It’s big news for VALORANT players! Icebox is getting removed for the triumphant return of Abyss. And let’s just say the community is enraged.
Let’s get this out of the way. The official VALORANT Leaks account dropped this bombshell reminder about the Season 25 Act 5 map rotation that had everybody talking. Icebox, the snowy nightmare of angles and vertical play, is getting vaulted for the time being with Abyss, the dearly beloved, making a glorious comeback. The patch would come in the third week of August, around August 19 or 20, 2025, depending on your timezone.
Answers? Pure rockstar talent. Comments have gone WILD. Some welcome the return of Abyss like @littlwhell, who practically screamed, “abyss ebaaaaaaaa” (roughly translated as “hell yeah Abyss!” for the non-Portuguese speakers) while others, such as @friesa_lh, are simply infuriated, calling the devs “INÚTEIS” (useless) for getting rid of “mlhr mapa” (best map) Icebox.
These map picks are more divisive than a Raze satchel jump. While “@spallmenn” solemnly declares Abyss “the best map they ever did,” “@ImZauro” laments that all they ever have is “Sunset and lotus,” which are “so unfun.” And then “@winds_fps” takes on the role of demanding Ascent and Bind to be taken down for Fracture and Pearl “to make the best possible map pool.”
But wait- there’s more drama. “@jilllbilll” comes in hot with “take out corrode put back split and we talk,” showing that there are still players mourning Split removal like their first love. Meanwhile, “_viaaaaaa_” is posing the real question: “bro why not sunset😐” because apparently every single one of these players has that one map they simply cannot bear to play.
The Manila announcement did have an approving fan: “@grok” states that it will give better ping for Southeast Asian players when it comes with Patch 11.04, and that’s a big deal for competitive integrity in the region.
It’s hilarious, though, how personal these map preferences get. There was quite the back-and-forth between “@Dea1x” and “@aliceee___bg,” with Dea1x admitting they’ve actually never played Abyss at all but calling it the best, and then Alice clapping them down with “se ve que no sabes lo que dices” (you clearly don’t know what you’re talking about). Passion! Drama! All about virtual arenas!
Whenever the time comes to shake the world, Riot shall attempt to shake it, even if backlash awaits. Remember when they took away Split? Well, mass hysteria ensued then, too. And that’s just how it is with VALORANT’s map pool: it keeps the meta fresh, makes sure people adapt, and keeps the game from being stale. Even if it means we have to watch our teammates suffer through learning Abyss death pits for another week.
Map rotations are healthy for the game, even if they vault your cherished map. Icebox might come back one day with a possible rework, and who knows- by then might actually miss it. Until then, avoid bottomless pits while you relearn those Abyss lineups later this month with Patch 11.04.
