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Destiny 2: All Crucible Maps, Ranked

The Crucible is home to the PVP realm of Destiny 2. You could certainly argue that Bungie focuses more on PvE than PvP, but there are tons of people who do play and love PvP. For those players, there’s little better than a well-crafted map designed with them in mind. In this article, we’ll look at all Crucible maps in Destiny 2 that are currently available and rank them from worst to best!

What Makes a Good Crucible Map?

There are three major aspects to consider when judging a PVP map: layout, balancing, and visual design. Layout is the structure of the map — whether it’s indoors or outdoors, if there are interactive or moving elements, and what the general feel is. Balancing refers to how well-balanced the map is for both causal and competitive PVP, including spawn points, capture zones, and having areas for different kinds of combat (close, long-range, etc.). Visual design is just how the map looks overall.

A good Crucible map has all of these traits, and a bad one has none of them. Let’s see where each of the current Crucible maps line up!

23. The Anomaly

Crucible Maps: Worst Pick The Anomaly
Image: Bungie & Activision via HGG / Brett Moss

The Anomaly is not a good PvP map . On one hand, it does have good aesthetics and the middle section is one of the more unique in the game. However, this map is far more tuned for close-range combat than it should be. It’s nearly impossible to walk anywhere on this map without running into someone with a Shotgun and dying instantly. The really cramped corridors also make using supers difficult depending on what you’re using. The visuals here are so nice that we’d like to put it higher, but we just can’t.

22. Twilight Gap

Twilight Gap
Image: Bungie & Activision via HGG / Brett Moss

Twilight Gap is just a mess. It’s balancing is questionable, with poor outdoors areas and a boring inside. One potential plus is that they did at least put a fairly equal amount of long- and short-range areas, so you can get away with using whatever weapons you want. There’s also nothing interesting happening here visually. It’s just a rather boring location on Earth, which really should have been improved a long time ago.

21. Dead Cliffs

Dead Cliffs
Image: Bungie & Activision via HGG / Brett Moss

Dead Cliffs is probably the most accurately named map in Destiny 2. The middle section of the map is open and near a ton of cliffs, and it’s really easy to fall off the map and embarrass yourself. Other than the cliffs, the general layout here is pretty uninspired, but not horrible. It’s a visually boring map (other than the cliffs), but it is fairly balanced. You can use pretty much any meta weapon type here and it’ll be decent, and the long-range sections are perfect for sniping or using a Scout Rifle.

20. Disjunction

Disjunction
Image: Bungie & Activision via HGG / Brett Moss

When we found out we were finally getting a new Crucible map with The Witch Queen, the entire community was excited. Unfortunately, the map we got wasn’t quite as good as we had hoped for. Visually, it does match the Witch Queen aesthetic, but not in a good way. Instead of reminding players of the more interesting aesthetics of that expansion, Bungie gave us the swamp from the Vow raid opening. It’s a well-designed swamp, but it’s still a swamp. However, while the look is kind of dreary, the size is the biggest problem. This map is simply far too large for 3v3 and even 6v6 game modes (so all of them). Having good spots for Snipers and Scout Rifle users is important, but this isn’t the way to go about that.

19. Distant Shore

Distant Shore
Image: Bungie & Activision via HGG / Brett Moss

Distant Shore suffers from the same issues as Disjunction. It’s a bit too large, and the balance is lacking. It isn’t quite as large as Disjunction, though, and it’s still a great map for 6v6. But getting Distant Shore for 3v3 content like Trials or Elimination never feels good. Outside of the map’s size, its balancing is pretty average and it looks pretty standard. This is one of the most average maps in Destiny 2 in 6v6, and it’s one of the more annoying for 3v3.

18. The Burnout

crucible maps The Burnout
Image: Bungie & Activision via HGG / Brett Moss

Aesthetically, the Burnout is a really cool map. What it offers in terms of gameplay, however, is just alright. Its balance is pretty solid on the outsides of the map, but the middle part can quickly become chaotic in a way that makes it hard to enjoy. Dying feels random, so it often results in many people avoiding the area altogether. This map certainly has a random element to it that occasionally makes it frustrating, but it’s usually a positive experience overall.

17. Eternity

Eternity
Image: Bungie & Activision via HGG / Brett Moss

We’ve talked quite a bit about visual appeal so far, and this map is the perfect example of that. Eternity is all about the aesthetic. The balancing and design of the map are fairly decent, but it could be argued that the map is too open and large even for 6v6, much less 3v3. These really large maps tend not to fair so well, and that’s the case here as well. Eternity isn’t a bad map at all, but it’s unnecessarily large and feels like it was just made for the visuals. For competitive play this map is on the bad side, but for casual it’s more towards the middle.

