Agency Grenade Callouts in CS2

Agency plays differently from most familiar Counter-Strike 2 maps.

There are no bombsites or post-plant positions. Terrorists defend hostages inside a modern office complex, while Counter-Terrorists must enter the building, rescue at least one hostage and carry them to an extraction zone.

The narrow corridors, multiple levels and connected office rooms make utility especially valuable. A well-placed smoke can divide the defense, a flash can open a dangerous doorway and a Molotov can force a Terrorist out of a protected position.

This guide covers the most useful Agency grenade lineups, practice commands, important callouts and utility strategies for both sides.

The History and Current Status of Agency

Agency is a community-created hostage rescue map designed by Puddy and Rick.

It first appeared in CS:GO in 2013 as part of Operation Bravo. The map later returned during Operation Phoenix, Operation Bloodhound and Operation Hydra before becoming a long-term part of the CS:GO map selection.

Agency takes place inside a prestigious advertising company located near the top of a skyscraper. The playable area includes a reception hall, conference rooms, offices, a cafeteria, storage areas and exterior rooftop sections.

Valve added a redesigned version of Agency to CS2 on May 7, 2025. It was available in Competitive, Casual and Deathmatch through the Community Map Group.

On January 21, 2026, Valve removed Agency from all official game modes together with Golden, Palacio and Rooftop.

Agency can still be played through compatible Workshop versions and community servers. Because Workshop maps may receive geometry and collision updates, always test each lineup on the exact version used by your server.

Why Utility Works Differently on Agency

Utility on a bomb defusal map is usually used to take a bombsite, protect a plant or support a retake.

Agency creates a different set of objectives.

Counter-Terrorists need to:

• Capture space inside the building
• Separate the Terrorist positions
• Reach a hostage
• Preserve utility for the extraction route
• Protect the player carrying the hostage
• Prevent late interceptions near CT Spawn

Terrorists need to:

• Delay the initial CT attack
• Protect multiple entrances
• Preserve smokes and flashes for the late round
• Track the possible extraction routes
• Avoid damaging the hostages with utility

A team cannot spend every grenade during the opening seconds. Utility may be even more important after a hostage has been collected.

Important Agency Callouts

Callout names vary significantly between regions and teams. Agency also has several community-created names that may not be understood by every matchmaking player.

The most useful general callouts include:

• CT Spawn
• T Spawn
• Main
• Lobby
• Stairs
• Connector
• Office
• Conference
• Gaming
• Cafeteria
• Kitchen
• Windows
• Beeper
• Side Room
• Hallway
• Hostage
• Selfboost
• Fishbowl
• Water
• Trash
• Raft

Some community guides also use names such as Synergy, Bunny, Subroza, PewDiePie, Trump and Foxhole.

These names can be useful for an established team, but simpler calls such as Office, Stairs, Lobby and Connector are usually better when playing with unfamiliar teammates.

How to Practice Agency Grenades

Launch Agency on a local server through the Workshop and open the developer console.

Enter the following commands:

• sv_cheats 1
• bot_kick
• mp_freezetime 0
• mp_roundtime_hostage 60
• mp_buy_anywhere 1
• mp_buytime 9999
• sv_infinite_ammo 1
• ammo_grenade_limit_total 5
• sv_grenade_trajectory_prac_pipreview 1
• sv_showimpacts 1
• mp_restartgame 1

Two additional commands make practice much easier:

• noclip
• sv_rethrow_last_grenade

noclip allows you to move between the throwing position and the grenade’s destination.

sv_rethrow_last_grenade repeats the previous throw. Use it to check smoke gaps, practice entering behind a flash or determine whether an opponent can see around the edge of a smoke.

When learning a lineup, record:

• The starting position
• The crosshair reference
• Standing or crouching position
• Throw type
• Movement input
• Flight time
• The timing of the team’s push

Knowing where to aim is only part of the lineup. Your teammates must also know when the grenade will land.

Essential Agency Smokes

The following smokes cover the most important tactical situations on Agency.

Stairs Smoke From Window

The Stairs smoke from Window is one of the most useful CT lineups on Agency.

Stairs connects several central areas and allows Terrorists to watch movement between different levels. Leaving the position open can expose the attacking team to multiple angles at once.

A successful Stairs smoke allows the CT side to:

• Leave Window more safely
• Reduce the number of visible angles
• Move into Lobby
• Prepare pressure through Connector
• Limit a defensive rotation
• Force a Terrorist into a close-range fight

Do not immediately walk through the smoke without support.

