The competitive map pool of Valorant consists of seven unique maps, subject to frequent rotations that come alongside major updates. According to recent leaks, the upcoming Episode 8 Act 1 update will also bring a shift in the active map pool of Valorant, and it’s expected to bring back a map that has been out of the competitive pool of the shooter for over eight months.

As per a Tweet from prominent Valorant dataminer ‘ValorLeaks’, Valorant Episode 8 will introduce the fan-favorite map Icebox back into the game. However, to make room for this exciting addition, it will replace an existing map within the current map pool of the title.

Icebox Returning To Valorant With Episode 8 Act 1 Update

It has been a while since Icebox was taken out of the competitive map pool of Valorant. Following a complete rework of certain parts of the map, Icebox was removed from the pool with the Episode 6 Act 3 update in April 2023.

The return of Icebox is certain to be a welcome change within the Valorant community, but fans might not be very happy about the departure of one of the most iconic maps of the game – Haven.

According to the aforementioned leak, Haven is likely leaving the map pool of Valorant to make room for Icebox’s return. Haven stands out among Valorant’s maps by introducing the innovative concept of three bomb sites, a groundbreaking design element that deviates from the traditional two-bombsite structure found in the initial stages of the game. Lotus, added to the lineup at a later date, also adopts this three-site layout, making them the exclusive maps in the Valorant roster with this distinctive feature

When is Icebox Returning To Valorant?

As mentioned earlier, Icebox is expected to return to Valorant with the Episode 8 update. The Episode 8 Act 1 update will hit the live servers of Valorant around January 8, 2024.

While nothing has been confirmed by the developers at the time of writing, the community is abuzz with speculation and anticipation regarding the potential change to the map rotation.

Valorant players from throughout the globe eagerly await official confirmation and details from Riot Games regarding this intriguing development.