Out with the Cold: Valorant to initiate next map rotation, reintroducing Bind

At the end of last month, Riot Games unveiled the next set of changes to come to Bind, which has seen a rotation out of the map pool to make way for Lotus. Now, Bind is set to return, and Icebox is on its way out as the next map to undergo some updates. Valorant’s habit of rotating maps to maintain the seven active map pool along with introductions of new agents keeps the game continuously fresh.

Rotating Out

The report comes fresh from independent leaker Valorant leaks, who reported Icebox is set to leave the competitive and unrated map pool at the end of Episode 6 Act 2. Starting from Act 3, Bind will re-enter the competitive and unrated pools with the new changes.

As previously mentioned in the earlier reports, Bind has been altered to increase the attacker sided success rate, by widening certain chokeholds on the map, as well as shifting several pieces of cover around to create new dynamic angles for the map.

Bind will re-enter Valorant in Patch 6.07, where it will be available for play on all modes except for Competitive and Unrated. This is to allow the players to re-familiarize themselves with the map, as well as accustom themselves to the new changes. Patch 6.08, the next patch, will be the one to re-introduce Bind to the Competitive and Unrated map pools.

Fresh Coat

Since it’s release in October 2020, Icebox has seen two massive rehauls. The first, came about in December 2020, where alterations to Belt are of especial note, to aid the attackers in scaling A site. Since then, the map has only seen one other massive update, that being the March 2022 update, that completely reworked parts of the map, most notably B-site.

Player reactions to Icebox’s rotation out have generally been favorable, rejoicing as the map hated by many casual players sees its way out. The map’s performance in competitive play tends to be ‘unfun’ for many to play, with the multitude of angles, and difficulties of playing the sites on both halves leading to many terming it a ‘bad map,’

Professional players, meanwhile, have more mixed reactions to the map’s departure. For Fnatic members, some expressed sadness to find out their VCT LOCK//IN winning map, is on it’s way out. The teams currently boast a 76.8% winrate on the map across 56 matches and is considered one of the best Icebox teams in the world.

Since it will be removed from rotation, speculation is high that the map might receive a number of updates before it eventually returns to rotation.

Image credit: Valorant // Riot Games