Valorant Episode 5 Act 1 details: Release date, new map teasers, more

Valorant Episode 5 is here, and it’s a big one. The Act 1 content is primed to feature a new map and potentially an agent, and that’s not all: here’s what you need to know, including the release date.

Riot are gearing up for their big twice-yearly release in Valorant as Episode 5 nears. While changes from Act to Act are always great affairs for players, the swapping over of an Episode has that extra allure.

There’s high expectations on Valorant Episode 5 — maps have been long-teased, while Riot has been lips shut on the agent front. All that, and more surprises, could be on offer when it drops in June 2022.

Here’s what we know about the next chapter in Valorant: Episode 5 Act 1.

What’s coming in Valorant Episode 5 Act 1?

New map Pearl coming for Episode 5 release

Almost a year after the release of Fracture, Valorant players are getting ready to wrap their head around a new map in Episode 5 Act 1: Pearl.

It will be the game’s eighth battleground, and has been teased for nearly a year at this point.

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The map, once codenamed “Pitt”, has been floating around Valorant lore for months. Riot has mentioned it being held a “city-wide geo dome” made to stop the high tides — and with plenty of aquarium references.

However, Pearl’s inclusion is not the only map-related change this patch. Split will be dropped from the map pool in a controversial move as Riot tries to limit the amount of active competitive maps to seven.

Regular array of skins, battle pass content

There’s no confirmed agent release for Valorant Episode 5 Act 1 — although Riot does like keeping with the one agent an Act schedule, so don’t expect one to be too far away — but the regular array of skins and battle pass content will be on offer.

Players can expect the same 50-tier battle pass to launch for Valorant Episode 5 Act 1, including sprays, skins, Radianite Points, and more. A skin bundle will likely drop at the same time too, refreshing the in-game store.

Valorant Episode 5 Act 1 release date

Valorant Episode 5 Act 1 is all due for release on June 22, 2022. New map Pearl will go live immediately, as well as all the new content — which you can read up on via the patch notes.