Icebox Valorant Map Guide – Meta Agents, Duelist, Changes & Much More!

Icebox can be one of the more challenging maps in the game to perform on. Maybe players struggle with consistency on Icebox In some games it feels like attackers have 100% control of the tempo and in others, it feels like the defenders are impenetrable. So, if you want to learn how to heat up Icebox then this Icebox Guide is made for you.

We will be looking into how the best teams in the world take advantage of these unique layouts to sway the round in their favor as well as meta comps and strategies that go with it. I will be giving you everything you need to know to play Icebox like the pros so you know the best agent, and how to attack and defend each Bombsite. To master other Valorant rotation Maps check our valorant sunset map guide, valorant lotus map guide, and ascent map valorant guide.

Map Overview

The unique aspect of Icebox is that each of the two sites includes a plant zone located at a higher elevation. The first step to understanding how to be consistently successful on Icebox is learning how the win condition of planting and diffusing the bomb is influenced by the site design.
A and B sites both have an upper platform that is an extension of the site and where many pro teams will try and get the plant down. The main goal of getting the bomb planted in these positions is because of how many angles the game is exposed to when the defenders try to defuse it. You will see this strategy used a majority of the time on the A Bombsite in the window or on the b bombsite planted from mid.
You can use Sage’s wall to ensure a safe plant on top site. The A plant can be so strong that many pro teams’ entire defensive setup will be changed to counter this plant. You can use the defensive Viper wall to help stop the plant from going through. The top B Site plant is much less common and only ever used when teams decide on a mid-heavy play.

Meta Agent in Valorant Icebox

Icebox is a combination of chokepoints and low-range angles once you gain access to the site and while working up mid. This leads to the core of most rosters being Chamber, Viper, Sage, and Sova. since all these agents provide amazing map control and information. while the other agent slot is flexed between KAY/O, Jett, and Omen depending on how their team wants to play.
The agent with the highest win rate out of the games that we observed would be Jett. Viper and Chamber offer some of the map control in the entire game since Chamber’s trip can be actively held at any distance. Viper on the other hand is used more as a sentinel controller hybrid. On attack, her wall does a fantastic job at blocking most angles on both sides for a take, and on defense, her wall is suppressive for attackers to push into and one of the best tools for retaking a site with your team.
Sova’s whole kit gets insane value on the map like a breeze because of how open the sites become past their entrances. Interestingly enough, Fade Valorant was played instead of Sova by c9 in their match against Optic, where c9 had a decisive victory. Sage is arguably one of the most important agents on Icebox because her wall allows teams to play post-plants.
Jett is a solid pick on an ice box and she takes advantage of the map vertically and is one of the best agents in the game to wield the off.

Duelist in Icebox Valorant

The duelist role is seriously underrepresented on Icebox because of how easily accessible bombsites are. When using agents like Viper and Sova.

Jett

Many pro teams value extra utility with the other agents but when a duelist is wanted in a team comp, none really compared to Jett in terms of movement and impact. The biggest advantage she brings to the team is the ability to pressure the neutral zone safely with her OP. A and B sites can both be approached by the attacking team from multiple easy-to-pressure angles.
Having an agent like Jett be able to make attackers think twice about picking certain angles provides a ton of value. Her updrafts are perfect whether on B or A site for using off-angle enemies wouldn’t expect otherwise. Not to mention her ultimate, that can not only she can outmaneuver players with rifles but she is perfectly accurate at all icebox long-range angles.

Sentinel in Valorant Icebox

When pro teams play Icebox, most value Sentinel agents evolve all else, mainly because of how approachable the sites are for attackers. Agents that stop slow pushes are ideal for this map.

Chamber

Chamber is perfect for Icebox and he sees most of his play on the B site, the reason for this is that he is able to hold all of B Main with four positions. The chamber is able to TP out if the enemy is trying to push the site. His trip a majority of the time is placed either in the kitchen or Under Tube to try to stop a lurk in its tracks. Like Jett, Chamber is one of the few agents that can reliably opt and that pressure is optimal for holding sites that are unnamed.

Sage

Sage is a member of many pro team’s rosters simply for her wall. Her wall is used in order to get the bomb planted down safely on the expensive sites. The wall helps ensure the planter doesn’t get spammed through the smoke since the plant spots offer little cover. This is especially true on the B site.

