The arrival of new Valorant maps won’t be slowing down anytime soon, Riot Games has confirmed, as the developers have teased not only multiple designs are now in the works, but they’re also open to potential map variants down the line.
When Valorant launched in 2020, it did so with just three maps. Bind, Haven, and Split were the originals, and each layout featured a unique gameplay element ranging from teleporters and ziplines to three Spike sites.
Since then, we’ve seen four additional maps join the mix. Ascent, Icebox, Breeze, and Fracture have all shaken things up and given more variety to the tactical shooter. While this brings the total map count to seven, Riot Games seemingly has no plans of slowing down.
Not only are multiple new designs in the pipeline, but devs have also implied they’re open to unique map variants in future updates too.
Valorant players quickly grew concerned over the game’s limited map lineup at launch, forcing Riot to “accelerate” future additions. Back then, devs outlined how reaching seven maps in total would be a “good starting point.”
Now that we’ve hit that target, one player questioned whether new maps are still a “priority” in 2022 during a recent AMA on Reddit.
“We are definitely still working on new maps,” Lead Environment Artist George Sokol responded, immediately putting those concerns to bed.
With his particular wording, it’s clear that not only does Riot have plans to continue expanding the map pool, but multiple layouts could very well be in the works right now.
Regarding the next few Valorant maps, devs also teased they have “lots” of unique “map mechanics” up their sleeves.
Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates on Esports, Gaming and more.
“Hopefully, we’ll get to share them with you all someday Level Designers Joe Lansford said. Therefore, the trend of map-specific innovations doesn’t look to be going anywhere either.
In fact, one particular feature could even be set for another appearance. Currently, Haven is the only Valorant map that includes three separate Spike sites. However, a future update could change that.
It’s “definitely on the table” for Valorant to introduce another three Spike layout down the line, Lansford added.
Last but not least, Valorant’s dev team also appears open to mixing things up with the game’s current map set. Rather than solely focusing on new designs, current fan-favorites could see unique variants in the future.
On the idea of “mirror maps” set on mirror Earth, Lansford joked that they would “break everyone’s brain.”
Although it’s “top secret for now,” flipped maps are currently a “maybe” for the devs. So too are “night-time maps” they’re open to including one day down the line.
“Artists always love making stuff at night time, but it’s a tricky balancing act to make a map look like night but also have enough clear visibility for gameplay.
