Sanctum Sanctorum is a vertically layered Domination map set within Doctor Strange's mystical Manhattan headquarters, filled with arcane corridors, levitating platforms, and magical anomalies. Teams battle across three capture points spread through the building's enchanted interiors, from the grand foyer to the mystical upper sanctum. Mastery of vertical positioning and flanking through the library and mirror dimension portals is essential to controlling this map.
Sanctum Sanctorum drops players into the iconic brownstone at 177A Bleecker Street, rendered in stunning supernatural detail. The building's interior is a labyrinth of bookshelves stacked with arcane tomes, rotating staircases that defy gravity, hovering furniture, and windows that peer into fractured mirror dimensions. Magical energy pulses throughout the environment, and the atmosphere is thick with sorcerous ambiance — floating candles, glowing sigils on the floor, and interdimensional rifts that frame combat around every corner. The visual chaos is intentional, as the map rewards players who can read the space quickly despite its disorienting beauty.
The map is structured across three primary vertical levels connected by staircases, narrow hallways, and a central atrium that serves as the map's gravitational heart. The ground floor features the foyer and library wing, offering wider corridors and more open sightlines for ranged characters. The mid-level contains the sanctum's primary ritual chamber, which houses the central capture point and is connected to both flanking routes above and below. The upper sanctum occupies the top floor, featuring a tight circular room with mystical artifacts and limited cover, making it a high-risk, high-reward objective location.
Three capture points — labeled A, B, and C — are positioned to force teams into different tactical situations. Point A sits in the ground-floor library, a semi-open space with bookshelves providing partial cover and two entry corridors leading into it. Point B is located in the central ritual chamber on the mid-level, representing the most contested objective due to its central position and multiple access routes from all directions. Point C is nestled in the upper sanctum, accessible via a narrow spiral staircase and a secondary balcony route, making it the most defensible but also the most isolated point on the map.
The map's magical theme translates into genuine gameplay features, including environmental elements like levitating platforms that shift periodically and wall surfaces that can be climbed or vaulted by mobile heroes. Tight interior spaces punish large hitbox characters and favor mobile Duelists and dive compositions, while strategic chokepoints at each staircase transition reward coordinated Vanguard play and area-denial Strategists. Understanding the flow between these three points — and which routes to prioritize at different stages of the match — is the defining skill test of Sanctum Sanctorum.
When attacking on Sanctum Sanctorum, the priority should always be establishing control of Point B in the central ritual chamber first, as it provides the geometric advantage of threatening both A and C simultaneously. Pushing straight for the outer points early without securing B will leave your team flanked from multiple angles. Use the library corridor on the ground floor to approach B from below, and time your push with a coordinated dive onto the defenders before they can establish a crossfire. Heroes with mobility like Spider-Man or Magik can leap over initial defensive lines and disrupt backline Strategists, giving your frontline room to advance through the doorways.
For Point A in the library, attacking teams should exploit the bookshelves as mobile cover, advancing in a staggered leapfrog pattern rather than rushing en masse into the open center. The two entry corridors create a pincer opportunity — splitting your squad to pressure both doors simultaneously prevents defenders from focusing their angles. Area-of-effect abilities from heroes like Doctor Strange or Scarlet Witch are particularly effective here, as the enclosed bookshelf rows funnel enemies into predictable positions. Be wary of ambushes from the elevated reading loft above the A point, which defenders frequently use to rain down damage on attackers below.
Attacking Point C in the upper sanctum demands a calculated approach given the chokepoint nature of the spiral staircase leading to it. A direct staircase push is easily countered by a single defensive anchor hero, so attacking teams should simultaneously pressure the secondary balcony route to split defensive attention. Smoke-based or barrier abilities used at the staircase top can allow your team to spill onto the point before defenders can rotate. Timing your C push during a moment when defenders are pulled toward B or A — through a coordinated fake — is often the most reliable method of capturing the upper objective without burning through multiple team fights.
Defending on Sanctum Sanctorum revolves almost entirely around controlling the vertical transitions — the staircases and corridor junctions connecting each level. The most critical defensive anchor point is the mid-level landing outside the ritual chamber, which provides sightlines down to the ground floor library corridor and upward toward the C staircase simultaneously. Placing a tanky Vanguard hero like Magneto or Doctor Strange at this junction with a shield facing downstairs creates an anchor that forces attackers to commit resources to dislodging before they can contest B. A Strategist positioned in the alcove just inside the ritual chamber can safely sustain this anchor from enemy sight lines.
For holding Point A in the library, defenders should resist the temptation to stand directly on the objective and instead set up crossfire positions at the two entry doorways. One defender at each corridor entrance with overlapping fields of fire makes entry extremely costly for attackers. The elevated reading loft above the A point is a powerful position that should always be occupied by a high-damage Duelist — heroes like Hawkeye or Hela can rain consistent pressure down onto attackers trying to advance through the bookshelf rows below without exposing themselves to return fire. Coordinate with the mid-level anchor to ensure rotations remain timely when one point draws more pressure.
Defending Point C in the upper sanctum is best accomplished through denial rather than holding the point itself until a full team is present. A single flanker-type hero or a Strategist with a strong self-sustain kit can stall the C capture long enough for teammates to rotate up. The spiral staircase top is the single most important real estate in C defense — placing a barrier or area-denial ability here at the moment attackers commit to the push can shut down an entire assault. Be careful not to overcommit to C defense, as leaving B undefended while rotating up opens a fast-cap opportunity for the attacking team. Stagger your rotations and use the balcony secondary route to maintain awareness of both the C objective and the mid-level simultaneously.