VALORANT's Map Rotation Nightmare

We are not stupid, Riot. Just put all the maps in rotation. Some people dislike certain maps, but having more maps in helps dilute how often you get those you dislike. At the very least give us back all maps for swiftplay.

Riot just need to realise ranked isn’t vct. Just let us play all of the maps and leave the map pool for vct and premier.

I just hate how if the map isn't in the pool you can't play it in ANY gamemode other than custom. Thats the thing I don't get with the current system.

Having a map ban feature like pro play would be an interesting idea. You can pick 1/2 maps you don't want to see and your queue would deprioritise those maps. Then if it's clear that one map is getting disproportionately banned then Riot have a very good idea on which maps are a problem for the playerbase

Ideal map pool = No breeze. PLEASE.

Ideal map pool: Haven Ascent Split Bind Fracture Lotus Pearl (but it needs changes) Icebox and Breeze are just terrible, they fixed breeze feeling impossible to defend, then reverted that change and icebox has problems on its bombsites, something they didn't even touch in the changes. Sunset is like alright but the map feels pretty bad to try and clear and explore some of the areas (A main, Mid, B site). Also want to mention pearl is my favourite map, I find everything about it Mid and A site fun as hell, but something needs to change with B long.

My personal solution would be to add back all maps but in small groups players can choose from. Basically, separate all maps into almost evenly-distributed groups both popularity-wise and feature-wise. ARBITRARILY, let’s say Group 1 has Ascent, Bind, Breeze, Haven, Sunset / Group 2 has Split, Fracture, Lotus, Icebox, Pearl. Players can queue up between these two groups—there’s still a randomness to the maps you pick but at least you can control it to an extent. By implementing this system, it’ll also justify adding back all maps to the unrated queue. Periodically 1 or 2 maps in these groups can be switched/swapped to make things feel a little more fresh. Of course people will still have preferences and probably spam just one map group, but it’ll still be hard to consistently abuse ranked by playing your best map. Perhaps some specific maps could become permanent to a group—like Group 1 always having Ascent and Group 2 having Split for example. Or one map could be in both groups (especially in the case of when Valorant’s total map count is an odd number). Alternatively: these groups could switch availabilities between each other daily or something. To combat the players who would actively avoid a group, give them an incentive to play that group if they haven’t queued up in it for enough games. Bonus RR for the first game that day maybe? As Valorant introduces more maps, they could eventually create new groups. Perhaps when we reach 7 maps each group, they could break them up into 3 Groups of smaller pools, etc etc.

Okay so here’s a few ideas that weren’t mentioned in the video that I have: 1. Remove Breeze PERMANENTLY. I know some people like Breeze, but that map is a genuine lost cause because the large size just doesn’t leave any room for variety, which goes against Valorants game design philosophy. It should still be playable in certain game modes, and I think it actually works way better as a deathmatch map, so removing isn’t really going to hurt anything 2. Since we’re getting 11 maps, Riot can expand the map pool size to 11. Why? Well it’s actually fairly simple. When choosing to ban maps in pro, just allow each team to ban 3 maps instead of just 1. That way, pros get a better experience and so do we! 3. Switch up the ques faster. Even the pros gotta agree, 7 maps is boring to watch. There’s no reason for riot to gatekeep their maps for the sake of marketing. It’s killing their game. And everyone can at least agree that Ascent has been in too long and Haven should’ve never left.

I think the devs seriously misjudge how long it takes people to learn maps. It can get old. Fast. Especially in a map pool of seven where two are hated and one is new and still being learned. That's around a third of your games on a bad map. Please... I beg you riot. Update the map pool more often. I don't want to wait 4-6 months just for the maps available to change slightly. Once per act... Please. It wasn't as big an issue when the maps could still be played in modes outside of the standard ones, but now the tedium is really starting to set in. It also doesn't help that they haven't recognised and embraced proper map reworks. There is no way you can call what they did to breeze and icebox "reworks". The maps feel the same. And that "feeling" is frustration on breeze and boredom on icebox. They never fixed the main issues with either map. Fundamentally, people have made it clear that they don't enjoy a map filled to the brim with long sightlines that invalidates a quarter of the roster and many of the guns. If you do, great - power to you, but from everyone I've spoke to about it its the slight lines and extreme ease of flanking on breeze that's the issue. B site Icebox is boring. There is little room for creativity with plant spots. These maps need MAJOR fixes and completely overhauled objectives, at least in my opinion. Not just adding a box here or a window there... no. Complete redesigns of the problematic parts of the maps. Breeze is especially difficult to fix because the map's entire design and point was "long sight lines". The central design point is its core issue with the community. I don't know if this is a hot take but I think the devs should consider going the full r6 university route and just permanently remove it from the pool - at least until it gets fixed. I'm just saying what I'm thinking. I love game design. But I'm not a riot dev. I don't know what's best for the game. But I can feel the problems. So talking about them can help. Players are good at identifying issues but are generally bad at solving them. Its just how it goes. But something needs to be fixed here. I love this game. I want the best for it. Thank you for reading.

i hate this, i want every map at the same time

I didn't even realize until now that when I most enjoyed Valorant it was when the pool was literally every map except breeze and icebox I mean I knew I disliked the maps but I didn't realize they were the only maps not in the pool.

why not just not have a map pool? Add an option where you can filter out / in maps that you queue into so that if you love icebox, you can play it - meanwhile if you hate icebox, you can blacklist it. There doesnt really need to be a map pool at all.

dude i havent played valorant in months as a break and came back recently thinking i was gonna queue haven or sum and it never came up i didnt even know there was a new rotation and i was pissed

Heres the breeze strat: Bring harbor. Start of round E and C on to site, drop Q and plant in there. You either win fast or lose fast so you can get out of there fast.

TBH, I think that Riot has a map design problem and not a map rotation problem. I really think that most maps are bellow average comparing with cs maps or community maps, that is why we start "hating it" so fast and we can't stand playing them after 6 months - specially if you are a controller on breeze... is so boring, every time I must do the same smokes. Anyway, I do remember one guy making a video YEARS ago talking about these problems at alpha. It's amazing how the points that he criticized it's still relevant to this day. The channel name was exaltedjoss27

why do i lowkey miss fracture 🥺

Ideal map pool: Haven Split Bind Ascent Pearl Fracture Lotus (Yes i played since beta and love the old maps😂)

I completely agree considering how often they release agents they should just not have a map pool and any map is on the table like currently when I que I feel like 90% of the time I’m either on Breeze or Icebox and I’m so over it

Riot could make a system where you have to pick 7 maps but you can pick anyone of them Like you can pick ascent,haven,lotus,sunset,fracture,pearl,icebox Which won't affect queue time that much So you cant master one map and climb your way up only on that map But also to make it easier for newer player to learn the map kinda as they could lock those map for like a week and learn them then they could learn the other map after Want to hear what you guys think but that was just my opinion

Make a system that allow you to select any 7 maps that you want to play