One of Valorant’s most controversial maps is getting a slight rework soon. According to maps and modes design lead Joe Lansford, the team is working on a couple of Fracture changes to improve the overall player experience.
In a developer update posted on TikTok, Lansford said that they were looking at general “quality of life” changes across Fracture, in addition to making the A site more “defensible.”
Fracture is one of the more unique maps in Valorant. It features two attacker spawns, which allow attackers to pinch defenders from both sides of the map.
In a lot of ways, Fracture favors the attackers, which puts pressure on defenders to actively take map control.
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Fracture changes are coming in a future update
One of the most challenging areas to take control of on Fracture is Dish. Both attackers and defenders are able to access the area the second the barrier drops, but it is replete with awkward angles.
Attackers pushing Dish will have to be wary of both the left and right side of the structure. At the same time, defenders could pincer them from B Arcade, leaving even the most confident players in quite a pickle.
The good news is that some changes to Dish are incoming, said Lansford, to make the space “more useable for attack and defense.”
Fracture’s design is made more complicated by the fact that it is the polar opposite of a traditional three-lane map like Pearl. While it is usually up to attackers to seize space, the reverse is true on Fracture.
“For Fracture, we wanted to flip neutral space on its head,” said Lansford. “Neutral space is the territory between each team’s half of the map. So attackers own their attackers spawn area and defenders own the sites.”
“Generally, the onus is on the attackers [to take control], but here the pressure is on defenders to push out and take space.”
If not, they run the risk of getting pushed from both sides with very little room for counterplay or retake attempts.
In the past, Riot Games has made small but meaningful changes to maps like Split, Bind, and Breeze. The changes helped them feel a lot more balanced, in addition to simplifying several engagements and making spaces feel more intuitive.
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