'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAMDAwMDAwQEBAQFBQUFBQcHBgYHBwsICQgJCAsRCwwLCwwLEQ8SDw4PEg8bFRMTFRsfGhkaHyYiIiYwLTA+PlQBAwMDAwMDBAQEBAUFBQUFBwcGBgcHCwgJCAkICxELDAsLDAsRDxIPDg8SDxsVExMVGx8aGRofJiIiJjAtMD4+VP/AABEIAAUACgMBIgACEQEDEQH/xABhAAEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABgcQAAEEAQMFAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEAAgMEBRESQQYHEzKBAQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABBBEAAgIDAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIDQQAFEQT/2gAMAwEAAhEDEQA/AMuz/byx0eypVjzc08d+sJXDwhm0Alpb7OJBUKcHsJaLL9AdOePqIpNfK8vnVnIJPaAvHYosU5C9AFdJrP/Z'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The latest addition to Valorant’s map pool, Lotus, will arrive with Episode 6 Act 1 on January 10. Alongside a revamped Split, it will replace Bind and Breeze to maintain the seven-map pool in Riot’s character based tactical shooter.
Lotus, set in the Western Ghats of Omega Earth’s India, is inspired by traditional Indian stepwells and rock-cut Dravidian architecture. It was promoted by the developers as “the lost city.”
This Valorant map has three plant sites, just like Haven, a map set in a monastery not far away in Bhutan. There are also other exciting features about the map that will make sure new playstyles are developed by teams to adapt to it.
This article will take a look at five unique features that can be found on Valorant’s latest new map – Lotus.
Rotating doors, a silent drop, and three other unique features in Valorant’s new map Lotus
1) Rotating doors
The foremost and most unique feature is the addition of two doors on either extremity of the map. These can be opened by pushing a button from the sides it connects.
Pressing the button on either side begins to rotate around its central axis, allowing players to pass through temporarily before closing again.
When opened, the door makes a sound that can be heard by players. It also has an indicator on the minimap that will tell players that the door has been opened.
A particularly interesting feature of these doors is that when a destructible utility is placed within the area of their rotation, it will be broken, irrespective of its maximum health. For example, a Killjoy Nanoswarm and a Lockdown will be broken if placed in its area of rotation and the door is turned on.
2) Breakable door
There is one breakable door at the exit/entry point of A-Link on the map, depending on which side players are coming from. It follows a similar style as Ascent’s doors; only there is no way to open or close them.
The door can be broken quite easily using a rifle’s automatic fire with only a few bullets, as with Ascent’s doors.
It also behaves similarly to an Alarmbot in giving away the player’s position if they break it. Once broken, it stays that way for the round and regenerates at the start of the next one.
3) Silent ramp drop
The spot on the map, called A-Drop, features a ramp from which players can jump off a high ground without pressing their Shift key or making a sound. This is the only mechanic in all the current maps, as even the smallest drops in Valorant make some sound.
This spot could be a popular flank spot on the map owing to the level of discretion it provides. Players must remember it is a one-way road. Once someone has dropped to the lower ground, they cannot go back without using an ability like Updraft, Blastpack, or Shrouded Step.
4) Three sites and three ultimate points
When Fracture came out with its four ultimate points, there was a lot of hype among Valorant players around the dangers such a mechanism might pose that didn’t add up to be as game-breaking as one thought it would.
Unlike Haven’s three-site two-orb setup, Lotus features three Ultimate orbs. The one in the middle is quite obviously favored by the attackers, with it being quite literally in front of their spawn.
The other two orbs are considerably more neutrally placed, making for an interesting spectacle where both sides could potentially try to contest it at the start of the round.
5) A lot of gradual elevation
Unlike Icebox and Fracture in Valorant, which feature a lot of elevation, it is not jagged on Lotus. There aren’t too many abrupt huge boxes or zip lines that people have to use to get to a high point. There is also a distinct absence of ‘tower’ and ‘nest’-like structures.
The map features gradual slopes leading to higher and lower levels than the average ground. There is a mound outside the C-site, similar in structure to the one outside the B-site in Fracture, but it doesn’t have a box to allow people to hide. If Agents without an escape ability challenge this spot, they have to commit to it.
The A-site is almost entirely plain, the C-site’s planting area is on a raised platform, while the B-site features a circular subterranean planting area that has to be accessed via a staircase. It is the first of its kind in Valorant.
Overall, the map has a bunch of interesting new stuff going on in it. These new features will come into play in Episode 6 Act 1 of Valorant.
Like other new maps in Valorant, it will have its separate unrated queue upon release before being included in ranked games.
