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Pearl is set to join Valorant’s existing map pool in Episode 5 Dimension, bringing a whole new dimension to the game’s mirror-verse lore.
Pearl will be the first map set on Omega Earth, a replica of Alpha Earth. Omega Earth is also referred to as Mirror Earth or Earth-2. Riot Games first introduced the mirror-verse concept in the game through the cinematic video, ‘Duality,' that was released last year on May 31, 2021.
However, players never got to experience Omega Earth themselves. Pearl will expose them to the mirror world for the first time.
Riot Games developers have teased the eighth map for a long time, through cinematic videos, Battle Pass, social media posts, and more. The wait is over as Pearl, a Portugal-based map from Omega Earth, will be released along with Patch 5.0, on June 22, 2022.
Pearl is Valorant’s first map from Omega Earth, will feature an underwater theme
The game's eighth map is based in Portugal, with the underwater theme as various teasers have suggested in the past. Players will get a new map after a long time in Riot’s tactical shooter, since Fracture’s release in September 2021.
Valorant’s Level Designer at Riot Games, Joe Lansford, claimed Pearl to be deceptively simple, compared to previous maps like Icebox, Breeze, and Fracture, but players can still expect some twists. He stated,
“After Icebox, Breeze, and Fracture, we wanted to make a map that was a little more straightforward. Pearl demands committed engagements without the rotation and mobility support of doors, ascenders, or teleporters. What you get is something deceptively simple, strategically speaking. That said, it still has some twists and all the depth you’d expect from a Valorant map.”
The underwater theme of the map brings a new experience to the players with Portuguese architecture and designs. Riot Games developers have also tried to bring the concept of climate change through the new map and how Omega Earth and Kingdom Industries will approach climate change through the map visuals.
Brian Yam, the Art Lead and Concept at Riot Games’ explained the inspiration behind Pearl and said,
“The inspiration for Pearl started from an older underwater theme pitch concept, which was combined with a newer pitch that revolved around a major city flooded from climate change. Concepts were made exploring these two ideas and when we placed the location in Portugal, it got everyone really excited because of its historical and architectural visual potential."
He futher went on to say:
"Since Pearl takes place on 'Omega Earth,' we wanted to explore how the Omega Kingdom would approach climate change and how we would convey this idea visually.”
Nevertheless, the new Valorant map will arrive as soon as the Patch 5.0 drops in the respective regions on June 22, with a new Battle Pass consisting of various in-game rewards.
