One of the classic maps in Valorant will return after being away from competitive since June. Split will be officially reopened in January 2023 update of Valorant episode 6 chapter 1.
Split is notoriusly known for being too defensively biased. For a tactical shooters like Valorant, the maps are typically balanced to be at least even for both sides. This was not the case with Split, which heavily favored the defensive side in the middle part of the map. Furthermore, some agents won’t fit really well in here.
While Split will be playable once more, however, two other maps will no longer be present. The seven-map pool that Riot Games initially announced in June will be reduced to six maps in order to make it easier for players to learn and master each map.
Bind and Breeze would no longer be included in primary map pool, according to developer notes. That implies that neither of the two maps will be accessible in the Competitive or Unrated matches. Other game modes, however, still allowed you to use them.
Riot’s announcement to reintroduce Bind to the game has sparked online debate. Many professional and casual players have criticised the map and Riot for re-introducing it.
Players felt that the two omitted maps, Breeze and Bind, are designally better than Split. In addition, they argued that playing on Split necessitates a greater reliance on brute force to dominate the middle part of the map.
Social media pundits also suggest that Split has undergone several modifications at some point. Certainly, it will be interesting to see what kind of surprise that Riot has prepared in store when this map returns to the VCT 2023.
