It’s been over a year since Sunset was added to the competitive queue in VALORANT, but in the upcoming Patch 9.08, players will be getting some pretty significant adjustments to the map’s design that should change many strategies for both attackers and defenders.
According to a new set of leaks from ValorIntel, Riot Games is seemingly planning some major changes in VALORANT Patch 9.08 for Sunset, including a revamped B site featuring a new entrance, new pillar areas, and an elevated back-site area that requires you to jump up on multiple boxes.
This should completely change the way the site is played since B site is usually dominated by Cypher setups that are typically unbreakable without a Raze grenade or Sova dart. This time around, however, the box next to the entrance has been removed, which means the unbreakable tripwire might not be viable anymore.
Additionally, players are no longer able to simply jump up to the platform leading to the back-site area. Instead, they must jump up on a stack of boxes, giving them more of a challenge when pushing up to the site. On the other hand, defenders have a higher elevated surface to defend the site from, which should help with the lack of options for stopping a push through Main.
There’s also a small cubby area built into the tower in the center of the site, which attacking players can now run into to hide from any players holding angles from Market. Overall, the changes should add a lot more variance to Sunset gameplay, both from an execution point-of-view and a post-plant scenario.
Mid is also getting a slight adjustment with a new box where players can hide, making it even more dangerous to push up as an attacker. They’ll need to check multiple angles, just in case someone is using this spot to ambush opponents who are less perceptive or aware of their surroundings.
These changes should alleviate concerns around the relatively stale team compositions that most players face on Sunset, with most teams needing a Cypher, Raze, or Sova to ensure they can execute or defend on B site. The tweaks may allow for more flexibility on the map so that more agents can see some play time, although we could just see Cypher mains adjust their strategies and remain a dominant pick on the map moving forward.
