'%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,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Episode 4 Act 3 of Valorant made its way into the game on April 27. Introducing a new Agent and a diverse set of in-game changes, the new Act is one that was highly anticipated by the game's loyal community.
Each Act in Valorant always has something new in store for the playerbase. Alternating between a new Agent and a new map, Riot Games maintains their audience's engagement by dropping fresh content in each Act of the game.
The ongoing Episode 4 Act 2 introduced Fade, a Turkish Initiator, as Valorant's most recent Agent addition. Following previous trends, a new Battlepass and an enticing new skin collection were also released to the community's delight.
With 2 Agent releases in Episode 4, and with the latest map dating back to Episode 3 Act 2, Valorant enthusiasts can likely expect a possible map release in the upcoming Act.
Valorant's upcoming map expected to be set in Lisbon, Portugal
Prior to each major release, be it an Agent or a map, Riot Games ensures that the community is aware and excited about the forthcoming changes. Leading up to the release of Fade, Riot released several hints through various items from the previous Battlepass.
In a similar fashion, Riot Games may have already dropped a hint on the game's upcoming map through the ongoing Episode 4 Act 3 Battlepass.
Upon completing Tier 50 of the Battlepass, players will be rewarded with a couple of free chapter rewards. One of the items from the rewards, called the 'Yellows on Rails' card, may be the latest piece to the puzzle that will disclose the whereabouts of the upcoming map.
Following Fracture's release in Episode 3, Riot has gradually been revealing the lore around the map. The voicemails found on the map introduced unknown characters called Oran McEneff and Rúben Pontes, both of whom are employed under the infamous Kingdom Corp.
According to sources online, Oran and Ruben are the two individuals who can be spotted in the 'Yellows on Rails' card. This directly ties them to the events that may lead to the formation of the next Valorant map.
The train shown in the player card resembles an "Elétrico", a form of public transport often seen in Portugal. Additionally, the Kingdom Industries logo at the bottom of the train reiterates the location of the next map as Omega Earth or Earth 2, an alternate universe.
Earlier in Episode 4, Riot dropped an easter egg around the location of the next map. Lisbon, a city in Portugal, was listed as the next destination on the train schedule shown in Fracture. Additionally, the contents of the 'Yellows' on Rails player card further supports this theory.
The upcoming map is also expected to be underwater. One can observe from the player card that the train travels on an underground pathway surrounded by marine life. This, paired with the blue portal from the new home screen, might indicate that the entire map or at least parts of it may be underwater.
While the release date for the new map is yet to be confirmed by Riot Games, players can hope to experience it in the upcoming Act of Valorant. Until then, enthusiasts can look forward to Riot possibly dropping hints that get us closer to the reveal.
