Here's the 1st look at Pearl, Valorant’s new map for Episode 5

Fariha Bhatti Published 16/06/2022

Images of Valorant map eight, Pearl, have slipped through the cracks ahead of the official release and it looks fiercely competitive.

It’s been a while since Riot Games has updated the map pool of Valorant. Since Fracture, players have been working with the same seven maps. The H-shaped layout of Fracture did spice up the game, but players have been on edge to get a peek at Pearl, the dome-shaped underwater city.

Episode 5, Act 1, is just around the corner, but leakers are giving players a sneak peak of what’s to come. After months of anticipation, in-game screenshots of Valorant map Pearl have finally surfaced on the internet. Shortly thereafter, Riot gave players an official first look at Pearl:

https://twitter.com/PlayVALORANT/status/1537465603690225665

First in-game look at Valorant map eight Pearl released

Valorant lore enthusiasts had long predicted that the next map would be in a glass dome. It’s looking as if this will be true. The new leaked images feature a transparent ceiling covering a huge area.

New map Pearl is a giant reverse-aquarium. The dome is surrounded by water and marine life, and looks like it’s on the verge of flooding a city if a stray bullet goes south. The architecture resembles Bind but the ocean adds a Breeze-like atmosphere.

Only one map site is clearly visible in the leaked images, and it seems spacious. Similar to Breeze, there are two entrances to the point. Ample crates are placed on critical areas to create angles for duels. Some points seem inspired by Ascent and Bind, making Pearl a mix of multiple Valorant maps.

https://twitter.com/ValorLeaks/status/1537451000457469952

Size-wise, Pearl doesn’t look like the largest map in Valorant but the sites and alleys have space for movement and exciting Raze satchel plays or Jett acrobatics. On first glance, it doesn’t look like a playground for controllers like Brimstone and Viper. The entrances are too small for the large globe of smokes. However, it does seem perfect for Fade’s watcher, requiring minimum verticality to shine.

Pearl’s gimmick isn’t visible in the screenshots or video. The low ceiling could be usable, and would have interesting interactions with abilities like Sova’s dart and Yoru’s flashbang. There may also be some movable terrain that could disrupt or create cover.

Valorant map eight will officially be released on June 22, so players can explore the underwater city for themselves.

Fariha Bhatti

About Fariha Bhatti

Fariha Bhatti is a long-time gaming writer who loves competitive FPS games and slots with particularly fun themes. She got her start playing classic games developed by SNK, from legendary fighting game series The King of Fighters to challenging platform franchise Metal Slug. She now spends most of her time playing Valorant and Counter-Strike 2 while working her way through new slot releases to find her next favorite. Fariha has been published at PCGamesN, TalkEsport and ONE Esports.

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