The complete map ban data for all 53 series of the EWC is out. Which map is the most popular? Which map is banned the most? Which map is always "least chosen but always left until the last"?
Most popular maps: Ancient and Dust2
Throughout the entire tournament, Ancient was picked 18 times, and Dust2 was picked 17 times, making them the only two maps to surpass the 15-game mark. This indicates that these two maps are currently the most stable options in the map pools of various teams, whether chosen proactively or taken as a counterpick, everyone is willing to play them.
Least popular chart: Anubis and Cache
Anubis was banned 44 times—out of 53 series, it was banned in 44, leaving it almost no chance to be played. Cache wasn't much better, getting banned 41 times. Together, these two maps accounted for more than half of all bans. (An interesting detail: Anubis was only picked 7 times, and 2 of those were as the default decider map. This means it was actively chosen only 5 times.)
The safest map: Mirage
Mirage's data is particularly unique—it has been picked only 7 times, but designated as the default decider map a whopping 16 times. This means everyone knows how to play Mirage, yet no one is willing to actively pick it, so it always ends up being left as the final decider map.
Is Anubis just weak, or are people afraid to play against him?
Being banned 44 times is no coincidence. Is it a flaw in the map design itself, or has no team mastered it yet, leading to a permanent ban? If a team dares to pick Anubis in a crucial match, could it catch the opponent off guard?
Why has no one engaged with Cache since it was added to the new diagram so long ago?
Cache has been replaced by Overpass in the map pool for some time, but judging by the data, teams' trust in it remains low. After spending so much time training, has the map pool really expanded? Or are the new maps just "practiced but not used"?
Why is Mirage never actively picked by teams?
Mirage is the basic training map for all teams—everyone knows how to play it, but no one wants to pick it first. Does this mean it's shifting from being a "preferred map" to a "map only played out of necessity"?