India, June 19 -- Split is back, Sunset is in, and Icebox is out of the latest competitive map pool.

Riot has announced the competitive map pool for Valorant Episode 9 Act 1, and it's a mix of nostalgia, experimentation, and purification. This latest competitive map pool from Riot is a reduction of maps from 7 to 5 and a more defined experience for pros and ranked players.

On June 25th, 2025, with Episode 9, the new map pool will be:

* Ascent

* Bind

* Haven

* Split (back)

* Sunset (back)

We removed Icebox, Breeze, and Lotus from the competitive map pool. Icebox got the full body fragging from the map pool.

This is Riot's way to silence the noise and focus on maps where every peek, smoke, and rotate matters. With fewer maps, it al...