Abyss Returns to Map Pool Ahead of Champions 2026, Breeze Removed from Rotation

Abyss Returns to Map Pool Ahead of Champions 2026, Breeze Removed from Rotation

Riot Games has updated the competitive map pool for VALORANT with the release of patch 13.04 and the start of Season 2026 Act 5. Abyss has replaced Breeze in the Competitive and Deathmatch modes. This rotation will also be used at the VALORANT Champions 2026, which will take place from September 24 to October 18 in Shanghai. The information about the change was published in the patch notes for update 13.04.

VALORANT Map Pool in Season 2026 Act 5
After the update, the active rotation includes seven maps:

Abyss
Ascent
Haven
Lotus
Split
Summit
Sunset

Breeze returned to the competitive mode on January 6 with the release of patch 12.00. At that time, Riot Games introduced a significantly reworked version of the location, which replaced Sunset . Between the map's return on January 6 and its removal on August 18, 224 days passed. This was the longest continuous period for Breeze in the map pool since its removal in June 2024.

When Abyss Was Last in Rotation

Before its current return, Abyss was in the competitive map pool from August 19, 2025, to March 17. In patch 12.05, Riot Games removed Abyss and Corrode to make room for Lotus and Fracture. The previous period of the map's presence lasted 210 days.

After this, Abyss was absent from Competitive and Deathmatch for 154 days: from March 17 until the release of patch 13.04 on August 18. The last change with its removal was recorded in patch 12.05.

Icebox has remained out of the competitive map pool since August 19, 2025. At that time, the map made way for Abyss in patch 11.04. As of the release of update 13.04, the location has been out of rotation for 364 days, almost a year. Riot Games has yet to announce its return date.