VALORANT’s map pool has consistently grown since its release, continuously challenging us to learn the new hiding and lurking spots and allowing us to get creative with our favorite agents.
While maps like Breeze offer long sightlines suited for Operators or rifles, other maps like Split feature claustrophobic hallways with close-quarter combat. There is a VALORANT map for every type of player, and new maps are constantly added to the game.
Unlike League of Legends, which is only played on Summoner’s Rift, VALORANT maps spice up the meta, giving every agent a chance to prove themselves as an invaluable team member. Still, some maps suit certain agents, giving them an edge over opponents. So, here are all the currently available maps in VALORANT, along with handy tips and tricks that could make or break your games.
Every map in VALORANT
The new map rotation might be confusing, especially if you are just joining the fun. But there are currently 11 VALORANT maps:
- Ascent
- Bind
- Breeze
- Fracture
- Haven
- Icebox
- Pearl
- Split
- Lotus
- Sunset
- Abyss
Maps are often adjusted and edited as needed, especially if players find a way to abuse a spot or location.
Not all maps feature in the competitive pool, however, and you won’t need to learn them all before you feel comfortable jumping into ranked queues.
Currently, there are seven maps in rotation, and this is likely to change when VALORANT nears a new season.
Ascent
Taking place in Italy, Ascent is what Riot calls “an open playground,” and it comes with only two sites—A and B. They have two entrances to them, but what makes this spicy is the middle area that opens it up to flanks and lurking. On top of that, you can play around impenetrable doors for sneaky peaks and quick ins and outs.
Bind
Bind is as simple as VALORANT maps can get, having only two sites and no mid-section—but it isn’t bland either. There are two one-way teleporters that open up the map for flanks and lurking, but each time an agent or an object passes through one, there is an audio cue players nearby can hear. Thanks to its compact size, there aren’t many callouts on this map, and you have to keep your eyes mainly peeled on the sites.
Breeze
This map takes you to nowhere else but the iconic Bermuda Triangle. Again, there are only two sites that need guarding, but the middle area is quite large, and you can never know from which angle attackers will come. There are nifty tools like ropes that will push you out of your comfort zone and force you to find your limits. Since this map is so open, the best weapons here are long-range ones like Marshall, but if you have money to spend, Phantom and Spectre are always ideal.
Fracture
US-made map, Fracture, at first seems like an easy-peasy map, but it’s unique since, outside two sites, it has quite a lot of neutral area, and you can never be too paranoid here. You never know when enemies might jumpscare you here, so it’s best to always stay cautious. To make things worse, you have zip lines and an automatic door that can easily reveal your location. Fracture is also a map that’s quite controversial among players.
Haven
Honestly, Haven doesn’t feel like a haven or heaven at all to me. It’s a nightmare because it’s huge, has three sites, and you never know if you’re walking into a death trap. The size of this map doesn’t affect the number of ultimate orbs that spawn, and you can only find them in the A and C areas. Since this map is packed with allies and corners, I like bringing my good old friend Shorty with me, just to stay on the safe side.
Icebox
Don’t let the size fool you: Icebox is anything but an easy map. This map accentuates and rewards game knowledge and finesse, and here, you always have to adapt on the go or perish. It comes with only two planting sites, various high grounds, zip lines, and quite a lot of cover, and you really need to know this map by heart before diving into ranked queues when it is in rotation.
Pearl
When life gets tough, and you need one good VALORANT match to bring you back to your old self, Pearl is the place to be. Unlike Icebox, which will give you a headache with all its corners, Pearl follows a simpler design with only two sites and three corridors and, thankfully, doesn’t include any tools you need to learn to use. If you want success on this map, I recommend bringing Astra or Killjoy. While Astra excels on this map due to her ultimate ability, Cosmic Divide, which will divide the map the way you want, Killjoy can easily control almost all critical areas.
Split
When you think about Split, you surely think about all the ascenders you can find there that connect different areas of the map. On this map, it isn’t enough to watch the two sites, corridors between them, and mid, but you have to be aware of what or who might come at you from the above. Precisely because of that, you want to bring Raze, Omen, and Killjoy on this map to help you take the high ground.
Lotus
Lotus is far from being the simplest VALORANT map, but it’s definitely one of the most fun ones. It has three sites, three orb spawn locations, ropes, rotating doorways, and a destructible wall. On this map, only the sky’s the limit to your creativity, and there isn’t a strategy you can’t try out here. You can combine both short and long-range weapons, bring Omen and Raze if you want to optimize your team comp, but here, your own skill and game sense truly shine.
Sunset
Set in sunny Los Angeles, Sunset has two unique sites and a lot of roaming space with three lanes. Besides that, there is a door leading between B Marker and Courtyard. This map perfectly combines advanced strategy with the VALORANT simplicity we love. If you want to find success here, you can opt for Yoru, Raze, and even Chamber to take critical points and hold them.
Abyss
The latest addition to the pool, Abyss lets you drop down its unknown heights—and take your enemies with you. It’s the only VALORANT map with no outer boundaries and a death drop in its mid-section, giving us several opportunities to outplay and punish our enemies (and make funny blunders, too.) Besides the edges and drops, you deal with two plant sites, a crucial mid-section, and plenty of defensive angles to clear. Intel and global control is non-negotiable, so make sure your team is initiator-heavy and has Astra or Omen.
