Last night (June 16), Riot Games showed off Valorant’s newest map, PEARL, via a movie trailer and a developer stream. Shortly after the stream, I, Dorrani, and a few other content creators were invited to test the map for themselves. In short, we’re all hooked, and PEARL is probably one of Valorant’s best maps to date.
When Chapter 5 Chapter 1 launches on June 22, an eighth map will be introduced to the map pool along with a new line of skins inspired by titles like Doom and Quake. Sadly, however, Split will be removed from the map pool for unrated and competitive play.
I’ve managed to play four or so games on PEARL so far, and needless to say, the general consensus seems to be that Valorant players are impressed. In the video above, Dorrani and I discuss the time we spent on the map last night, and our thoughts on it.
PEARL is an underwater city inspired by Portugal, and various elements of the map are handcrafted by Portuguese artists. Frankly, PEARL is the most dynamic and dynamic Valorant map.
While your goal is obviously to attack or defend, it’s hard not to get distracted by the sheer amount of detail PEARL has scattered around every corner. And there are many corners. There’s a shopping area, a club, a statue of our favorite broker, which is incredibly whimsical.
Dorrani points out that PEARL doesn’t have any funky mechanics, such as Bind’s portals or Fracture’s ropeways, but relies primarily on geo-driven. The map consists of three lanes and two stations, with the middle section made up of multiple comfortable corridors and corners that can be hidden after planting.
Field A is definitely a favorite for those who like close combat and utility, and with B’s massive entrance, the latter field is sure to be the first choice for those with clean ranged targets.
In our video, we also noticed how difficult this map was to maneuver, given the sightlines everywhere. In some cases, turning a corner can feel like a gamble. PEARL is a map that requires strong defense and stronger communication; without a solid team including the Sentinels, it’s hard to cover every angle behind the factory.
Dorrani also pointed out how PEARL will change the ultimate abilities of some agents. With so many tight corners, and the A site being so tight, ultimates from Brimstone, Sova, Breach, Fade, and more will appeal to a lot of players.
PEARL is likely a map that requires more use of Sentinel agents (like Killjoy and Chamber) in order to be able to lock down sites or easily retake them. With so many angles and hiding places available, defense and intelligence are critical in PEARL, and perhaps we’ll even see Cypher used more in competitive play.
What do you think of the new Valorant map? Let us know in the comments!
