All new content arriving with valorant patch 5.0 today: Episode 5, new map Pearl, Prelude to Chaos skin line, and more

With the launch of Episode 5 Act 1, Valorant players are expecting a bunch of new content to come their way. From a new Battle Pass and skin lines that are regularly released in Valorant to an all-new map, rank, and more, there’s a host of new content arriving with patch 5.0 today.

Set to arrive in the update is the new map, Pearl, which is quite evidently based on the lost city of Atlantis. The new, dark and edgy Prelude to Chaos skin line is also scheduled to arrive with Episode 5 Act 1. Players will finally be able to dive into and discover everything new in the game when the patch goes live later today (June 22, 2022).

What’s new in Valorant Episode 5 Act 1

New Atlantis-based map to be released with Episode 5

The new map, codenamed Pitt, has now been confirmed for Valorant Episode 5 Act 1. The map, which has now been named Pearl, has been teased for nearly a year at this point and is based on the underwater city of Atlantis. Riot has mentioned that it’s being held by a “city-wide geo dome” made to stop the high tides.

Pearl is an underwater map, the first of its kind in Valorant, and is the eighth map in Valorant’s map pool. This is also the first map that Riot has added to Valorant since the release of Fracture last year. The map is essentially a giant reverse aquarium surrounded by water and marine life.

Split removed from the competitive queue

Split will soon be dropped temporarily from Valorant’s map pool. Riot will maintain the seven-map pool when Pearl enters the fray. This is sad news for fans of the Split map, which is a map that heavily favors defenders.

Split has been in Valorant's map pool since the launch of the game. With the Pearl map releasing on July 22, Split will be removed from the competitive matchmaking pool. Riot hasn't given a reason as to why Split is being removed, but it seems that it will probably re-enter the map pool after some tweaks and enhancements by the developers.

New Battle Pass

The regular content of the Battle Pass and skins is expected to hit the in-game store when Episode 5 Act 1 launches. Players can expect the same 50-tier Battle Pass content, which features sprays, player cards, titles, Radianite points, skins, and more. The Battle Pass is a highly anticipated part of the game as it allows players to get their hands on a lot of new in-game cosmetics at dirt cheap prices.

The new Battle Pass for Episode 5 will feature three new skin lines, as confirmed by Riot games. The skin lines are named Shimmer, Spitfire, and Task Force 809. Players will need to spend 1000 Valorant Points (VP) and grind through 50 tiers of missions in order to complete the event and get all the rewards.

New Player Cards

Episode 5 Act 1 Battlepass will bring the following player cards into Valorant’s ever-growing collection:

Collector's Edition KAY/O
Enter the Duelists
Epilogue PlayZilla Tactibear
I Am Everywhere
Joke's Over
Operation Vacation
Owl Drown Schema
PlayZilla Tactibear
Shimmer
Tactibunny Terror
Tactical Knife Schema
Task Force 809
Unstoppable Jett

Gun Buddies

Gun buddies are cosmetic items that can be attached to a weapon, giving it a unique flair. Here are the gun buddies arriving with Valorant Episode 5 Act 1:

Cat Tactics
EP 5 Act 1 Coin
Epilogue Pocket-Sized Sheriff
Gimbap
Heavy Lifting
Perfect Pattern
Pocket-Sized Sheriff
Shimmer
Tactical Surprise
Task Force 809

Sprays

Sprays are temporary stickers that can be sprayed onto any map surface. Three different sprays can be equipped, one for the pre-round period, one during the round, and one after the round. They can have their own unique sound effects or animations. Here are all the Battle Pass Sprays coming to Episode 5 Act 1:

A Perfect Score
Cool Joy
Just Jokin
Neon bot
Never Forget Leg Day
No Duelist, No Problem
No spectre
Nosey Neighbor
Sage Signal
That's a Blowout
Trailblazing Tiger
Waddle Walk (Animated)
We Can Do It
Winner's Ribbon
You Wanna Play

New skin line

The Prelude to Chaos skin bundle is a new skin bundle arriving with Valorant’s Episode 5 Act 1. It gives off a dark sci-fi vibe with weapons worthy of being wielded by an evil space-faring race. The showstopper is a massive two-handed sword with chaotic and moving visual effects.

Buying the entire bundle will set players back by 8700 VP, which includes all the gun skins, one gun buddy, one spray, and one card. It is featured in the Exclusive Edition of Valorant’s many skin tiers and features skins for the Operator, Shorty, Stinger, Vandal, and the Melee.

New rank

With the launch of Episode 5 Act 1, Riot has decided to add a new rank to the hierarchy. The new rank is named Ascendant and is placed between Diamond and Immortal. It’s represented by emerald green badges and will have three levels to it, just like all the ranks before it.

The new rank will change the rank distribution as Riot is looking to redistribute players in the lower ranks and push them out of the rut. This creates more space for Diamond players to move up while maintaining the prestige of the higher ranks. However, it will now be a bit harder for Immortal players to rank up.