Viper

Viper on Icebox is played as a sort of Sentinel controller hybrid. This is because her utility provides not only cover and control of her team but also doubles as a deterrent for attackers pushing her site. If you couple her molly with the Sage and Chamber slow then it’s enough to single-handedly end the round.
She is mostly seen on A site since there are so many angles for the defense to hold and her wall does an exceptional job at delaying the attacker’s progress.

Controller in Icebox

Viper as Controller in Icebox

Just because Viper is an amazing sentinel on this map, doesn’t mean she isn’t the go-to controller as well. No other agent in the game comes close to blocking off the amount of space Viper does. Many pro teams use her wall flawlessly to section off the B Site for an easier Site take. Her A-Site wall is perfect for blocking off the top of the screen’s position and stopping mid-players from helping those holding down A.
Viper Ultimate is also one of the best in the game for locking down those open Sites. On defense making it almost impossible to take Site and attack making on almost impossible to diffuse spike. Viper on Icebox is one of the rare instances of an agent that can single-handedly define a meta.

Initiator in Icebox

Sova has been little contest when it comes to the initiator role. His drone and dart combo provides the most information out of any character in the game. Only being rivalled by Fade currently. However, not many teams have experimented with fade on Icebox meaning you need more information to conclude if she is the stronger agent than Sova.
Sova is hard to compete with since the drones clear out all the dangerous angles on B Main and get almost full information on an Even after the nerfs to his drone. His ultimate is also very fantastic for stopping and picking off spike planters since as stated before, the plant spots are unlimited and dangerous if the team doesn’t set up correctly.

Defending Sites in Icebox

Defending on Icebox can be an extremely tall task for unorganized teams. The Bombsites have many routes for attackers to pressure especially A since cover on site is limited and rotations take an extremely long time compared to other maps. The most important factor to take into account when defending on the icebox is your team’s plan.
Most Pro teams have two options either play on-site defense or an off-site defense. Many teams see playing retake as a more reliable option for defending. You can retake the oriented defense and they will leave Chamber and Viper to play their respective sites alone and have them retreat off-site when pressured then the enemies will stake a retake together with the mid-players consisting of Sova, Sage, and their one flex agent.
Sova and Sage are amazing agents for mid since Sova can gather information on who is in mid and B while Sage plays mid so she can either slow or wall mid to stop a push or quickly rotate to the site being executed.

Defending A Site

A Site Icebox Valorant is one of the hardest to defend the site in the entire game. Many pro teams know this and will often let their duelist or Sentinel play the site alone and try to get one or two frags before either retreating or going down themselves.

Playing forward on top of pipes or pressure jail is something you will see a lot of teams do in pro play. Especially by Chamber or Jett since they have the safest neutral zone pressuring or you can have Viper play on A Site and use her utility to delay incoming pushes. The wall you will see thrown most of the time is at the top of 410 across the Bombsite. 410 is the big box in front of the site.
It blocks vision from incoming attackers trying to plant and vision from the defending bomb plan since the spike plan is hard to hold for the defenders, it’s also hard to hold for the attacking team.

Retaking A Site

Successfully retaking A Site revolves mainly around your Viper wall and your information gathering Util. You always want a retake to begin with either a Sova drone or a dart to reveal enemy locations, followed by your Viper and Sage wall to cover the bomb.
Always take into account what kind of bomb defusal utility attackers have to stop your retake. This could be a utility like Viper’s Mollys or Sova’s Ultimate. If they have this utility, you’re going to need to bait it out or take down these agents before the diffuse can safely go through. The hardest bomb to defuse is if they are planting in the top sight window and if you notice this in your game ask your Viper to play as A. Her wall is the most reliable way for you to block angels for a retake.

Defending B Site

The B Site is easier to retake since the attacking team only has one entrance on the Site if they don’t pressure mid. Chamber is the perfect agent to hold down B Site since he can apply pressure in the neutral zones and then safely TP to the back side to help stop the play or prepare for a retake.

The other half of defending B is done through mid since a well-timed lurk will destroy A and B’s defense. Most Chambers will place their trip wire and kitchen to stop any kind of kitchen pressure and rely on Sage and Sova to hold their mid.
The most important fact to remember when defending the B Site is to not overstay your welcome. Your teammates for the most parts are going to have long routes to get to you. It’s much better to give the site and play with your team than swinging 4 and 5 people trying to pressure the site. Play off-angles and then play for a retake.

