Most Iconic Multiplayer Maps In Gaming That Have Made History

While others derive their pleasure from single-player experiences, many of us look to multiplayer titles for our fair share of gaming fix. However, not all co-op games out there have been able to make a mark in history, save for an anointed few that have outclassed the competition over the years, going on to stand the test of time just as well. 

When you talk about such iconic multiplayer games, you have to rear your head toward their subsequent maps or arenas that stand out thanks to their overall ambiance, atmosphere, or navigation, which automatically makes them a fan favorite.

Avid gamers who have poured hundreds and thousands of hours into some of the best multiplayer games in the business probably know what I’m talking about, especially when the discourse revolves around specific maps that users look forward to playing on. This guide focuses on the latter, going over some of the most iconic multiplayer maps in gaming.  

These Games Made Multiplayer History With Their Iconic Maps 

The following entries come from personal experience, so if you have a different say, make sure to comment down below and initiate a discussion. There is a load of different maps that come to mind with the topic in question, but narrowing all the different options down, here’s what you’re left with. 

1. Dust 2 From CS: GO 

Anyone who’s ever picked up a first-person shooter must be well-aware of the goliath that the Counter-Strike franchise is in the gaming industry. Coming across as a pioneer of the FPS genre itself, CS: GO has since revolutionized the craft, going on to inspire dozens of different projects. Why am I telling you all this? Because CS: GO has had one map over the years that ended up skyrocketing the popularity of the game itself—Dust 2 or “de_dust2.”

Back in 2015, PC Gamer’s Chief Editor interviewed the map-makers of CS: GO, going over the “immortality” of the multiplayer map in question. It’s an interesting watch that offers more insight into the development of the legendary Dust 2.  

2. Rainbow Road From The Mario Kart Series  

Another legendary multiplayer map that has attracted millions of players over the years is Rainbow Road from the Mario Kart franchise of kart racing games. I highly recommend that you try it out — if you’re a newcomer to the series, that is — on Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, which is widely recognized as the best Mario Kart game ever made. 

There’s a looming sense of danger and thrill alike in Rainbow Road, not to mention the overall aesthetic that encourages more playthroughs. Anyhow, fans both love it and hate it for what the map brings to the table, but never in a million years can you deny the eminence of this particular arena. 

3. Operation Locker From Battlefield 4 

This right here is the epitome of pure adrenaline. Operation Locker in Battlefield 4 is a personal sweetheart, and honestly a terrific map with some of the best designs I’ve ever seen for those who just want a no-frills multiplayer FPS experience.

It is worth mentioning that Locker belongs to a Battlefield game that itself comes from a time when the franchise was a force to be reckoned with and not a flat-out disappointment like what the latest release Battlefield 2042 is. 

Anyhow, throw in a few extra modifications to Operation Locker’s settings, as in pump the tickets to 3200 and crank up the overall time, and you’ve got yourself one rock-solid multiplayer map that you’re easily going to grow attached to. From long-range sniping opportunities to close-quarters combat at its peak, Locker’s got it all.  

4. Facility From Perfect Dark 

This one’s for some of the veterans out there in the gaming industry, who probably recognize what type of a map Faculty was back in the day for Perfect Dark—an FPS that came out in 2000 for the Nintendo 64. Perfect Dark pays substantial homage to Goldeneye 007 and takes many of its maps and revises them for its own sake, including both Complex and Facility. 

5. Blood Gulch From Halo: Combat Evolved 

Bungie has been putting serious work into Blood Gulch ever since the iconic multiplayer map made its first appearance in Halo: Combat Evolved, allowing so many to make fond memories they’ll go on to remember forever. I’m not a Halo fan, but I see this particular map get talked about so much, it’s crazy, so there was no chance I was forgoing it from this list. 

6. Rust From Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 

Saving the best for the last, Rust is unequivocally one of the greatest maps in the history of multiplayer gaming (I know some people would fist-fight me to call it the greatest), even easily recognizable right from the spot even if you happen to only get a quick glance at it. I’m ashamed to state the number of hours I’ve poured into Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 on this map alone, but I think you get the point. 

“1v1 me on Rust” ran wild back in the day, and if you’re an OG Call of Duty player, I’ve probably sent you right down that nostalgia path with that statement alone.