and make yourself unpredictable. It’s okay to go back to the same position later on, but don’t play an angle three rounds in a row. Make sure to adapt to the current situation and analyze enemy trends to figure out where you should play in the next round. 

Keep Your Composure

Remember that tilting doesn’t make a losing situation any better. Keep calm and maintain a positive mindset. Composure is required to make smart decisions instead of running it down mid just to get it over with.

Wingman matches follow an MR8 format, meaning there are fewer rounds required to win a match. The fewer rounds creates an opportunity for teams to pull off a comeback after stringing a few rounds. Never giving up is a key to becoming a Global Elite player. 

Improve Your Aim

Finally, it’s also vital to hone your individual skills. Aiming is arguably the most important aspect in Counter-Strike, as it is a first-person shooter game after all. Improving your aiming capabilities will take you a long way in this game.

Try starting with your crosshair placement, which requires you to aim your crosshair at head-level at all times. Proper crosshair placement will help you improve your headshot percentage and win Wingman matches.