Retaking B Site

For most B retakes, you’re not going to have access to your Viper wall so it revolves around your Sage’s wall and your Viper’s orb. The attackers have limited space to work with once the spike is planted, so if you have a member of your team Opting, it’s a good idea to give them time to try to look for an opening pick on players playing yellow or in B Main.
Use your information-gathering tools to clear out the back yellow before you push into B Main. The reason for this is because of attacks go unchecked and yellow, they form a crossfire on the defenders trying to retake. This will lead to your teammates being timing and unable to trade. If the bomb is planted B from mid it’s important to make sure you don’t give up your ground around B Main and Yellow.
The pressure you put on the attacking team is extremely important. Work with your team and try to time your retake together.

Attacking Sites

Attacking on Icebox is one of the easier maps in the game to gain Site control while holding it is a different story though. The secret to a good attacking side is a good post-plant plan. Decide with your team before the round starts. If you want to get the bomb plant and play the bomb or get the plant and try to hold the Site itself.
Most Pro teams opt for defending the bomb plant rather than the site itself since there is little cover on the sites themselves. The optimal plant on A Site would be up in the top side window and a mid-lurk is optional but not necessary for taking this Bombsite. The B Site default plant is optimal since the plant is the safest if the bomb can be planted for Mid as well as yellow. That is better but is much harder to guarantee a safe plant for your team.
The B Site offers much less cover post plant than A Site does, so a Mid-Lurk is extremely valuable to stop the defender’s retake.

Attacking A Site

Attacking the A Site can be done by four or even five members of your team, pressuring through A Main since there are so many routes for attack. Most A Site takes to begin with the Sova dart above the belt that clears pipes, maze, Jail, and other defenders trying to slip their way into the nest.

You can shoot the Sova dart while beginning their A-Take. The best Viper wall to be placed is on the top of the screen which also blocks ct. This way the mid-players have a harder time backing up their team on A. Once close A Main is clear, you can begin to drone over the top of pipes to clear the 410 and back Sites giving your team the information needed to safely walk up.
If your team is planning to play the bomb, use Sage’s wall on the top Site so you can plant safely in the window. If you plan to play on-site, Use Sage’s wall to block off the back sites from defenders. If you do have a teammate lurking mid and you want them to begin applying pressure when the bomb is planted.

Post-plant A Site

When playing Post-Plant A, it’s very important to make sure your teammates are able to trade each other’s lives and defend the spike. If the bomb is planted safely in default, then it doesn’t make sense to play post-plant from the belt since you can’t hold the spike. It’s also important to make sure your teammates aren’t all stacked in the same position.
The Bombsite is spacious so make sure your team isn’t KAY/O’d by one piece of Utility. Lastly, if you have some sort of defuse delaying Util then make sure to play off-site and get the value of that utility. The OP is also an extremely valuable weapon for playing post-plant not only on A but B as well. So just make sure that you have a good plan for repositioning that revolves around the bomb.

Attacking B Site

Attacking B Site can either feel like the Site is free every time or feel like a free round loss. In order to get B Site, the best chance of success you almost always want to drone up B Main with Sova. The reason for this is that this is most likely the area where enemies will be set up and is always the hardest to clear.

Not to mention, if the drone gets to tag a player on site, then it’s almost always too risky for your team to take that aggressive angle to take advantage of that attack. After the drone clears the B Mains, you can always use its dart to clear back yellow. This is where Sage and Viper come into play.
You want Viper’s wall to cut off the corner of the Site closest to B Main to help your bomb planter get it down safely. In order to bolster this attack most pro-level Sage plays will wall on Site to stop enemies from spamming the position. While attacking, many teams will want their chamber to lurk up the middle to apply pressure to the oncoming defenders. This will make it so that all their attention isn’t on B Main and Yellow.

Post-Plant B Site

After the bomb has been planted, holding down B Site can be super challenging if your team is in space correctly. Always have one or max two players yellow and the rest will play B Main and mid applying pressure. You have limited space trying to hold bond plant B so you need to take advantage of every angle at your disposal.
The reason for this is so that your team can create crossfire effectively while holding down the bomb. You can also have your chamber or Jett off on attack in order to hold those long angles from yellow to snowman. Playing on-site or danger is in the position name dangerous. Especially if the enemy team has any kind of coordination.

