The new act is live, and the Valorant competitive map pool has been refreshed. Season 26 Act 1 brings one returning map back into ranked play while rotating one out. Whether you are grinding ranked or prepping for Premier, knowing which maps are in rotation is the first step to climbing.
Riot keeps exactly seven maps in the competitive pool at all times. The Valorant Wiki confirms that this number was chosen to ensure enough variety without overwhelming players, while also supporting best-of-three and best-of-five pro formats with equal bans. Since v10.00, the rotation updates every act. Here is every map in ranked for v26 Act 1.
Valorant V26 Act 1 Map Pool: All 7 Active Maps
Turtle Beach confirmed the v26 Act 1 map pool with the release of Patch 12.00 in January 2026. The Valorant Wiki's current rotation tracker matches. The full competitive map pool is:
Abyss -- Set deep within an endless chasm with no outer walls. The Valorant official site describes it as a "clandestine base" where "death drops" create opportunities for utility plays. Players can fall off the map, making positioning around ledges and edges one of the more mechanically demanding elements in ranked.
Bind -- Two sites with no mid connector. The official description: "Two sites. No middle... a pair of one-way teleporters make it easier to flank." Both teams funnel into one of two paths, then use the teleporters for fast rotations.
Breeze -- Back in the pool after being rotated out for 576 days according to the Valorant Wiki's history table. Set in a tropical paradise with historic ruins and seaside caves. The official site describes it as a map with "wide open spaces and long-range engagements" where watching flanks is critical.
Corrode -- The newest standard map in Valorant, released in Patch 11.00. Set at Mont-Saint-Michel, France, on Omega Earth. The official site describes it as "a French castle town turned radianite salt mining facility" with "layered defenses" in a traditional three-lane layout.
Haven -- A three-site map set beneath a monastery. The official description notes "more territory to control, but defenders can use the extra real estate for aggressive pushes." Mid control is critical since it connects to all three sites.
Pearl -- Set in a vibrant underwater city in Lisbon, Portugal on Omega Earth. The official site describes Pearl as "a geo-driven map with no mechanics," meaning no teleporters, doors, or other interactive elements. Attackers push down into defenders across compact mid or longer-range wings.
Split -- Two sites split by an elevated center with two rope ascenders for rapid vertical movement. The official description highlights looming towers at each site that are "vital for control."
What Changed: Breeze Returns, Sunset Exits
Image Credit - playvalorant.com
The headline for v26 Act 1 is straightforward: Sunset is out, Breeze is back. Turtle Beach confirmed the swap, and the Valorant Wiki shows Sunset marked as "Removed" and Breeze as "Added" in v12.00.
The Valorant Wiki's rotation history shows Breeze was last removed from the competitive pool at Patch 8.0. It was out of the pool for 576 days before returning in v12.00, making this one of the longer map absences in the game's history.
Maps Currently Rotated Out
Image Credit - playvalorant.com
The Valorant Wiki lists the following standard maps as currently out of the competitive pool:
Ascent -- Set in Venice, Italy. Out for 138 days as of early March 2026.
Fracture -- Set in Santa Fe County, New Mexico. Out for 306 days.
Icebox -- Set on Bennett Island, Russia. Out for 194 days.
Lotus -- Set in the Western Ghats, India. A three-site map like Haven. Out for 138 days.
Sunset -- Set in Los Angeles, California. Removed this act after 254 days in rotation.
How Map Selection Works
Image Credit - playvalorant.com
The Valorant Wiki details Riot's deterministic map selection system. Once 10 players are matched, the system checks which maps each player has played over their last 5 games. Any map a player has played twice in those 5 games gets removed from the pool. The system then picks the least played map from whatever remains. This approach dramatically reduced same-map streaks compared to earlier random and pseudo-random systems.
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FAQs
1. What maps are in the Valorant Season 26 Act 1 competitive rotation?
The seven maps in the v26 Act 1 competitive pool are Abyss, Bind, Breeze, Corrode, Haven, Pearl, and Split.
2. What map was removed for Valorant v26 Act 1?
Sunset was removed from the competitive pool at the start of Season 26 Act 1 with the release of Patch 12.00 in January 2026.
3. Is Breeze back in Valorant competitive for 2026?
Yes. Breeze returned to ranked with v26 Act 1 after being out of the competitive pool since Patch 8.0. The Valorant Wiki's rotation history shows it was absent for 576 days.
4. Is Corrode a new map?
Corrode is the twelfth standard map added to Valorant, released in Patch 11.00. Set at Mont-Saint-Michel, France, on Omega Earth, it is described by Riot as a French castle town turned radianite salt mining facility with a traditional three-lane layout.
5. How many maps are always in the Valorant competitive pool?
Riot keeps exactly seven maps in the competitive pool at all times. The rotation updates each act since v10.00, swapping maps in and out to refresh the meta.