Map prefixes and suffixes

Common traditional naming conventions for maps for some Half-Life and Source games use a small prefix (often two or three letters) followed by an underscore at the beginning of the map name. For example "de_dust", where "de_" is the prefix and "dust" is the map name.

Official prefixes are as follows.

Official games

Counter-Strike, Source & Condition Zero

Prefix	Map Type	Description
AS	Assasination	Counter-Strike and VIP Mod only
CS	Hostage Rescue
DE	Bomb Defusal
ES	Terrorist Escape	Now defunct, originally official
TR	Training Maps	Only official appearance in Counter-Strike 1.5 retail.

Note:Condition Zero uses enhanced versions of the original Counter-Strike maps denoted with a "_cz" suffix.

Day of Defeat & Day of Defeat: Source

Prefix	Map Type	Description
DOD	Default Prefix
PARA	Para Maptype	Last seen in Day of Defeat beta 3.1

Deathmatch Classic

Prefix	Map Type	Description
DMC	Default Prefix

Half-Life

Prefix	Map Type	Description
c0	Chapter 0	Train Ride
c1	Chapter 1	Black Mesa Sectors
c2	Chapter 2	Black Mesa Trainride
c3	Chapter 3	Black Mesa Outside
c4	Chapter 4	Xen
c5	Chapter 5	Ending
t0	Training	Training Maps
hldemo	Demo Maps	Originally found in Half-Life: Uplink

Half-Life Blue Shift

Prefix	Map Type	Description
BA	Default Prefix

Half-Life Opposing Force

Prefix	Map Type	Description
OF	Default Prefix
OP4CP
OP4CTF	Capture The Flag

Half-Life Decay

Prefix	Map Type	Description
HT	Default Prefix
DY	Default Prefix	Prefix for maps on the PC ported version.

Half-Life 2, Half-Life 2: Episode 1, Half-Life 2: Episode 2 & Half-Life 2: Episode 3

Prefix	Map Type	Description
D1	Day One	Day One of the story
D2	Day Two	Day Two of the story
D3	Day Three	Day Three of the story
EP1	Episode 1
EP2	Episode 2
EP3	Episode 3

Half-Life 2: Deathmatch

Prefix	Map Type	Description
DM	Deathmatch	Default Prefix
CTF	Capture The Flag
TR	Training	Training Maps

Left 4 Dead

Prefix	Map Type	Description
L4D	Co-op	Storyline based gameplay
L4D_SV	Survival
L4D_VS	Versus

Portal

Prefix	Map Type	Description
TESTCHMB	Test Chambers	Early levels (Test chambers 1-19)
ESCAPE	Facility Escape

Portal 2

Prefix	Map Type	Description
SP_A1	Single Player Maps (Act 1)
SP_A2	Single Player Maps (Act 2)
SP_A3	Single Player Maps (Act 3)
SP_A4	Single Player Maps (Act 4)
MP_COOP	Coop Maps

Ricochet

Prefix	Map Type	Description
RC	Default Prefix

SiN Episodes: Emergence

Prefix	Map Type	Description
ARENA	Arena Maps
SE1	Default Prefix

Team Fortress 2

Prefix	Map Type	Description
ARENA	Arena Maps	Added with the August 19, 2008 update.
CP	Control Point	Original Shipping Map Type
CTF	Capture the Flag	Original Shipping Map Type
TC	Territorial Control	Original Shipping Map Type
PL	Payload	Added with the April 29, 2008 update.
PLR	Payload Race	Added with the May 21, 2009 update.
KOTH	King of the Hill	Added with the August 13, 2009 update.

Third-party mods

Brain Bread

• bb

D.I.P.R.I.P.

• diprip

Dystopia

• dys
• pb

Empires

• emp

Eternal Silence

• es

Fortress Forever

• ff - All gametypes

Garry's Mod

-- Official --

• gm
• gmdm - Garry's Mod Deathmatch
• mr - Melon Racer
• ifn - Infection (unreleased test gamemode)

-- Unofficial --

• rp - Roleplay
• sb - SpaceBuild
• gms - Stranded
• zs - Zombie Survival
• fw - Fort Wars

Gunman Chronicles

• demo - Gunman Chronicles demo
• cinematic - cutscene
• city
• mayan
• rust
• west
• rebar

Half-Life 2: Capture The Flag

• ctf - Capture the Flag
• dom - Domination

Hidden: Source

• hdn - Hidden
• ovr - Overrun

Insurgency

• ins

Iron Grip: The Oppression

• ig

Jailbreak

• jb

Natural Selection

• co - Combat
• ns - Natural Selection (original)

Obsidian Conflict

• oc
• oc_vs - Maps that offer PvP Gameplay

Project Valkyrie

• 3mm - 3-Month Mod

Sourceforts

• sf

Specialists, The

• ts

Sven Co-op

Older Sven Co-op maps tend not to have prefixes, but, to stop confusion with third-party single player levels and original Half-Life multiplayer add-ons, the "sc" prefix has come into use.

• sc

Synergy

• syn

Zombie Master

• zm

Zombie Panic, Zombie Panic! Source

• zps
• zpo
• zpl
• zph
• zpa

Unofficial prefixes

In addition, some custom maps will be marked with unofficial prefixes, either to denote its nature or to brand it.

Unclassified

• aaa
• jp
• kz - Climing/jumping
• nrp
• proto - Prototype map
• rwp
• sa - Snipers Alley
• sp - Single player
• sdk - SourceSDK example map
• test - Test map
• zoo - Object gallery

Counter-Strike, Source & Condition Zero

• aim - Aim Arena has teams that are restricted to one class of weapon and have no objectives except to eliminate the opposing team. Emphasis is placed on player's aim.
• awp - AWP Arena restricts players to AWPs only
• dm - Deathmatch Arena-styled maps used by deathmatch mods for CS and CS:S. These maps are usually small and simple like "fy" maps but adapted in order to have multiple spawn points.
• fy - Frag Yard is a map with an assortment of weapons spawning on the ground versus player inventory.
• fun - Fun Map is a map with some strange objectives, contraptions or other mysterious things.
• mg - Same as Fun Maps, mostly obstacle courses and games with unbalanced teams (i.e. attack and defend with more attackers than defenders).
• gg - Gun game. The only objective on this map is to kill the other team. You can level up to get better guns.
• he - HE Grenade Arena restricts players to Heavy Explosive grenades.
• nade - Same as HE Greanade Arena.
• ka - Knife Arena restricts players to knives only.
• pa - Prepared Assualt
• surf - Surf Maps (unofficial gamemode)
• texture - Secondary prefix. Denotes a map that only uses dev textures.
• ze - Zombie mod escape maps (unofficial gamemode)
• zm - Zombie mod barricade maps (unofficial gamemode)

Half-Life 2: Deathmatch

• js - coop

Team Fortress Classic

• conc - "Conc" maps, using concussion grenades to do a climb/jump sort of map.

Team Fortress 2

• ccp - Cyclic Capture Point
• db - Dodgeball
• dm or duel - Death Match or Duel
• dom - Domination
• es - Escort
• jump - Jump maps (rocket or stickey jumping)
• melee - Melee only map
• sniper - Sniper only/prefered map
• toy or rats - Players are small compaired to the level scale
• rc - A Capture Point match where the points are randomly assigned
• vip - Hunted map, to be used with the Hunted Mod

Thematic

• killbox - Killbox (DM) is a map consisting of at least one box-shaped arena.