Not every idea is good, just ask anyone who’s invested in crypto. But sometimes, good ideas don’t stay bad forever. And while one idea for an interesting VALORANT map and mechanic combo has been scrapped for now, it may still take flight in the future.
The next map set to join the VALORANT map pool has been revealed as Lotus, an ancient place with three spike sites, rotating doors, and destructible environments, inspired by Indian architecture. But an original design for the map took place in an entirely different locale, with a unique mechanic that might not have been received very well.
“When designing Lotus, I was originally envisioning a space station and had an airlock mechanic that shut down large areas of the map,” said level designer Joe Lansford. “Turned out to just not be that fun, so we scrapped the idea and moved in the direction we have today.”
This space station map and airlock mechanic would have been the first in VALORANT to permanently close off an area of the map. On Ascent, players can close two separate doors that provide paths to each site, but both doors can be destroyed.
An airlock mechanic could be applied to a VALORANT map in the future, though, if done right. Most actual airlocks feature two doors with a compartment in between that helps with the pressure issue, so the idea of an airlock with two doors in which one has to be closed for the other to open could be fun if implemented correctly. Even if an airlock isn’t included, a space station with big space window corridors that give players gorgeous interstellar views would be aesthetically pleasing. But, of course, gameplay comes first.
This isn’t the first ambitious idea Riot has decided to scrap. Before Pearl was released, Lansford revealed that the early version of the map, which originally went by the nickname “Pitt,” included an open pit that players could fall in located on the site.
Lotus will go live when Episode Six, Act One begins on Jan. 10.
