Prebrief

At the foot of Mount Corcovado, battle erupts within a densely packed urban center plagued by crumbling infrastructure and broken streets, enclosed by a mountain range on one side and a lagoon on the other.

Operators who deploy to this mid-sized map will need to keep a sharp eye on the tight central buildings, offering plentiful verticality and a sloped ground floor rising steadily toward the mountains. The perimeter is equally hazardous with potential danger across every storefront, staircase, and alleyway.

Intel Card — Favela

Intel Card — Favela

Tactical Overview

In team-based modes, squads will either spawn in the Side Street (northwest) or by the Bus Stop (southeast).

Favela’s compact, vertical design makes it nearly impossible to guess the enemy’s next move, as there are many points from which the next attack can emerge. Head for the middle to join in on the close quarters chaos or opt for the perimeter to stretch out your sight lines. Watch those buildings and try to balance your actions between utilizing their given power positions and attacking enemies doing the same.

For the purposes of this guide, we’ve divided Favela into five sections based on key areas around the map:

-       MAIN SPAWN POINT: Side Street (+ Gutter, Junkyard, Mosaic Alley, Grassy Knoll)

-       MAIN SPAWN POINT: Bus Stop (+ Main Street, Construction Site, Corner House)

-       ADDITIONAL AREA: Shacks (+ Playground, Big Shack, Small Shack)

-       ADDITIONAL AREA: Alleys (+ Ice Cream Shop, Pink Room, Bar, Roof Garden)

-       ADDITIONAL AREA: Laundromat (+ Soccer Court, Barber, Cemetery)

MAIN SPAWN POINT: Side Street (NORTHWEST)

Along with Shacks, Side Street offers the most visibility from end-to-end, though the lowered Mosaic Alley path offers partial concealment for Operators staying off the main path. Other potential ambush points include the Gutter separating the road from the northern Junkyard, as well as the Grassy Knoll area and the blockade next to it.

It may be best to avoid the Side Street itself due to its heightened exposure, not to mention the several parked cars just waiting to explode mid-firefight, eliminating anyone unlucky enough to be using them for cover.

While there’s no truly safe spot to call in a Care Package on Favela, the Side Street is likely your best bet to successfully secure a crate when the fight is focused elsewhere. Call it down in the Junkyard or near the southern blockade where the sight lines are more easily manageable compared to other points in the vicinity.

MAIN SPAWN POINT: Bus Stop (SOUTHEAST)

Bus Stop sits at the bottom of Main Street’s steep incline, a dangerous pathway running between several buildings with views down onto the road. Its layout, however, is more predictable than you might assume at first glance.

There are three buildings of importance here. Along the southern border, the Construction Site is the most lethal, especially its east-facing side providing partial cover and a commanding view toward the Bus Stop. Further east, the Corner House and Barber provide a long view over Main Street. Expect building-to-building skirmishes to break out between these and the Construction Site.

Think the view out of the Corner House window is good? It gets better. Climb the ladder next to the fridge nearby for rooftop access; now you’ve really got the advantage, plus you can hop around to the other nearby rooftops.

ADDITIONAL AREA: Shacks

Stilt houses line the northern Shacks path, a narrow corridor with long-range possibilities due to its nearly uninterrupted end-to-end visibility. Its southern border presents the most unpredictability, with several routes in and out of the area from the Soccer Court and Laundromat, in addition to the Small Shack with a window frame overlooking the middle of the path.

By climbing up on the overturned fridge by Big Shack near the Playground, Operators can get on top of the building for a greater view of the area. When you need to focus on the Playground itself, take the inner stairs leading up to the Destroyed Room, where a blasted hole in the wall offers a great power position with quick access to other useful angles.

ADDITIONAL AREA: Alleys

Depending on your perspective, the map’s center can be thrilling or terrifying, and often both. Narrow Alleys snake between the tightly packed buildings here, not to mention the danger of enemies firing down from the nearby rooftops. On the ground floor, Shotguns are king, the maze-like layout providing ample opportunities to flank and blast opponents at close-range.

