Split removed from Valorant map pool in game first ahead of Pearl release

Split will soon be taken away from Valorant’s map pool temporarily, a move made by Riot as a way to maintain their desired seven-map pool system when Pearl enters the fray.

Split fans, some sad news is coming your way. With new map Pearl set to release in July 2022, Riot have confirmed that this new addition to the map pool will, unfortunately, mean another is getting booted out.

Split has been in Valorant since the game’s launch, although it has been slightly controversial due to its one-sided nature heavily favoring defenders. However, Riot didn’t give an explicit reason behind why it was the first map to be culled from the map pool, even if only temporary.

In a June 16 blog post, developer Joe Lansford said the team looked at “player sentiment, time since release, past and future planned updates, what the map brings in terms of strategic variance,” and more when making the decision.

However, one thing that was weighing on their mind was trying to keep Valorant accessible — and limiting the number of maps players have to learn at one time was a big component of that.

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“Learning a new map can be one of the toughest parts of a tac shooter,” he said. “Going from ‘learned’ to ‘mastered’ is even harder. Doing that on a whole bunch of maps is a steep learning curve. Not to mention all the combinations of Agents and utility. It’s a lot!”

“The team thinks seven is a nice sweet spot that offers both variety and mastery. You don’t have to spend all your time learning new angles, lineups, and strategies. New players will have an easier onboarding experience. And pro teams get to have deeper, more exciting playbooks.”

Split will be removed from Valorant’s map pool starting June 22 with Valorant patch 5.0, with no set date for its return. The game will have a six-map pool until Pearl’s competitive release on July 12.

Split will still be available in custom game modes and Spike Rush while it is out of unrated and ranked queues. Pro play will also use Split until after August when the Last Chance Qualifiers for Valorant Champions concludes.

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While the minds at Riot didn’t confirm when Split will return to the Valorant map pool, they did hint that it’ll most likely be back and with some tweaks and alterations.