The ninth map in VALORANT was introduced today by developer Riot Games, set in the Western Ghats of Omega Earth’s India.
The new map, called Lotus, is a three-site map similar to Haven. Lotus features new mechanics such as rotating doors, destructible walls, and a silent drop as players navigate their way through the lost city, inspired by Indian stepwells.
Lotus features plenty of greenery and beautiful scenery, relatively similar to that of Breeze. The stunning map looks pretty straightforward, however, which could lean into the design process of Haven, the other three-site map.
The new map has an “ancient vibe,” which was inspired by Indiana Jones, according to Brian Yam, the art and concept lead at Riot. “For the visual experience for players, we wanted players to experience an Indiana Jones moment,” Yam said. “For example, going into C-site, you are greeted with the Rock-Cut cave and a stream of sunlight from above gives a sense of wonder and discovery of a lost city.”
Joe Lansford, a level designer at Riot, said the original plan for Lotus was to create a space station with an airlock mechanism that would shut out large portions of the map. But this idea was eventually scrapped and led to the creation of the ancient-style map instead.
Players will be able to explore the new map on Jan. 10 with the release of VALORANT Episode Six, Act One.
