Riot Games surprised fans with a new map in the upcoming Valorant Act Three. Dubbed “Icebox,” the new map will arrive on next week’s update.
The Valorant Act Three is coming in next week with Act Two coming to an end soon. Riot teased players with a cold-themed Act, but a new map was not in the equation.
The developers announced previously that a new map only happens once every episode. Each episode is composed of three acts. However, it seems like Riot backtracked and dropped the bomb on Twitter.
Take on the tundra when Icebox drops with Act III. pic.twitter.com/Mu7OzbLHXF
— VALORANT (@PlayVALORANT) October 6, 2020
What does the new map bring?
Based on the trailer, the tundra map showcases unique points of interest. There is a massive battleship on the side plus a dockyard with shipping containers.
It looks like the ship is part of the player’s base, while the whole dock serves as the battleground. The containers shall provide player covers. There are certain parts with zips that may be used for maneuvering the map.
The ziplines might be a unique feature of the map. Previous maps often have specific PoI that cannot be found in different areas. For instance, Ascent has doors, Bind has teleporters, Split has ropes, while Haven has three spike sites.
Besides the ziplines, an exciting addition to the map is the containers. There are a lot of stacked containers to provide cover.
However, this might be an indirect buff to Jett, who can quickly scale these covers. The added verticality also adds a different challenge to the players. Those who have the high ground, clearly has some kind of an advantage.
That being said, Valorant Act Three will be exciting upon release. The competitive scene will be challenging as well as First Strike competitors need to strategize on different maps.
Images used courtesy of Valorant/YouTube Screenshot