New Icebox Map Now Available to Play in Valorant Ahead of Schedule
Today, the 13th of October, marks the launch of Valorant Act 3, complete with a new Battlepass and a major patch. However, in place of the usual new Agent, Riot has chosen instead to release the new Valorant Icebox map ahead of schedule, although the map is only available in a beta state at present. The new Agent, meanwhile, won’t be arriving for another two weeks.
The All-New Valorant Icebox Map
“An abandoned Kingdom research facility in the arctic wilderness is the next location to flex your aim and abilities,” writes Riot; “Pierce the dense snow cover as an Attacker to plant the Spike. And, outplay as Defender using ziplines to reach new and dangerous heights. The two objective sites on Icebox favour frequent skirmishes, sharp aim, and adaptive play.”
The new Valorant Icebox map launches today as part of the release of Act 3, ahead of its original planned release date. The new Agent, Skye, has had her release date delayed to the 27th of October. According to Riot, the reason for this shift is because they felt that more players wanted the Icebox map than a new Agent, and because it gives them more time to iron out bugs and issues with patch stability before the new Agent arrives.
Because of the early release, Icebox is currently only available in a ‘beta’ state. This means that it is currently only available for Unrated, Spike Rush, and Deathmatch game modes. The current plan is that Icebox will become available in the Competitive queue on the 27th of October. However, players should see plenty of the new map before then. At present, Icebox will appear more often in the Unrated queue than other maps.
Alongside the new map, Patch 1.10 also makes some changes to Ascenders and Ziplines; both of which are quite relevant on the new Icebox map. According to Riot, acceleration has been adjusted so as to prevent players from suddenly changing direction, while weapon tagging should also now work while on Ascenders. These alterations should make players using Ascenders and Ziplines easier to hit.