Valorant’s latest Act 4 map changes will make or break your rank

Split is back, Sunset is in, and Icebox is out of the latest competitive map pool.

Riot has announced the competitive map pool for Valorant Episode 9 Act 1, and it’s a mix of nostalgia, experimentation, and purification. This latest competitive map pool from Riot is a reduction of maps from 7 to 5 and a more defined experience for pros and ranked players.

Valorant - New act, new map pool

On June 25th, 2025, with Episode 9, the new map pool will be:

• Ascent

• Bind

• Haven

• Split (back)

• Sunset (back)

We removed Icebox, Breeze, and Lotus from the competitive map pool. Icebox got the full body fragging from the map pool.

This is Riot’s way to silence the noise and focus on maps where every peek, smoke, and rotate matters. With fewer maps, it allows the teams more focus, cleaner comms, and more time to replicate site takes. Less guesswork and more clutches.

ACT 4 COMPETITIVE MAP ROTATION

Pearl and Split are out. Bind returns, joined by a brand new map. pic.twitter.com/nHqBw16NAT

— VALORANT (@VALORANT) June 17, 2025

Sunset rises, Icebox falls

Split is back, a long time fan favorite. Old players will love it as they’ve burned thousands of rounds holding A Heaven or getting pinched in B Tower. It was removed in January 2024. Many fans asked for it to come back due to its balanced layout and vertical plays.

Sunset has gone from sleeper pick to lowkey OP. Since its 2023 release, it has gotten a reputation for clean visuals, tight mid-control fights and setups that reward aim gods and big-brain IGLs.

Icebox has always been the split decision in every lobby. Some loved the vertical chaos and open plants. Others hard-flamed it for being a mess of ziplines and 50-50 clears. This is its second benching since launch, so maybe it needs more than a tweak to get back in the server.

Why just five maps?

Riot says five maps hit the “sweet spot”. Less map memorization, more time to prep and roll site executes on autopilot. For pros, it means more prep with less headaches. For casuals, it’s less moments of “Where does this Molly go again?”

The logic is the same as the Valorant esports scene. Fewer variables means more consistency and cleaner reads, which is good for gameplay and even better for stream chat to keep up with the action.

Pro scene implications

With international tours coming up, the updated pool will shake things up. Coaches are already cooking new comp strats and analysts are theorycrafting agent lineups like it’s pick-ban finals.

Expect a lot of controller play on Split. Tight corners mean Omen TP flanks and Viper lineups that punish every greedy peek. Sentinels too. Cypher mains, this might be your time to shine again.

New teams grinding Lotus or Breeze strats will have to full-send into adaptation mode. Riot is saying, “Stay flexible or get fragged.”

Community is divided but hopeful

Players are split. Some are stoked the OG maps are back, calling it a W update. Others are salty about losing open range maps like Breeze where the Operator demons could really spread their wings.

But Riot listens to the community. Each act is a reset. If your favorite map was benched, just wait. It won’t take long to get back in map rotation as long as it takes to Chamber out of danger.

What’s Next?

With Episode 9 Act 1 dropping in just days, it’s time to hit the range and lock in that new agent pool and start scrimming with a tighter stratbook. Ranked queues will auto-update with the new agent pool and Unrated will follow soon after so you can get some reps in without risking that Immortal grind.

One thing is for sure. The rotation is getting sweeter. Fewer maps, tighter plays, and less excuses. Whether you’re one-tapping to Radiant or dodging that 13-0 in Bronze, it’s time to lock in or get left behind.

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