Take note of the open buildings in the area, including the Ice Cream Shop, Pink Room, and Bar. Their compact design keeps things tight until you reach the upper levels where balconies and rooftops provide a greater view of the surrounding area, opening up mid-range combat opportunities. The flat rooftops add a great platforming dynamic to the map; time your jumps to move around with ease, but keep in mind that the extra breathing room up here also exposes you to a greater variety of threats.

Note the ladder in the upstairs Bar positioned next to the refrigerator. It’s easy to miss but incredibly valuable for reaching the rooftops. It leads directly to a partially enclosed brick structure providing decent cover and a commanding view of the surrounding area.

ADDITIONAL AREA: Laundromat

The Laundromat sees a lot of crossfire against the central Alleys — not to mention views from the Barber and Corner House — making the Soccer Court a highly dangerous location: make like an athlete and get across it fast.

The upstairs Barber provides a strong deterrent against the Cemetery as well, and the dumpster below the Corner House provides a means to climb up to the window above. Enter the Laundromat for a more direct face off against Operators fighting from the Alleys and descending the stairs from Shacks. Don’t miss out on the ladder on the Laundromat’s south balcony, providing access to the rooftop.

For a more concealed route through the area, take the rear path behind the building. This marks one of the few less well-trafficked areas of the map.

Objective Overview

Overall Tactics

Success on Favela requires careful navigation of its twisting Alleys, rooftops, and interior spaces. Map awareness is key here; no matter how good your gun skill is, it won’t matter if you don’t see the enemy coming.

Take time in a private match to get acquainted with the environment, and practice taking different routes to various objective locations.

Check the outer walls of the buildings for ledges and air conditioning units you can jump onto; by attacking from unexpected angles, you’ve got a better chance of catching enemies off guard en route to the objective. The improved movement mechanics really opens up new strategies on the map, allowing you to access more of the environment more quickly than ever before.

Domination

Each flag on Favela presents different gameplay challenges. Generally, you can think of SMGs being the perfect tool for taking the C flag, Shotguns for taking B, and Assault Rifles for A, but of course there’s room for flexibility in each.

Utilize the map’s verticality when approaching the B flag to avoid taking the narrow Alleys when possible. From the C flag, use the dumpster below the Corner House to get inside and up the ladder to the rooftop, providing a vantage point over B. From A, take the stairs leading into the Destroyed Room and out onto the Roof Garden for an equally strong flank.

The path you take will ultimately be determined by the current flow of the match, but these are great routes to keep in mind when the timing’s right. Once on the flag, throw down a Trophy System ASAP as a deterrent against incoming grenades.

It's possible though difficult to opt for the A and C flags instead. In this case, a coordinated team can use the Shacks and Main Street routes to get around the center, ideally in tandem to engage a pincer attack. Once the flags are in hand, communicate to ensure that each is equally well defended.

Hardpoint

It’s a run for the center at the start of the match, with the first Hardpoint appearing right in the middle of Alleys, the most contentious points on the map. From there, the challenge only escalates, sending Operators back and forth across the map, danger lurking at every turn.

Using the Alleys, a squad can remain tightknit while still approaching the objective from different pathways. Engage from the rooftops and ground floor, and from different angles when possible. Balance aggressive movement with use of power positions to make your way forward while preventing getting wiped out from behind.

The location of the Hardpoint will largely dictate your strategy. While the Alleys and Soccer Court objectives encourage spreading out to cover all the various inroads, the Construction Site and Playground are ideal for grouping up and defending the objective in a cluster. A variety of Loadouts will greatly help as well; while close-quarters fighting may reign through the center, a solid mid- to long-ranged fighter or two can open up further pathways around the perimeter.

Cutthroat

Favela’s a perfect map for Cutthroat, it’s twisting alleyways and plentiful verticality providing ideal fodder for frenetic 3v3v3 play. As much as possible you’ll want to get above your enemies; the greater view you command, the better intel you’ll acquire.