A Terrorist may stand near the edge or use the smoke to move into a closer position. Combine the lineup with a flash behind Stairs or pressure from a second route.

Office Smoke From T Spawn

The Office smoke from T Spawn is a defensive Terrorist lineup.

Its main purpose is to delay CT control and remove information. While Office is covered, the defending team can change positions, prepare a flash or move an additional player toward the threatened area.

The smoke is useful:

• Against a fast Office attack
• After an early Terrorist death
• Before a flash-assisted push
• While repositioning toward the hostages
• During the final part of the round

Avoid throwing the same smoke at the same time in every round.

Once the CT side understands the timing, it may use the smoke to take space, wait for it to disappear or prepare an anti-push setup.

Connector Smoke

Connector is one of the most important transitional areas on Agency.

Control of Connector creates faster movement between the central rooms and makes it easier to pressure multiple defensive positions.

A Connector smoke can isolate one part of the defense while the CT side clears Lobby, Office or Stairs. It is most effective when the team already knows what happens after the grenade lands.

Possible follow-up plans include:

• Taking Lobby control
• Entering Stairs
• Pressuring Office
• Splitting the hostage defense
• Creating a fake before changing direction

A smoke without a follow-up gives the defending team time to adjust.

Lobby Smoke

Lobby contains several overlapping lines of sight and close corners.

Attempting to cross it without utility often leads to a series of isolated duels. A smoke can block the strongest long-range position and allow CT players to concentrate on the nearby angles.

The same smoke can also be used as a fake.

The attacking team can throw it, create sound and then move toward another route. This may force the Terrorists to use utility or move an extra defender away from the hostages.

When pushing Lobby, assign clear roles:

• One player watches the smoke edge
• One prepares the flash
• One clears the close corners
• One protects the rotation

Avoid sending the entire team through the same narrow opening.

Main Smoke

Terrorists can use a Main smoke to interrupt the first wave of the CT attack.

The smoke creates uncertainty and gives the defenders time to:

• Change their setup
• Prepare HE grenades
• Move a player toward Office
• Establish a crossfire
• Save a weaker weapon from an unfavorable duel

The smoke becomes less effective if nobody watches its edges. CT players may use the cover to approach a close position before executing through it with flashes.

Conference Smoke

Conference and the adjacent rooms can contain one of the hostages.

A Conference smoke can isolate the room from nearby defenders while the CT side clears the entrance. It becomes especially useful during a split, when another CT player is pressuring from Office, Lobby or Connector.

The smoke should separate the fights rather than hide every opponent.

If the entire hostage area is covered, the CT side may lose track of the defenders and allow them to reposition into stronger close angles.

Smokes for Hostage Extraction

The round does not end when a CT player reaches the hostage.

The player must carry the hostage back to an extraction zone. Terrorists can attempt to intercept the route from Stairs, Main, Connector or positions near CT Spawn.

At least one CT smoke should therefore be saved for the late round.

A good extraction smoke should:

• Block the longest defensive sightline
• Land before the hostage carrier becomes visible
• Leave the CT side with a clear route
• Avoid giving the Terrorists an easy close-range exit
• Work together with a flash or covering teammate

The hostage carrier should not lead the group. A teammate must clear the route and take the first contact.

Useful Flashbangs on Agency

Agency contains many doors, walls and narrow passages. Contact flashes are often more reliable than complicated long-range lineups.

Lobby Entry Flash

A Lobby flash should explode behind a doorway or above the defender’s line of sight.

The entry players turn away from the flash and move as it detonates. The grenade should not travel too deep into the room, since this gives the defenders time to hide and reopen the angle.

Communication is essential. Call the flash before throwing it so teammates do not blind themselves during the entry.

Stairs Flash

A Stairs flash works particularly well with the smoke from Window.

The smoke removes the distant sightline, while the flash catches a player holding near the edge or preparing to push through it.

The team must take space immediately after the explosion. Waiting several seconds allows the defender to recover and removes the advantage created by the combination.

Conference Flash

Conference and the nearby rooms contain several close positions.

A flash can be bounced from a wall or doorframe so that it explodes inside the room. The first CT player checks the nearest corner, while the second covers the deeper angle and prepares to trade.

A single player entering after the flash does not apply enough pressure. Agency rewards coordinated entries.

Office Retake Flash

Terrorists can use a flash to retake Office after temporarily giving up the area.

