Valorant Map Pool Guide| Episode 8

It’s been official that Riot is planning to make a change to the current ranked map pool in episode 8. A change was necessary to the map pool going into the new year. The excitement quickly faded once you realized which change was being made. At the start of episode 8, Icebox will return to the competitive map pool in exchange for Haven. Not only are they bringing back the most notoriously hated map in the game, Icebox, but they’re also replacing one of the better maps in the game in Haven.

Valorant Episode 8

Icebox is just a terrible map for many reasons on the other hand Haven, while not perfect, was preferred by many Valorant Players. The Modes will use competitive map rotation as Riot is making some unique changes in Episode 8. For competitive mode, the map rotation in episode 8 will not be extended but it will be available for other modes in Valorant.
If you aiming to rank in Valorant then Agent abilities, Agent comps, valorant agent tier list, and best strategies are important along with the current Valorant map pool for episode 8.
In September 2023, the map pool was changed in Valorant in which Maps like Icebox, Fracture and Pearl were temporarily cut off from the Valorant ranked Map pool. In episode 8 Act 1, a new map pool will be available which will include some addition of the Maps and removal of Maps as well. Below down is the list of Maps that will be included in the new Map pool in Valorant.
⦁ Lotus
⦁ Sunset
⦁ Ascent
⦁ Bind
⦁ Split
⦁ Icebox
⦁ Breeze
Some of the following Maps will not be added to the Valorant Ranked map pool.
⦁ Haven
⦁ Pearl
⦁ Fracture
Fracture and Pearl are the maps that were also removed from the Map pool that was updated on September 2023. With the addition of Icebox in the Valorant competitive Map pool, Haven which should be a priority is also removed in episode 8 act 1. It’s the first time since Haven Map has been kicked out from the Valorant ranked map pool since the launch of the game. The only Map that will have three plant sites in Valorant is the Lotus after the removal of Haven is Icebox. According to Riot, there will be Minor or Major changes in Icebox and Lotus in Episode 8.

Lotus

Lotus is a kind of map in Valorant that has three sites and is included in the Current Valorant Map pool. In A Main and A Link, there is a destructible wall between them along with rotation doorways on the A and C sides. There are some changes in the A side as you can see near the breakable door outside of the A side, that slanted wall has now been pushed back into the proper corner and there are some boxes there that Defenders can hide behind.
On top of that when you go inside this room now and break the door there is an additional corner on the right or like if you’re going through that door on the right side there is now an extra corner so the Defenders will be able to sit there as well.
The next change is over to the A side where the actual hut inside has been completely removed and there is an extra pocket in the back. There is also changing in the B side and there is also an extra corner being added. Most of these changes are targeted towards making the map easier for defenders.

The C side has got the most changes as you notice in the above image the boxes have shifted instead of that double stack, you’ll now have a smaller box you can use to jump up so there is no need to check the high angle or check behind that box anymore. The plant area has massively changed, you can no longer plant it in the back area towards holes that have been brought forward.

The final change in the Lotus is shown in the above image as the two new boxes have been added, these boxes will be very beneficial and you can see a massive new coin has been added with more boxes that you can jump on for different elevations.

Sunset

Sunset contains three distinct lanes and two spike sites and this design is from the release of the Sunset map in Valorant. Containing two bomb sites, the sunset map has the closing doors. It’s a close quarter similar to like split and bind. It has the A Site with the box in the middle.

There is a giant tower in the middle of site with the actual plantable area then extending around it. There is a short of mid in Sunset Sean Gears on the desk saying that mid-controller is going to be pretty important on this map. Sunset being a Los Angeles-themed map contains mechanical doors just like Ascent.

Ascent

Along with the new game mode, Spike Rush is included in the Ascent Map. Ascent is in the Valorant comp map pool and this map is a mix of long-range angles and close-quarters duels so weapons ranging from the OP to the judge are all viable. The map has two doors, one located in the market connecting to the B site and the other in the garden connecting the A site. These doors are exclusively controlled by the defending side at the start of the round and allow the defending team to drastically change their strategy.

The map is structured to be more defended side which is why old orbs are oriented more so that on the attacker’s side of the map the defenders can’t take the orbs. One of the most important aspects of ascent is mid. Asenet is one of the only maps with a true mid and taking control of mid allows the attacking team to open an extra avenue onto the A or B bomb site.
Ascent has been a mainstay of Valorant since the beginning. The map layout is brutally simple A site, Mid, and B site. Attackers start with only one narrow entrance into each site. A choke point surely swarmed with all sorts of utility. These paths are vulnerable to well-timed recon skills, making it a nightmare to strike without proper preparation. Mid becomes a crucial area for attackers as it opens up rotation mind games and eventually a two-pronged attack into either site.

