Every Episode 8 Icebox and Lotus Change: A Guide
Out with the old and in with the new: VALORANT will begin the year with Icebox’s return to the map pool and Haven’s removal. The devs have been busy doing some serious spring cleaning in preparation for Episode 8 – both Icebox and Lotus have undergone renovations. Starting on January 10th, 2023, Icebox will become more balanced, and Lotus will be nearly unrecognizable. Let’s take a moment to learn everything necessary about the upcoming Icebox and Lotus changes and prepare your team for a new year of competitive play.
Icebox
Before
After
Icebox has retained its general structure – A-Site and Defender Spawn are notably unchanged. It remains the charming map veteran VALORANT players grew to love. However, significant alterations have simplified B-Site pushes and remedied some unbalanced angles stemming from areas in Attacker Spawn and Mid.
B-Site
VALORANT’s devs have removed the raised green boxes in B Main, leaving the original two boxes around it alone. The entryway to B-Site from the Kitchen has become walled off with additional crates. Players will have fewer angles to watch as they contest and take site. This will place greater emphasis on aim and game sense.
Attacker Spawn
A second crate has appeared above the blue crate closest to Mid. These changes deny Attackers visibility into Mid and below Tube from Attacker Spawn. An Operator user could previously lurk on the Attacker Spawn platform and wait all game with a scope on Mid for flank picks – this was a very unfair and frustrating situation.
Mid
VALORANT devs have added a small window above the Tube, and the space below the Tube is much more open. Inside the Tube, the entryway to the Kitchen has widened with an added crate angle to make it more difficult to contest.
Lotus
Before
After
While Icebox has only undergone a slight facelift, Lotus is almost a completely new map. Every one of its sites has changed. The VALORANT team has focused on altering plant areas and removing rat angles. In addition, areas near the A-B door and Rubble are entirely different.
A-Site
The site has not changed much – Tree Room and Heaven remain the same. However, the structure in the middle of the site has notably become a three-walled cubby instead of the awning it used to be. VALORANT devs probably intended to give spike defusers and planters more cover.
There is also a sizeable puddle of water in the plant area, but the purpose of this space remains to be clarified. It could give more accurate positioning cues or make it harder for enemies to sneak around without making noise.
B-Site
The plant area on Icebox’s B-Site is much smaller. Previously, players could plant in the corner of the site next to the two crates. Now the spike can only be planted within a smaller, more cubic zone. In addition, there is a new pocket in the wall to the left of the Attacker's entrance to the site. It was previously a struggle to hold B-Site without overextending off-site – this new pocket angle will make site holds fairer.
C-Site
In contrast to A-Site, the VALORANT devs restructured Lotus’ C-Site to be more open and simpler to contest. They removed many infamous rat angles and moved half of the previous plant area. Players can no longer plant the spike on the platform next to Waterfalls, but they can plant the spike in Bend. The stacked crates on the platform have lowered, while the crate next to Bend is taller and wider to create a narrower angle. The pillar in the corner of the plant area also has a greater height. A corner angle is now to the right of the C-Site entryway for easier crossfires. This complete renovation of C-Site will probably make future pushes fairer for attackers.
Doors and Rubble
The connector door pocket between A-Site and B-Site has become more angular than its previous curved form. The crate near A Main has been replaced with a wall, while two new crates have appeared next to the door pocket. Once players pass through the doorway, they will notice that the chamber within B-Site’s door entryway has expanded. There is another new corner angle added to the left of the door.
Further changes may appear after the January 10th update, but these are the most glaring differences between the modern Icebox and Lotus and their forms in 2023. While Icebox’s changes are relatively minor, Lotus’ revamp has the potential to shake up the meta a bit. Be sure to play around with different agents and experiment with new strategies to find what works best for the upcoming season, and stay tuned for more Episode 8 updates!