The strongest timing occurs when the CT players have turned their attention toward Lobby or Connector. A teammate throws the flash, forcing the attackers to look away, while the second defender takes the duel.

Do not repeat the same retake every round. Once the CT side expects it, the attackers can wait with a prepared angle.

Molotov and Incendiary Lineups

Molotovs and incendiary grenades are used to clear protected corners and prevent defenders from remaining in strong close positions.

Useful targets include:

• The close Office corner
• Connector
• Stairs
• Conference
• Selfboost
• Beeper
• Main
• Positions next to the hostage rooms

The fire must cover the complete position. If a safe section remains, the opponent may stay inside the corner and continue holding the entrance.

Be especially careful around hostages. Fire can damage them, create financial penalties and block the route your team needs to use.

HE Grenades on Agency

Agency’s narrow corridors make HE grenades particularly effective.

Terrorists can use them against:

• A fast Main attack
• CT players grouping near Office
• A coordinated Stairs push
• Several players entering Lobby
• A hostage pickup attempt

Counter-Terrorists can use HE grenades against:

• A player behind a closed doorway
• A close Connector defender
• The Stairs position
• Conference corners
• A player trapped between a smoke and a wall

Avoid throwing an HE grenade only to cause minor damage. It provides the most value when it improves the next gunfight or punishes several grouped opponents.

How to Use Utility on the CT Side

The CT side should reduce the Terrorists’ available space in stages.

Take the Entrances

Begin with a smoke for Stairs or another central sightline. Follow it with a flash into Lobby, Main or Office.

The objective is not necessarily to rescue the hostage immediately. The first stage should give the CT side safer positions and force the Terrorists away from the entrances.

Divide the Defense

Once the team controls Office, Lobby or Connector, attack from two directions.

One group creates the main contact while the other watches rotations or enters from a different angle. Smokes should isolate individual defenders, allowing the CT side to take several controlled fights instead of facing the entire defense at once.

Secure the Hostage

Before collecting the hostage, confirm:

• The location of the remaining Terrorists
• The safest extraction route
• Which player still has a smoke
• Who will lead the return
• Whether a flash is available for the final crossing

Do not remain inside the hostage room after the pickup. Every second gives the defenders more time to occupy interception positions.

Protect the Return Route

The player carrying the hostage becomes the center of the round.

Teammates should move ahead, clear the next position and protect against a flank. The final smoke should cover the strongest long-range angle rather than simply the nearest doorway.

How to Use Utility on the T Side

Terrorist utility should delay the attack and create uncertainty.

Preserve Late-Round Grenades

An early Office or Main smoke can stop an immediate rush. However, using every grenade in the first seconds leaves the defense unable to stop a late hostage rescue.

Try to preserve at least one smoke and one flash for the second half of the round.

Pressure Smoke Edges

A defender can position close to a smoke and peek after a teammate’s flash. This is particularly effective around Lobby, Connector and Stairs.

Standing directly inside the smoke without support is much riskier. CT players can punish the position with bullets, an HE grenade or a coordinated push.

Control the Extraction Route

Once the hostage has been collected, the CT side becomes more predictable.

Instead of chasing the carrier through cleared rooms, move toward a required transition point such as Stairs, Connector or Main. A late smoke can separate the carrier from the supporting players and create an opportunity for an interception.

Avoid Utility Damage to Hostages

A defensive Molotov may block a route, but it can also damage a nearby hostage.

Use incendiary grenades to control entrances and transition areas, not the exact location where the hostage is being held.

The Best Agency Grenades to Learn First

New players do not need to memorize every possible lineup.

Start with:

• Stairs smoke from Window
• Office smoke from T Spawn
• Connector smoke
• Extraction route smoke
• Lobby entry flash
• Stairs flash
• Conference Molotov
• Main HE grenade

This small utility set covers most standard rounds.

Repeat each lineup until you can land it ten times in a row. Then practice the complete sequence with movement, time pressure and a teammate entering behind the grenade.

Learn the Map, Then Read the Match

Agency is not part of the current professional map pool, so it does not normally influence tier-one tournament vetoes.

However, the principles learned on Agency apply across Counter-Strike: utility management, coordinated entries, map control, timing and clear communication.

These same factors influence professional matches. A team’s chances depend on its current form, map pool, side-specific performance, player roles and ability to execute prepared strategies.

Winio analyzes these variables across thousands of matches to show what the data says before the server decides the result.

Explore upcoming CS2 matches and data-driven predictions at Winio.