16. Exodus Blue

Exodus Blue - Best Crucible Maps
Image: Bungie & Activision via HGG / Brett Moss

Exodus Blue is probably the best example of a decent Crucible map. Visually, it’s mostly the same as all the other Earth maps–nothing special, but passable. The balancing here never feels bad, and you can tell that Bungie did their best to make this map feel good to play. Mid-range weapons excel on this map, and there are more than enough places to use both close- and long-range weapons. This isn’t really a map to get excited about, but it’s far from bad.

15. The Fortress

The Fortress
Image: Bungie & Activision via HGG / Brett Moss

The Fortress can be a controversial map. Some people find it too open while others love this same aspect. It’s definitely too large for 3v3, but it feels okay in 6v6. The real problem here is that this map is almost nothing but long-range sections. There are some close-range areas, but 90% of this map is designed around Snipers and Scout Rifles with little effort to balance this effectively. This can be worked around, but if you don’t play those weapon types it’s rarely going to be a good time.

14. Widow’s Court

Widow's Court
Image: Bungie & Activision via HGG / Brett Moss

Widow’s Court is easily one of the most unique maps in Destiny 2, and it’s also one of the most well-designed. Widow’s Court is all about long range combat, but the few close range areas it has are excellent as well. For a large map, it’s also surprisingly good for 3v3, though it’s obviously designed more for 6v6. Widow’s Court has continued to improve over time as Guardians have gotten generally faster, so it seems to have a great future ahead of it. This is how to do a long-range focused map well.

13. Javelin-4

Javelin-4
Image: Bungie & Activision via HGG / Brett Moss

Javelin-4 is a great PvP map. What sets it apart from so many similar maps (ones with a circular indoors section), is that it’s harder to get randomly sniped on this match than most. The indoors sections are great for mid- and close-range weapons, and there are a few outdoors sections that work for long-range. The long-range sections are fairly lacking to be honest, but the others are good enough to make up for it. Even this visuals here are great, which is always a bonus.

12. Pacifica

Pacifica
Image: Bungie & Activision via HGG / Brett Moss

Pacifica is another controversial map, but it overall ranks on the better side of the argument. Its visual appeal is nothing special, but it’s easily one of the most well-designed indoors maps currently available. Since it’s largely indoors, it does suffer a bit from an abundance of shotgun users, but not as badly as other indoor maps. The indoor section provides a unique nature that’s also chaotic enough to be exciting, but not too much so. This map feels tightly designed with only a few areas that feel off, and even those aren’t too bad.

11. Convergence

Convergence
Image: Bungie & Activision via HGG / Brett Moss

Convergence is a hard map to rank. On one hand, it’s looks beautiful and can support several types of weapons well. On the other, that middle section and the long corridor by the waterfall are both very annoying areas to be in. It’s definitely a beautiful map with interesting scenic elements throughout, but some of the long-range zones can be a nightmare to traverse and the middle section is constantly filled with grenades and Guardians using supers. The chaos associated with the map can be fun sometimes, but it does get frustrating sometimes.

10. Fragment

Crucible Maps Fragment
Image: Bungie & Activision via HGG / Brett Moss

Fragment is great for 3v3 game modes, but not much else. This is one of the few maps that feels worse in 6v6 than 3v3, and it’s not even all that small. The problem is that while the map does have a few long-range parts, all of the indoors sections are too cramped for a bunch of people. It just works better in smaller game modes. In the 6v6 playlists, Fragment suffers. It’s not a terrible map for 6v6, but it certainly isn’t the best either.

9. Bannerfall

Bannerfall Crucible Maps
Image: Bungie & Activision via HGG / Brett Moss

Bannerfall is a very fun map that’s also quite well-balanced. In the middle there’s a line of sight that lets both teams see across the map and usually leads to Sniper battles, and the middle section extends out into the more open parts of the map. The open sections are good for a variety of combat styles, but mid- to long-range is optimal on this map. There are places for short-range weapons, but there’s far more long-range potential. Some people might find this map a bit too long-range for their liking, but overall it’s a really solid PvP map.

8. Altar of Flame

Altar of Flame
Image: Bungie & Activision via HGG / Brett Moss

Altar of Flame is another map that has decent visual appeal but shines due to its balancing. There’s no one weapon type that dominates this map, and its points of interest are really well spaced out even though the map isn’t too big. This is one of the most generally solid maps in the game, even if it doesn’t have one aspect that sticks out more than another. This map is easily one of the best available right now for both competitive and casual playlists.