Bind

Bind has a feature that no other map inherits which is the distinctive teleporter. Adaptability swiftly, navigating the terrain, and demanding the same vigilance can be performed by utilizing the teleporter within Bind Map. The teleporter outside of A site has been moved much closer to the site as shown in the below image. Now the teleporter will be right outside of showers.

Bind is a map that can be challenging to master it’s a mix of tight corridors, open spaces, and teleporter. In patch 6.07, Riot showed the new changes around the map. As the teleporter has now been moved closer to the doorway which has also been changed to be larger than before. Both of these corners near the shower’s entry can be cleared without any utility because players no longer can hide in these 50-50 angles. The entryway into A site from the shower has also been wider creating better opportunities for the attackers to push.

In A Site, the triple box has been altered completely making it entirely wall bangable and planting inside of it even riskier. The back A site has received a new angle with the inclusion of a barrel and the back wall being moved up so that there is less to clear for defenders retaking the site. The defender spawn’s entry into the B site is wider, making it easier for defenders to funnel out into the site. This is further shown with a new window change in your elbow which allows utility to be thrown to retake the site.

Split

If there’s ever been a map in which the history of Valorant’s is absurdly unbalanced it would be Split which is a big part of why the map was removed from competitive play during episode 5. Split was an intensively defender-sided map, with refreshing new changes to the map, the odds began to be favorable for the attackers.

Split has complicated urban terrain, and narrow gateways or passageways in it and is included in Valorant current Map pool. From creating extreme firefights to tackling the enemy team, players have to adapt to the challenges. With the addition of Split in the current Valorant Map Pool, it will be challenging for the defender’s side to defeat the attacker’s side by a big margin.

Icebox

The aspect of Icebox is that each of the two sites includes a plant zone located at a higher elevation. The first step into understanding how to be consistently successful on Icebox is learning how the wind 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 the strategy used a majority of the time on the A-bomb site in the window or on the b bomb site planted from mid. Icebox is both a combination of chokepoints and low-range angles once you gain access to the site and while working up mid.

There are a few steps to take to put up a strong defensive half in Icebox. Varying your setups and trying to predict your opponents is important to defending on Icebox because it’s a large map with lots of possibilities for the attackers.
Icebox being in a Valorant competitive Map Pool will bring the ice battlefield, varying elevations, and multiple covers in the match. Disparate levels of elevation will be available at the plant site.

Breeze

A beach-themed map in Valorant is Breeze and is included in the Valorant ranked Map pool. The map is huge, and at times can be incredibly daunting. If you choose to spread out your team too much, it can result in you and your teammates getting pickoff individually throughout the round. However, if you play closely together, you’re sacrificing a ton of map control and giving defenders the chance to swarm you, this is why having a flank guard can be so important. You don’t need to dedicate your whole team to taking map control everywhere at once.

Focus a majority of your forces on taking map control in a few areas around each other, and then after establishing the pressure, determine what you want to do. The best location you can take off on attack, is Elbow, towards B site, or Halls towards A site. Both of these locations allow not only quick access to each site, but they also provide a second or in A site’s case, a third entry point, that your team can potentially use when you decide to execute.

In Episode 7 Act 2, Breeze returned to the map rotation with a few changes. The mid is changed as you will be able to jump up on the left, instead of being like a 50-50. The base light is also modified, the left side is similar but on the right side, there will be more boxes added to the mix.

All of the seven maps in the current Map Pool will lead to a steep learning curve for almost all the players of Valorant according to Lansford.
“The team thinks seven is a nice sweet spot that offers both variety and mastery,” he said. “You don’t have to spend all your time learning new angles, lineups, and strategies. New players will have an easier onboarding experience.”
Joe Lansford the Lead Map Designer in Valorant, briefly describes that in the competitive pool, the seven maps will contain a 5v5 tactical shooter.

Conclusion

With the comeback of Icebox and the removal of Haven from the competitive match pool, the players are in shock. Many players love to play the Haven map instead of Icebox. Some minor changes have been made in every map that is included in the current map pool on episode 8. All of these seven maps will be played by the players except Pearl, Fracture, and Haven. It is expected that the Haven map be added to the Map Pool in the next rotation. Some new corners are added in the Maps location and extra boxes are also available in some specific locations in the map.

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