Valorant fans have gotten a first look at upcoming eighth map Pearl, and fans have noticed some similarities to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive map Inferno.
The developer has been busy building on the Valorant agent roster, so it’s been a while since the map pool has received an update. Players have finally found their footing on Fracture and with that, Riot has decided to expand the collection in Valorant Episode 5, Act 1. A string of teasers has slipped through the cracks, but there wasn’t much to glean from the leaks until recently.
The latest map eight teaser is compelling but it seems Riot may have taken a page out of CSGO’s books. Valorant map Pearl looks reminiscent of a CSGO map called Inferno.
The official video teaser is short and includes a single shot of stairs with ornaments dangling from the roof and a poster that says, “celebrate our city, the wonder beneath the waves.” The map is likely set in a festival of some kind that honors the underwater city but, it’s the ancient architecture that caught the attention of those who dabbled in CSGO.
The chunk of the map teased in the video is reminiscent of Inferno’s terrorist spawn area. The outside of Inferno’s T-base has similar buildings with a stair that leads to Banana. Even the windows are placed exactly like in CSGO, opposite the wall. The color, ambiance, and whole feel of the spot are reminscent of Inferno, one of the oldest CSGO maps. They even share some lowkey classical guitar tunes.
Valorant’s Pearl looks like a cleaner, happier version of Inferno. The futuristic underwater city contrasts against Inferno, which is close to being a blasted ruin.
Riot Games hasn’t shown off much of Pearl yet so there could be some significant differences in terms of the actual map layout and play style. There are also the unique Valorant map gimmicks that set them apart from CSGO’s maps.
Whatever the case, the short teaser has piqued players’ interest. Pearl seems to pack tons of stuff for lore enthusiasts to sink their teeth into.
When is Valorant Episode 5, Act 1 coming out?
Valorant Episode 5, Act 1 will begin on June 22, 2022.
The Valorant Episode 4, Act 3 Battle Pass is set to wrap on June 21, 2022. The next act traditionally starts right after the conclusion of the battle pass’ run.
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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