Valorant map rotation in patch 9.08 has players hating on Ascent, here's why

Syed Mujtaba Naqvi Published 31/07/2024

Riot Games has revealed a Valorant map rotation sequence for patch 9.08, and players aren’t pleased to find out that a legendary map will be swapped out once again while Ascent remains.

Valorant map rotations keep the game fresh and encourage players to enjoy all maps without getting overwhelmed. However, it’s not always a good thing, and the upcoming patch 9.08 map rotation is the perfect example of that.

In the recent Valorant state of play, Riot Games has announced that Lotus and Icebox will be removed to make space for Pearl and Split.

“Also, in Patch 9.08, Pearl and Split are returning to the competitive map pool. There will be no design updates to either map,” Lead producer for Valorant map team Al Robles said.

• Read More | Valorant patch 9.02 cracks down on toxic players with serious penalties

Valorant maps Split and Pearl to return without changes

Typically, when maps go out of rotation, they come back looking almost new. Riot gives the benched maps a facelift to better fit the game meta, which according to Riot, wasn’t necessary this time.

The return of Pearl and Split without any modifications, alongside the continued presence of Ascent, has left the community questioning the reasoning behind these choices. The first thing players questioned was why Ascent remains in the pool. With Lotus now removed, Ascent is the only map that has never been taken out of the map rotation.

Despite its popularity, Ascent’s constant presence in Valorant has sparked player fatigue, fueling calls for its removal from rotation. Icebox has previously been cut out of the map pool, and players have grown to like to icy tundra, prompting a negative response from the community.

What are the active maps in Valorant?

Valorant episode 9 map rotation includes Ascent, Bind, Breeze, Icebox, Lotus, Sunset, and Abyss.

Ascent, in particular, has become the subject of criticism, with many players expressing their dissatisfaction with the map’s design and gameplay.

“I’m beginning to think Ascent is just hard-coded into the game… Maybe it can’t be removed?” questioned VCT analyst Sean Gares on the upcoming map pool.

Despite the criticism, Riot Games has not provided an official statement on the matter. However, the community remains hopeful that the developers will take their feedback into consideration and make necessary changes to the map rotation in future updates.

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