6. Endless Vale

Endless Vale
Image: Bungie & Activision via HGG / Brett Moss

Endless Vale is similar to some other Nessus maps aesthetically, but it’s the best of the bunch. This map combines all combat types (long-range, short-range, etc.), really well without putting too much focus on any one of them. For large game modes, Endless Vale is more than suitable since it has plenty of differing areas for Guardians to fight in. Smaller game modes also work, since you can pretty quickly get around this map. Of all the Nessus maps in PvP, this is the best!

6. Midtown

Midtown - Best Crucible Maps in Destiny 2
Image: Bungie & Activision via HGG / Brett Moss

Midtown has perhaps the best visual design of all the Crucible maps. Bungie did an excellent job here, as it actually feels like you’re in an open world town, not just a PVP map. Its technical design is also good, with an excellent balance between combat types.

Some people might not love the emphasis on long-range combat, but this is one of its most unique aspects. Most maps have one or two areas where long-range weapons are good, but Midtown is full of them. And there are still great close quarters areas, too. What’s not to love?

5. Vostok

Vostok
Image: Bungie & Activision via HGG / Brett Moss

Vostok is probably a controversial pick to put this high, but it is a truly great map. Visually, its design is wonderful and unique, and its other aspects are also great. It’s well-balanced, chaotic in the right ways, and just a lot of fun in general. Since Vostok is an Earth map it does have lots of the same visuals as the other ones, but the addition of snow and being in the mountains makes it much more interesting.

It excels in 6v6, but it’s not bad in 3v3 either. The chaotic nature gets toned down drastically in 3v3, since the chaos mostly relies on an excess of people on the map, which is great. Vostok might not be a super popular map, but it’s easily one of the best in the game.

4. Rusted Lands

Rusted Lands
Image: Bungie & Activision via HGG / Brett Moss

Rusted Lands is aesthetically an average map, but its strengths are in its design. It has an excellent balance of long- and short-range areas, good spawn points, and a good variety of map design. This match really shines in 3v3 game modes, but its not at all bad for 6v6, either. It’s one of the game’s older maps, and it’s obvious why it’s still in the game.

3. Cauldron

Cauldron
Image: Bungie & Activision via HGG / Brett Moss

Cauldron is a notorious map in Destiny 2, mostly due to its chaotic nature. Even though it’s a smaller map, Cauldron is well-balanced, with a wide variety of weapons being usable, and the visual design is beautiful. Shadowkeep’s horror-inspired aesthetic is perfect for a PVP map. Cauldron is easily one of the best 3v3 maps in Destiny 2, and it holds up well in 6v6 too. The only downside here is that it can be really cramped sometimes with 6-person teams, and that can lead to some annoying encounters from time to time.

2. Radiant Cliffs

Radiant Cliffs
Image: Bungie & Activision via HGG / Brett Moss

Radiant Cliffs is an absolutely beautiful map, and it’s also well-made for both competitive and casual play. It has a solid balance of long- and close-range combat for competitive players, and every point on the map allows for enjoyable fights that don’t usually feel oppressive (not because of the map, at least). This map is really great for all kinds of content, from 3v3 Trials/Competitive to Team Scorched. It’s easily amongst the best maps in the Crucible.

1. Wormhaven

Wormhaven : Best Crucible Map Overall
Image: Bungie & Activision via HGG / Brett Moss

Wormhaven is a near-perfect Crucible map. The map is incredibly well-designed with a great symmetrical layout and an enjoyably chaotic/intense middle area. Fighting in the middle of the map is some of the most fun to be had in all of Destiny 2. Wormhaven is a visually striking map, and the gameplay is excellent as well! There are few maps that are close to as good as this one, which makes it the best Crucible map in Destiny 2.

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Thanks for reading our article ranking the Crucible maps in Destiny 2! We have plenty of other Destiny 2 articles as well, so be sure to check them out for more lists and guides. Subscribe to our newsletter for more on the latest in the gaming world.

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Give feedback on the article, share additional tips & tricks, talk strategy with other members, and make your opinions known. High Ground Gaming is a place for all voices, and we'd love to hear yours!

Lars

Wormhaven is easily the worst map in Destiny history. It’s far too narrow, sniper corridor is horrendously poorly balanced, the middle hallway is a shambles of being both too narrow and too open and the inside area is a shooting gallery that discourages players going into it.
Easily the worst map in Destiny by far and it should have been purged when they sunset all the older content.


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