The 5 Best VALORANT Agents to Play on Icebox
Leaked VALORANT information has confirmed something hordes of VALORANT players have been long awaiting: Icebox is returning to the competitive map pool while Haven is making a temporary exit. The map has been absent from rotation since April 2023, but Haven has been a constant since VALORANT’s release nearly four years ago in 2020. As VALORANT fans prepare for these upcoming changes, let’s look at which agent picks are most suitable for Icebox and why their abilities are perfect to create a competitive play advantage.
Viper
Icebox is Viper’s playground. The map is well-known for its easy Toxin lineups and ratty Ultimate spots. In addition, Viper’s wall can cut off valuable angles in mid and A-site while her orb creates a one-way to deny B-site. Because mid-map control is vital in Icebox, Viper is also a strong option for a lurking agent who can secure picks on any player greedy enough to attempt to take that space.
B-site’s plant area is relatively open – this poses a massive issue for attackers in a post-plant scenario who need to defend patiently from far positions in B-main without information or risk exposure by peeking into multiple angles to protect the site. Viper solves this problem with her Viper’s Pit Ultimate, wall, and orb. These abilities can slice up the site, make it easier to attack and deny the enemy team vision while a teammate safely plants.
Sova
Riot Games
Because visibility, information, and lurks are crucial on Icebox, players need a strong Initiator to monitor what’s happening around the map. The best defense is to know your enemy – and to accomplish that, Sova is just what you need.
Sova can significantly impact gameplay on Icebox for Defenders and Attackers alike. His recon can easily capture enemies on the map’s open sites. Meanwhile, Sova’s drone is perfect for clearing Icebox’s twisting corridors and retaking sites after the enemy has planted. Sova’s Shock Bolts will easily damage enemies stuck in cramped areas such as B-kitchen, tube, and B-main. Icebox is a map that requires smoke utilities to deny vision – a skilled Sova is a solution for even the strongest enemy Viper, as he can render her smokes ineffective with a perfectly timed recon or a careful drone pushing through them. Ideally, though, both will be present in one team comp.
Sage
Sage’s wall is another easy way to maintain Icebox’s mid control – by placing it far up, players can deny the entirety of mid. For a less risky but still effective defense, players can diagonally wall off the tube and eliminate all access to B kitchen and hall. While mid is her most effective placement, Sage can conveniently wall off the narrow A-site choke point and completely prevent an enemy push. Combined with a Viper wall and slow orbs, this creates a double-layered defense that makes A site near impossible to attack. Once Sage places her wall, she can freely rotate across the map – unlike sentinels such as Killjoy and Chamber, who are range-restricted.
In addition to these strategies, Sage’s heals will keep players alive and information flowing. Her Resurrection ultimate can make the difference in a clutch or maintain a numerical advantage. Icebox is a map with many corridors and long angles – the more players are alive to monitor them, the better.
Jett
Image courtesy of Riot Games
No agent is better prepared to contest Icebox’s long angles than Jett. Her kit is finely tuned to ensure she can escape duels without punishment, take space to break choke points and gain information. Plus, Jett is a menace with snipers – every veteran Icebox enjoyer recalls traumatic memories from the Jett holding that one Operator angle atop the A-site wall. She can protect A-main from Rafters, carefully hold mid from Boiler, or watch B-main from Snowman. While another agent might die after whiffing an Operator shot on these angles, Jett can dash away and live to tell the tale – your team’s numbers will stay up with the added benefit of quick rotate calls and information.
Icebox’s A-site choke point consists of a narrow corridor that Defenders can easily protect as enemies funnel through. To take A, Jett is ideal as a decoy – she can dash in and apply pressure while the rest of her team capitalizes on the enemies’ distraction. Jett can also dash from B-main to behind B-site’s yellow boxes for a push angle that catches enemies off-guard.
Skye
Riot Games
A team comp is only complete with reliable flashes. Skye is the go-to flash agent for Icebox because of her varied utility. Aside from the most precise flashes in the game, she provides healing and abundant information. Skye’s Trailblazer can run circles around lurking enemies and protect valuable territory. Players stuck in cramped spaces like tube, B-main or halls will struggle to avoid its nasty concussion effect. The Trailblazer is also especially strong for retaking A-site, where enemies can hide in ratty spots under rafters or around pipes and must be identified before a push. Her Seeker Ultimate can clear out angles obscured by smokes and locate remaining enemies in a clutch situation.
Icebox’s setup may change with its re-release. Devs have remodeled maps like Bind and Pearl similarly since their addition to the competitive rotation. However, barring major alterations, Icebox’s theory fundamentals will stay the same – and these agents are likely to remain optimal picks. Along with Icebox’s return, a mysterious agent and a new weapon, the Outlaw, loom on the horizon – 2024 will be an exciting year for VALORANT.