Don’t, however, just beeline to your favorite spot and set up shop for the round. This is where map awareness comes in. The more you can rotate through the map from vantage point to vantage point, the less predictable your plays will be. Thankfully, the central rooftops make it easy to move around without touching your boots on the ground.

If you’re not so keen on heights, there’s also the Shotguns-through-the-Alleys strategy, weaving through the narrow streets in search of close-up eliminations. For this tactic, make sure you know where the various indoor entrances are located so that you can rush inside for cover should an enemy fire down from the rooftops. Get away fast enough and the other two teams may end up crossing paths while you break off scot-free. 

Search & Destroy

Though wiping out the enemy team is always a viable round strategy in Search & Destroy, Favela’s compact design makes it a more difficult task. With its heighted verticality and winding pathways, it can be difficult to find the last enemy Operator or two; meanwhile, the other side can use the opportunity to plant or defuse the bomb.

As the attackers, try to approach your chosen bomb site from different angles. A couple Operators on the central rooftops can provide reconnaissance for their team while the others push forward on the outer paths. Decide beforehand who will push right up to the site and who will take up positions by a vantage point along the way. By spreading out your forces, you’re less likely to get taken out in one fell swoop.

The defending team may be better served in taking up predetermined positions around the bomb sites. The Barber is fantastic for spotting teams approaching the B bomb site, as long as you get out of the way when you’re inevitably targeted from a distance. Spotting activity near the A bomb site is more challenging due to the multiple pathways there. Consider sending a greater number of Operators to encircle the position from multiple angles.

Top 10 Tips

Know your buildings. We’ve suggested it on other maps, and we’ll suggest it again here. It never hurts to load up a private match so you can get acquainted on your own terms. For Favela, it can seem that there’s an enemy in every building, but once you explore the map, you’ll discover which ones are closed off and which ones to watch out for.

2. About face. Enemy chasing you through the Alleys? Instead of playing cat and mouse, swivel around 180 degrees after turning the next corner, then blast away when your pursuer comes face to face.

3. UAV then push. The UAV makes for a great pre-rush tool through the center, helping you to better navigate its mazelike layout without getting caught off guard around every corner. It doesn’t have to be your own, either; when a teammate activates theirs, use the opportunity to dominate.

4. Chirp, chirp. Sure, the Laundromat rooftop and Construction Site make for great vantage points, but only when there are nearby enemies to engage against. If the fight’s elsewhere on the map, do your team a favor and move on; there’ll be other chances to use these power positions later in the match.

5. Nice try. It’s a good bet that many of the enemies coming out of the center have their close-ranged weapons equipped. When moving along the Main Street with a mid- to long-ranged weapon in hand, use the extra distance to eliminate Operators moving through the Alleys. They’ll struggle to inflict much damage with weapons better suited to CQC.

6. Balancing act. Climb the stone stairs by the Soccer pitch and hop onto the wall dividing it from the Small Shack. With proper balance, you can traverse its thin line up onto the Laundromat rooftop.

7. Watch where you step. In the tight confines here — especially in the center — it’s easy to get tripped up by enemy equipment before you have the chance to react. If you run into this problem, consider swapping in the Signal Jammer gear item to disrupt enemy claymores and mines and to warn of nearby enemy equipment.

8. That one hurt. It’s possible to survive falling off the rooftops here, but it’s often going to hurt. Consider taking along a Stim to heal back up if you’re likely to use the tactic often. You don’t want to get into a skirmish with partial health.

9. Hold the middle. Have some fun and stick to the Alleys. The risk may be through the roof, but there’s nothing like a trial by fire. Weave through the narrow streets, move in and out of the center buildings, and be a thorn in the side of any enemy foolish enough to move through the middle.

10. Control your spawns. The Tactical Insertion is a great tool on Favela, allowing you to maintain your position on the rooftops or within your favorite buildings even after death. Try placing them out of obvious view to reduce their chance of being spotted by the enemy.

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