The Greatest Snow and Winter FPS Maps of All Time

AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·

The Greatest Snow and Winter FPS Maps of All Time

Polygon looks back at the greatest snow and winter FPS maps in gaming history, highlighting iconic battlegrounds from Rainbow Six Siege, Call of Duty, Battlefield, and Halo.

Winter brings a specific kind of atmosphere to online multiplayer, and few things match the aesthetic of a crisp, snow-covered map while you grind out matches with your squad. Over on Polygon, Ford James has put together a stellar retrospective looking at the best winter and snow-themed FPS maps in gaming history. From tactical tight spaces to sprawling vehicular battlegrounds, these environments have defined generations of shooters and left permanent marks on our gaming memories.

Take Rainbow Six Siege and its iconic Chalet map, for instance. While much of the match plays out indoors, those surrounding snowy grounds and tight, winding corridors have anchored competitive play since day one. On the classic side, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 gave us Sub Base, a masterclass in mid-range engagement that saw countless players sprinting through frosty paths with sniper rifles in hand. Battlefield 3 took the scale up to eleven with Alborz Mountains from the Armored Kill expansion, delivering massive vehicle warfare where driving up a snowy ridge kicked up blinding sheets of powder.

Let us not forget the arena shooters that shaped the culture. Halo 2 gave us Lockout, a tight, multi-tiered masterpiece that earned multiple remakes across subsequent titles because its design simply worked so well for fast-paced combat. These environments do more than just change the color palette of our favorite games. They create distinct tactical challenges and visual identities that keep us queuing up for one more match, long after the seasonal battle passes have ended.

Tags: FPS, Gaming, Polygon, Multiplayer, Classics

Original article: Polygon