Valorant dev explains why you’re playing Fracture wrong

A Valorant developer gave some advice to those who still find themselves lost on Fracture.

In 2022, Riot changed how FPS maps are designed by rolling out Fracture. The map has attackers split into two spawns, sandwiching defenders in an H-shaped layout. One may think Fracture is attacker-sided, but the developer maintained a balance by creating defensible bomb sites. Locking angles is quite tricky in this location, likely because defenders have been playing it all wrong. 

In an August 25 TikTok video, the developer revealed the right way to play Fracture in Valorant and it’s game-changing. It turns out that defenders aren’t expected to defend in the quintessential FPS way, just like the map’s eccentric design. Here’s how to play Fracture to win high ELO.

How to play Fracture on defense? 

In a short video, Valorant designer Joe Lansford revealed that layout isn’t the only thing unique about the map. With the design, Riot also intended to switch the gameplay roles of attackers and defenders. Here’s what it means. 

Typically, the attackers must break into the enemy’s line of defense but Fracture’s layout favors the defenders taking territory and controlling the pace of the map. Instead of waiting for attackers to push, Fracture was designed to let defenders push through their boundaries and counter-attack them. 

“[Defenders] can sit there and try to weather the storm and hold out, but it’s tough to do. So, we put that pressure on defenders. The responsibility is on them to push out and take space,” Game designer Joe Lansford said.

The developer said the unique layouts force a role switch between the two sides. In order to shift momentum on defense, players may want to consider leaving sites and flanking the attackers. Thanks to the ropes and large map, it’s easier to break into the backline. From the developer’s perspective, this trick makes Fracture a balanced map.

The unique map flips roles so that defenders can acquire space and decide whether they want to flank or wait for a site retake. In simple words, leaving a site open isn’t necessarily a bad decision if it means setting a pace that strengthens your defenses.

So, if you’ve been holding site and playing Fracture like any other Valorant map, you’ve been doing it all wrong.