Split finally returning to Valorant with Patch 6.0 update, but it’s bad news for Bind

Riot Games have confirmed that Split will finally be returning to the map pool in patch 6.0, but it will come at the cost of Breeze and Bind.

When Valorant first launched in beta back in April 2020, Riot Games’ 5v5 tactical shooter only came with three maps – Bind, Haven, and Split. Though, over time, they’ve introduced a handful of beautiful new locations for players to fight it out across.

As new maps have been cycled into the rotation, some of the classics have been adjusted. They’ve had sightlines changed, opened up angles looking into spike sites, and added new ways to travel around them.

On top of the changes, the developers have also altered the eight-map strong pool by taking maps out of rotation, and maintaining just a seven-map rotation. Split was the last map taken out of the rotation, and fans weren’t too pleased about it. However, a six-month stint on the sidelines, it will be back before long.

Split is finally returning in Valorant with Patch 6.0 changes

That’s right, Riot Games have confirmed that the fan-favorite map will be making a return in January when patch 6.0 goes live.

“Split is back! We know a lot of you were sad to see this one go, so we’re very happy to bring this back to you all (with a few updates as well…) Not a lot to add here really,” Riot’s Joe “Pearl Hogbash” Lansford said.

“Lots of you wanted it back and it makes sense with the other pool shifts. We’re looking forward to seeing how everyone plays the map with all the new Agents and meta shifts that have happened since Split left the rotation.”

Split’s return will come at the cost of Bind and Breeze, however, with those two maps being removed from Unrated and Competitive. They will, though, still be available in Spike Rush and custom game modes.

“For Breeze, we feel like this map has some room to improve in terms of Agents and team comp diversity, as well as some opportunities for simplification of the space,” Lansford added. “And for Bind, it’s mostly about strategic diversity. We’d like to open up more play around the teleporters and potentially rethink how teams execute, and defend against executes, on both sites.”

As we’ve seen previously, maps that drop out of rotation aren’t discarded forever – they do ultimately make a return. However, it’ll be interesting to see how Riot juggles having two maps on the sidelines rather than just one.