What’s up with the Valorant map picking system?

During beta, Valorant featured 3 different maps; Bind, Haven and Split. At launch, a fourth was added in the shape of Ascent.

Each environment has its own unique quirks, and requires a different sort of playstyle and strategy. In theory, this should help to keep things fresh and enjoyable even during the longest of grinds.

However, despite this ample selection of maps, some people are finding themselves stuck playing the same one on a seemingly endless loop.

User u/smichers vented their frustration to the r/VALORANT subreddit after being given Split 8 times on the bounce – something we can all sympathise with. In fact, they commented shortly after to report a 9^th outing to the map.

Whatever convoluted ass way the map system works, it's broken. The chance of getting split 8 times in a row is 0.000015% yet here we are and its not the first time from r/VALORANT

Plenty of other gamers shared similar stories, with regular occurrences of 5/6/7 match long streaks on a particular map. This is nothing new, but as you play the game more and more, the issue can feel increasingly tedious.

Of course, we don’t know exactly how Riot chooses which map will be used. If they all have an even chance, then streaks like those described above are inevitable. Just think of a roulette wheel, sure the two colours have an even probability of hitting, but go to the casino on any given night and you’re bound to see a long run of red or black.

The problem is that playing the same map for hours can get boring, even if you love Valorant. And if you are in ranked mode, leaving a match will result in a penalty.

Riot have hinted that more maps are coming in the future, which would help, though they will likely be few and far between.

To solve this, the developers could potentially add an option which lets players pick which maps they want to search for. However, this may lead to slower queue times for less popular maps.

Exactly what else can be done we will have to wait and see, but for the sake of the community’s collective sanity, let’s hope there’s a solution.