
A big update is coming to Valorant and Riot Games wants to get fans talking about it.
The official Valorant Twitter account released a teaser image smattered with text in various languages. Though no information past that was given, it seems to be a clear hint that a new map is set to be added to the game.
The text on the image is Valorant’s standard scattershot ominous jargon, with German in the background reading “divided expanses,” the red words in the bottom section being “futures revealed” in Portuguese, and the Chinese characters translating to “kingdom” and “disintegrate.” While this is mostly just vague nonsense, Valorant leaker Valorant Updates on Twitter suggested it will soon be revealed as a new map named Canyon.
It’s possible that the map will be set in one of the locales from the text but this is uncertain. What’s more interesting is the look of the map.
Valorant maps traditionally have a gimmick to them, including ziplines, teleporters, and a third bombsite. It looks as though Canyon might have environmental hazards as its unique distinction.
The map looks to be placed along a cliff’s edge, with what appears to be a machine in the center shooting a large blue flame upwards like a blowtorch. No other Valorant map has had environmental hazards as a serious part of the action and introducing them does offer some interesting gameplay possibilities.
Environmental hazards have had varying degrees of relevance in different hero shooters, with Overwatch’s bottomless pits and Apex Legends having lava, creatures, and the ring. Valorant hasn’t really had anything like that yet but that might change with Canyon.
Canyon could be arriving in Valorant very soon. Valorant Episode 3 Act 1 is set to wrap up on August 24. This means Canyon could arrive as soon as August 25 when Act 2 begins. If not, it’s anyone’s guess as to when it may come but odds are it won’t be too long.
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