Hazard Operations Maps: All 7 Ranked for New Players

Hazard Operations hands you seven extraction maps, and picking the wrong one for your gear level is the fastest way to donate your loadout. This page ranks all seven by difficulty and loot pressure, then gives you a decision tree so map choice takes ten seconds instead of a lobby debate.

The seven maps at a glance

Map	Difficulty tier	Loot pressure	Best for
Zero Dam	Beginner	Concentrated, contested core	First extractions, learning the loop
Layali Grove	Beginner	Spread across groves, villages, and 2.0 water areas	Stealth play, audio-driven looting
Space City	Intermediate	High-value interiors	Close-quarters loadouts
Brakkesh	Intermediate	Dense urban loot, heavy street traffic	Squad play, map knowledge
Longbow Ravine	Intermediate	Elevation-gated, plus 2.0 river zones	Vertical play and rotations
Tide Prison	Advanced	Highest risk and reward	Geared squads only
AZ3 Nuclear Plant	Advanced	Hazard-gated high-value interiors	Players who manage risk, not just aim

Difficulty tiers reflect each map’s in-game ratings and community consensus. Availability, difficulty options and modifiers change between patches, so read the queue screen before you commit a kit — queueing with the wrong map’s gear is the most common way to lose a full loadout for nothing.

Loot density is not loot safety

Dense loot pulls players. Zero Dam concentrates value in a small area, which means faster income and faster deaths. AZ3 gates its best interiors behind environmental hazards, which thins the crowd but punishes careless rotations. Match loot density to your survival rate, not your greed — a map that kills you every raid is a worse economy than a quiet one that pays slowly.

Decision tree: pick your next map

1. Fewer than ten extractions? Go to Zero Dam. Concentrated loot, forgiving layout, the recommended first map.
2. Comfortable with fights and want stealth practice? Go to Layali Grove. Fog and night conditions reward listening.
3. Running SMGs or shotguns? Go to Space City. Its value sits inside rooms.
4. Playing with a communicative squad? Go to Brakkesh. Shared map knowledge beats lone wolfing in a city.
5. Rich enough to lose a kit? Go to Tide Prison or AZ3. Bring gear you can afford to bury.
6. Enjoy vertical gameplay? Go to Longbow Ravine. Height decides most fights.

Before you queue any map

• Confirm the map pack is downloaded; a missing pack skews which maps you get matched into (see the map pack troubleshooting page).
• Fill your secure case first — its contents survive death.
• Set a budget you can afford to lose; the broke-recovery plan exists because everyone goes broke once.

If you are new to the mode entirely, read the beginner’s guide for the core loop first. Undecided between Operations and Warfare? The mode comparison breaks down pacing, economy, and hardware. For per-map loot lines, start with Zero Dam loot routes and Layali Grove loot routes.