Breeze is the newest map in VALORANT and a stark contrast from almost every other map in the game. Players fight on a sun-drenched island in wide-open spaces that feature long sightlines, which is a refreshing change from the previous smaller, sometimes cramped maps.
The VALORANT developers revealed a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of Breeze today in the latest Dev Diary, showing the process of creating a map from scratch and how it becomes the battlefield players learn and enjoy.
Breeze is the first map the developers created post-launch, allowing them to see how players interacted with the game. The developers listened to player feedback asking for larger spaces and open, longer sightlines for Breeze. The large open areas around the map allow players to push or defend sites in new ways, forcing them to adapt to new agents or abilities.
The pyramids on A site originally appeared on a scrapped prototype map, but the developers enjoyed the gameplay around the object and decided to bring it back for Breeze. The team also reduces the size of maps as they test and edit them. But for Breeze, they decided to “hold the line” on these elements.
After the game designers finished the “final gray box” version of Breeze, the art team brought the map to life. During this step, the artists gave the map its iconic rusty, nautical appearance that fans know today. The artists also added the various lore elements around the map, like the glowing Radianite in the chop shop near A site.
These areas are often in spots out of the normal play space to avoid disrupting gameplay. Players can still find these spots, like the area above A site with the portal and Radiante, but they’re out of the way and not an issue.
Professional players will play on Breeze for the first time in official matches during VALORANT Champions Tour Stage Three, which will likely show players a unique way to play the map. It will also give developers more insight into how the map works and if any changes need to be made.
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