Two years later, Riot Games announced that Valorant ranked mode would allow two popular maps to reappear, Pearl and Split, on October 14, 2025. This change occurs with Act 6 and patch 11.08, where the previously beloved maps have reappeared in ranked gameplay that people have not seen in ranked in a long time.
There was a two-act hiatus by Onyx and Split in the ranked play. These maps had not been used in Competitive since the Systems Analysis phase in Act 3 in 2025. This was quite a brief break compared to the time that other maps have not been present in the game.
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Map Pool Changes for Act 6
The new rotation adds significant day changes to the ranked games to make them a fresh and fun game. Seven maps are in constant rotation at Riot, which means that two maps must go out when Pearl and Split are reintroduced.
Maps Leaving the Pool
Two maps will be removed:
- Ascent: The Venice-style map, where mid control is super important
- Lotus: The three-site map of spinning doors and breakable walls.
Maps Staying in Rotation
These maps would remain in order of rank:
- Haven: The usual map where there are three bomb locations
- Bind: The map of teleporters
- Sunset: Theme map of Los Angeles about the sunset
- Abyss: It is a map with a lack of barriers on the edges
- Corrode: The map was the latest in the pool
New Act 6 Map Pool Overview
| Map Name | Sites | Special Features | Theme |
| Pearl | 2 | No special mechanics | Underwater city |
| Split | 2 | Split layout design | Research lab |
| Haven | 3 | Three bomb sites | European town |
| Bind | 2 | Teleporters | Morocco |
| Sunset | 2 | Moving doors | Los Angeles |
| Abyss | 2 | No edge barriers | Modern building |
| Corrode | 2 | Newest map | Factory |
Pearl Map Details
Pearl stands out due to its underwater setting, which is a city on Omega Earth. There are no special features, such as teleporters or moving doors, on this map. It is involved in fundamental shooting and intelligent positioning.
What makes Pearl unique:
- Two bomb sites (A and B)
- Minor between areas of high rotations.
- Long-range battles on the flank.
- And a lovely undersea appearance.
- There were no special mechanisms to concern anybody.
What happens to make teams win rounds is to have control in the middle of the map. It is easy and clean and that is why pro players like Pearl. All about good team play, intelligence, you have to execute every strategy well, more than just once.
Split Map Details
Split occurs in a secretive research lab, which is destroyed through an unsuccessful experiment. This map offers lots of variations to defenders to secure the sites, and each round needs to be different and thrilling.
What Split offers:
- Two bomb locations that are a lot different.
- The layout of a map that appears to be cut in half.
- Variously high fighting spots.
- Defense locations to be.
- Cool research lab setting
The map actually appears to be cut in half right across the middle, just as the name would imply. This brings about crunchy spaces that teams must squeeze through, and any decision taken counts.
Tournament Schedule
Pearl and Split will not serve at Paris 2025 of Valorant champions. These giant events between September 12 and October 5, 2025, are based on the existing map pool on Haven, Bind, Sunset, Abyss, Corrode, Lotus, and Ascent. This is the first large tournament that will utilize Pearl and Split, which is called the Game Changers Championship. That will demonstrate to us the way pro teams adjust their plans to work with such returning maps.
Community Response
This news is a mix in the opinion of players. Having Pearl and Split come back is a welcome relief to many, but sad to the other passengers that Ascent and Lotus are dropping out of ranked play.
The Pro teams must speed up to know how to play Pearl and Split once again. They will have to train new strategies and team formations. Teams that had been good previously may get the edge when they initially come back on these maps.
Tips for Players
On returning to ranked, Pearl and Split should:
- Understand the callouts and noteworthy points on the two maps.
- Examples of the best acting agents on these maps.
- Dominate the workings of every bomb route.
- Squat smoke/ flash lineups.
- Pro games should be watched to display which strategies are effective.
To make the game interesting, Valorant continues rotating the Respective Competitive Maps. Ascent and Lotus, departing at this point, are likely to return in future acts.
The update of October 14, 2025, cannot simply replace maps. It demonstrates that Riot is willing to make the game fresh and is ready to introduce the missing maps that are missed by the players. The release of Pearl and Split will give existing and amateur gamers more thrilling games. See more