The latest Valorant map, Lotus, is a unique addition to the game’s map pool that offers players a new and exciting challenge. The map’s design encourages aggressive playstyles, taking map space and making quick, decisive decisions during the mid-rounds.
Agents that are the likes of Harbor, Jett, Killjoy, Sage, Astra, Brimstone, Cypher, Yoru, Reyna, Breach, and KAY/O thrive in Lotus’ tight corners and small sites.
Zowui, a private coach and the IGL of Eximius Pro, shared his insights on how to master the new Lotus map in Valorant. Here’s what he has to say:
Lotus is a map that rewards players who are quick-witted and make smart decisions. The links and halls of the map are interconnected, making it a tricky map to hold as a defender. However, the easy and fun solution to this is to take space and push out on any side of the map. This gives the Defender team an advantage as they continuously grab information, pinching the attackers into a tricky spot to fight in.
Lotus has 120 meters of space between A to C (in width) compared to Haven’s width of 110 meters. However, it’s important to note that while Haven is smaller, it’s a bigger map but has fewer areas in comparison to Lotus, which has more areas but less space. This is crucial because instead of playing out like it’s Haven or Ascent, it’s much more similar in gameplay to Split, where there are many but small areas to clear.
This makes agents such as Fade a crucial part of any team composition, with her Prowlers and Seize, she can take space at any part of the map freely and without risks! Killjoy, the German Sentinel, can also prove to be very useful on Lotus, especially when her ult can take up as much as a site and a half! Duelists that can go with their utility are also rewarded on Lotus, such as Yoru and Raze. An intelligent Yoru will be rewarded well on this map, creating chaos as a distraction for their team while being able to rotate and teleport to safety.
The multiple openings of Lotus also create very interesting angles to fight. Take B site for example, the site is exposed to multiple angles all at once if the spike is planted. Valorant’s newest agent, Harbor, might prove to be the answer to this seemingly impossible covered area. Most controllers have two to three smokes to be able to provide cover to their team. Harbor has a wall that averages around seven smokes long to cover vision and three other utilities that also act as a smoke! The amount of information Harbor can withhold and give through his utility is massive, making whichever team picks one up, prove to be an amazing addition to the roster.
In competitive play, Zowui suggests that we may see a different take on Lotus. An aggressive style of play that conditions their opponents to adapt to whatever circumstance is thrown at them. Because of the tight and multiple areas and halls, usage of nades and drones would most likely increase in this map. Killjoy and Fade would likely be the staples, with the additional lineups from who-knows-where. The strats in Lotus would most likely have Defenders push out often, Attackers entering the Defender’s spawn, and a high emphasis on trading and dueling playstyle!
Overall, Lotus is a unique and exciting addition to the Valorant map pool. It offers players new challenges and rewards creativity and teamwork. With its tight spaces and multiple openings, players will need to adapt and think on their feet to succeed on this map.