Riot Games will most likely release a new map in the first person shooter in July. It could be underwater and allude to the Portuguese capital Lisbon.
Already last year, Riot Games started with first hints about the next map in VALORANT. Since 9 June, things have been getting more in-depth – literally.
With a tweet on Thursday, Riot Games delivered another teaser for the upcoming map via the official VALORANT account. This will be the shooter’s eighth map overall and the first since the map Fracture, which appeared in Episode 3 Act 2 in September 2021. “Prepare to dive,” reads the developer.
Prepare to dive. pic.twitter.com/USlBF0jJWi
– VALORANT (@PlayVALORANT) June 9, 2022
The lettering reads in Portuguese: “Celebrate our city. The miracle beneath the waves”. Accordingly, fans and experts firmly assume that the upcoming map will be in the cool wet – or at least along the water. The location, which resembles an underwater dome, seems to be a reference to the Ozenarium Lisbon, which was awarded the title of the world’s best aquarium.
This thesis is supported by an older tweet. On 23 May, Riot Games shared an image with the phrases: “Something special is rising in VALORANT. Get ready for Aquarium Week.” At the centre of this aquarium drawing is a large octopus. Fans were quick to guess from the head shape that it could be Agent Omen. Twitter user “MixxWolf” fueled that theory by referencing his gamer card, which shows Omen tickling a stuffed octopus.
WAIT, Omen is actually an octupus🐙 pic.twitter.com/HkiEobKKik
– Brimmy Stimmy CrOuch (@CrOuchVL) May 23, 2022
No official announcements have yet been made by Riot Games regarding a new episode along with the map. But based on the past two years, a pattern is emerging. Until July 6, the current Episode 4 Act 3 along with Battle Pass continues. There have never been more than three acts per episode. Accordingly, the launch of Episode 5 can be expected from 7 July. This is also when many are expecting the release of the brand new underwater map.
