Earlier this year, Riot Games announced that they would be introducing major additions to Valorant in 2023 including new agents, game modes, and maps. With two agents and the “Team Deathmatch” game mode down, we now get to see the game’s newest map “Sunset.”

Valorant is a first-person shooter game where players take on the role of agents who are either defending or attacking the map. It’s been one of the most popular games in the world since its initial release in 2020 with global pro matches and a championship tour.

In their next patch update, players will experience a new map based on the streets of Los Angeles, California. The next patch will be released on August 29 at 10:00 pm.

“We took most of our artistic inspiration from right here in our backyard. You’ll find many staples from our diverse LA culture across the map. Everything from food trucks, traffic jams, and art deco architecture to neon sunsets,” said Joe Lansford, lead map designer for Valorant.

The map is stunning with a lot of LA-themed easter eggs. Some that we spotted during our early access gameplay include a boba shop (which on the map is actually labeled Boba!), a Korean barbecue place, taco stands, a basketball court, a skate park, and a flea market among many others. Each of these locations is embellished with either cool graffiti or touches of art deco.

The map also puts more focus on mid-control gameplay, or controlling the middle of the map.

“Sunset features a mid that is fairly difficult to control and doesn’t really favor one team or another; it’s generally good for rifle ranges and opens up a bunch of opportunities for whichever team can take it. We expect to see both teams make mid-control a central part of their strategy on Sunset,” said Lansford.

The new act is also ushering in a new battle pass and skin bundle.

Valorant’s battle passes are always fun to explore because they throw in a lot of memes based on their own community, and this act’s release is no exception.

But if we’re talking about aesthetics, the new skin bundle really takes the cake.

The Imperium Skinline is inspired by mythical and historical East Asian elements. It features skins for the Sheriff, Judge, Vandal, Operator, and dual blades as its melee weapon. The skins themselves look regal and elegant, but the finisher is (and we’re not exaggerating when we say this) breathtakingly grand in magnitude!

It features a gigantic dragon that takes up most of the player’s field of view. And even though it only lasts a few seconds, we could stare at it forever.

Want to see all these in action? Watch the video to see our gameplay and first reactions. – Rappler.com