Valorant Icebox Changes

Icebox returned to Valorant on January 8th to the new act of episode 8 patch 8.0 and the maps will have a few changes coming with that.

From the attacker spawn if you swap between them quickly you can see it’s a little bit further out that seems like a minuscule change though as shown in the above image and you just can’t get on top of the blue anymore like you used to be able to.

The next change is going to be in B Main and you can see the green box has just been lifted up entirely and removed from the map. The same thing goes for the box in the bottom right where you can sort of see the box sticking out. There but that box has been removed. Obviously, you can still jump up in those barrels that you normally can.

The next change is outside B Site on the tube area and you can see they’ve made this entrance under the tube just a little bit bigger. It’s not a massive change. There is also a window in the tube. On top of that window in the tube, there’s now also a box there and defenders can easily sit behind to be spam through.

The final change for the icebox is going to be the beast snow pile and essentially more shipping containers have not been added. Sort of closing that area of the map where you might get lost chasing someone around it. You won’t be able to see like the Sight from the kitchen anymore.

Valorant Icebox Map Callouts Guide

Icebox is the most attacker-sided map in Valorant. Just like Split, Icebox’s gimmick is its ropes. Below down are all the basic callouts in ranked.

A Bombsite Callouts on Icebox

Gate: The gate being a common spot allows you to pick and get back into safety forcing the enemies to push you.
Nest: You can have a good view of the bombsite from here. You can also catch the ropes into the back of the Bombsite in Icebox. You can also play post-plant here.
Boost: You can see towards the Nest from this spot. Enemies coming from the attacker’s spawn and or the A Bombsite can be seen from this location.
Belt: Most areas of the Bombsite can be viewed from this spot. To play an operator this is the common location.
Pipes: Players on the back of the bombsite can be seen from this position. You can see the generator, hell, and screens. while being relatively safe, it gives you the best view to watch the Bombsite.
Hell: Hell is located under Heaven and it is connected to the screen.
Heaven: To the A bombsite, heaven connects the defender’s spawn. From this spot, you can see the Nest, Belt, and Pipes.
Generator: It is also a common plant spot. This spot can be used as a cover.
Maze: The maze is the maze that connects to the left part of the bombsite. Players coming near generators and coming from screens can be heard from this location.
Screens: Screens connect the defender spawn and mid to the A Bombsite. You can also watch Hell and Heaven from this spot.

B Bombsite Callouts on Icebox

Yellow: Defenders also use yellow as an advanced position. It provides cover for the bombsite, which helps attackers after planting the bomb. Attackers can hide there safely, making defenders have to come to them.
Cubby: Defenders often use the cubby as a strong defensive spot close to the action. It’s tricky for attackers to clear, and the player in the cubby usually gets at least one enemy before being taken down since they’re cornered.
Danger: Attackers can see the whole bombsite from this location and hold the best angle for defenders coming out from B snowman.
Bridge: The bridge connects the top of the B bombsite to B Halls. For the defenders, It’s the quickest way to get to the B bombsite.
Top Site: If you want to see the yellow then this spot is best for this purpose and you can also watch the cross of the attackers.

Mid Callouts on Icebox

Blue: The area that connects the attacker’s spawn to Mid, and Mid to tube is the blue in Valorant Icebox. You can see the tube and boiler from this spot.
Tube: Agents like Omen and Jett to host on top of the tube, can see the B bombsite and defender’s Spawn. This spot is connected to the kitchen.
Boiler: It allows the defenders to watch the attacking players crossing the tube. From the boiler, defenders can also see mid as well.

Conclusion

Icebox is included in the current map rotation. A few changes were made when the Icebox re-entered in Valorant in episode 8 Act 1. Icebox is the only map with the highest percentage of being an attacker-sided map in the game. On the defender side, we have a 2-1-2 setup, with 2 people locking down the A Site, 2 people locking down the B Site, and 1 person taking over the mid. This is the best setup to take control of the map. Remember all the callouts for better communication with your teammates. Use effective ways to take control over the map being the defender or attacker. Taking control of the A Site will turn the tide of victory on your side.

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