Split has been removed from the competitive pool of Valorant the June 22, 2022, at the end of Episode 5. She returned to the game at the’Episode 6, Act 2, early 2023.
What is the Split card?
Split is one of the Valorant maps the most iconic of the FPS. It is a closed, vertical map, with two Spike websites (the Site A and the Site B) separated by a central area called the mid. The two sites are quite far apart, which makes the rotations time-consuming and costly.
The mid is the true heart of the map. Thanks to the famous strings, you can quickly move from one level to the next and reach both sites. Controlling the mid lane gives you a decisive advantage in both offensive what about defense.
In practice, Split favors defenders. The tight spaces and numerous corners make it difficult for the forwards, who must force their way through narrow passages under enemy fire. If a defender loses a duel, the rest of the team must cross the entire map to defend the site, leaving the attackers a clear path.
Which agents should you choose on Split?
Some agents are particularly well-suited to the geography of this map. Their capabilities are well suited to narrow corridors and long turns.
- Sage can block a corridor to slow down a push and control access to mid.
- Killjoy blocks off an entire area with its traps and slows down the enemy's movements.
- Jett Take advantage of the ropes and heights to take aggressive positions at Site A or Site B.
- Omen It obscures the passageways with smoke and facilitates attack strategies at both sites.
It's this combination of close combat, precise placement, and good strategies by location, which makes Split a unique map in the game.
Why was Split removed from Valorant?
Split has been available since Valorant's first day, but Riot Games removed her from the competitive pool on June 22, 2022, upon the release of Episode 5. The official reason boils down to one thing: the The map pool had become too large. The developers felt that a limited number of cards provided a better experience for players, and they needed to make room for Pearl.
In the patch notes, Riot also noted that Split was among the least popular maps in the game. The community criticized it for a imbalance between defense and offense too tight: the forwards had a hard time breaking through the midfield and setting up the spike on sites A and B. However, this complaint remained a criticism from players, not the studio's official position.
In short, Split has disappeared:
- lines competitive and unranked,
- of the esports matches after the LCQs in August.
Nevertheless, it remained playable in other modes such as Spike Rush and the game's custom parts. So the map was never removed from the game; it was simply taken out of the ranked rotation.
Is she back in the game?
Yes. Split is back in Valorant during the’Episode 6, Act 2, in 2023. At the time of his retirement, Joe Lansford, level designer at Riot Games, had hinted that the developers intended to bring it back someday. That has now happened.
The community had been calling for this return, and the studio regularly engages in a card rotation to refresh the pool without making it too large. So you can play Split again alongside Bind, Haven, Ascent Where Pearl.
To move up the ranks faster, check out our Guide to Valorant Rankings.
And if you want to understand all aspects of advancing in rank, you should know that the boosting Valorant is also a topic that comes up often in the community.
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