Riot Games may be considering a map pick feature for Valorant

Fariha Bhatti Published 11/09/2021

After rolling out its seventh map, the team behind Valorant is now considering the addition of a map pick feature for the game.

Since Valorant’s release, players have complained about not being able to queue in desired locations. Unlike other first-person shooters, Valorant’s has a random map pick system that can be a bit of a nuisance. However, Riot Games recently expanded the map pool with Fracture, and players are again asking for a map pick tool.

Riot Games has proactively improved its shooter game by implementing player suggestions and criticism. It seems that the developer is now weighing its options to make map selection more convenient for players.

https://twitter.com/Pearl_Hogbash/status/1436483310549549059

Responding to a Reddit post, Riot Games developer Pearl Hogbash clarified that a map pick feature isn’t entirely out of the question. Though they qualified it may not come soon or in the form players are expecting, it seems that players will have more agency with regards to where they play at some point.

How many maps does Valorant have?

At the moment, Valorant has exactly seven maps.

The game was initially released with five maps that were effectively assigned to matches at random. As the map pool expands, players continue to pester the developer to let them have their pick of maps. Many players want the new feature to avoid playing in locations that don’t let their main agents perform well. Others don’t want to end up playing the same map repeatedly, as it often squeezes the fun out of the game.

With Fracture, the map pool is becoming intimidating for new players who can’t get comfortable with a single map. This is very different from Counter-Strike: Global Offensive which allows players to queue for as many or as few maps as they feel. Riot Games is wrapping its head around this, but it’s unclear what form the fix will take.

While it’s unclear when this feature will be released and how it’ll work, it’s enough consolation for players that Riot Games hasn’t ruled it out. The tool will hopefully allow the Valorant players to master their “bad maps” and get their fill of their favorites. It’s unlikely that the feature will be released anytime soon due to major tournaments and the recent map addition. However, it should arrive before the next map to let players breathe a little and practice older locations in Valorant.

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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