A sandstone fort standing on open desert sand, with red rock cliffs on the horizon and a bright sky with thin clouds. The walls are large pale blocks topped with crenellations; inside, low walls cut the sand into compartments around a two-storey grey brick building with red ladders on its sides. Wooden crates are stacked in the yards, a small square pool of clear water is sunk into the sand near one wall, and sprayed graffiti covers several of the stone surfaces. The layout is a symmetrical arena rather than a hostage scenario, which the file name suggests but the map does not deliver.

The fort measures 1920 × 2976 × 1486 map units and is built from just 2,379 faces and 22 textures, all packed into the bsp — sparse geometry next to de_dust2 at 5,383 faces, which is what an arena of open sand and straight walls costs. Eight spawns per side seat 16 players. There are no hostages, no rescue zones and no bomb sites; buy zones are placed in the map. The fight runs on floor weapons: two M4A1s, two AK-47s, four SG 552s and two Scouts lie in the yards, and that is the whole loadout. Eight ladders link the levels and two pools hold water.