Valorant
Valorant Episode 7 Act 2 has been officially launched for everyone to play. Included in this new Act is a new map called Sunset and taking its inspiration from the city of Los Angeles — the same city where we saw Evil Geniuses take the win at the VCT Champions 2023.
Looking at the new map trailer we can see plenty of references to the City of Angels, including a basketball court, inspired by the many local courts seen in LA’s city parks.
We take a closer look at Sunset’s layout and discuss the ideal agents to use, as well as offering some predictions about how the meta will evolve.
Valorant Sunset Release Date & Layout In-Game
SunsetSunset was launched on August 29. Valorant players are able to test out the map in an unranked match for a few weeks in the Sunset section of the menu. Taking a look at the layout of the map, Sunset consists of two plant sites. A major emphasis has been placed on the middle portion of the map — we can probably expect to see a lot of aim duels at the start of the round on this map. Looking at the ult orb locations it’s worth noting they’re in quite difficult spots, potentially making it a challenge to gather them.
Sunset layout
The orb on B Main looks like it can be recovered easily by the defenders, but for attackers it does seem to be in a tougher location. The orb on A-main looks like another spot on the map which will be contested quite a bit. Attackers will need to be wary of being shot from either side of the orb. For attackers, we can see a higher emphasis on planting towards the B plant site. Many teams will try to gain map control in the middle of the site and then split into B. Similar to the map of Ascent, Sunset has a Market before the attacker can enter onto B site.
The A plant site is one of the most intriguing parts of Sunset’s layout. On attack, players have two paths onto the site. The left path takes them directly to the plant site to be able to plant behind the box. The right path will take them directly to the back of the site. Due to this, we can see the left path being used to enter onto site while the right path is used for the postplant. If defenders do get map control in the middle of the map, the attackers will need to be wary of a backstab. Sunset also consists of a lot of windows and wires spread randomly around the map, creating a higher chance for certain agents to execute very unique lineups.
Which Agents to test on Sunset?
SunsetSentinel
Due to the structure of the map, there are quite a few agents who seem like useful picks on Sunset. Starting with the Sentinel class, one of the agents who looks very advantageous is Cypher, thanks to there being quite a few windows and elevated points in the map, one can have a sneaky camera set up. Using the trip wires on either A main or B main, it will be quite easy to spot a push by the attacker as well. On this map, the choke points/entry points are a bit wide due, meaning smokes from certain agents will leave spaces, but Cypher’s smokes are large enough they won’t do that.
Chamber is another option who could be useful on Sunset. Due to the various corners present around the map, Chamber could play either B main or even the middle of the map with an Operator to gain an early kill.
Controller
Within the controller class of agents, Viper is the go-to agent on this map. Her toxic wall and smokes will be quite effective in blocking entry onto sites. We imagine Viper will be picked quite frequently in both ranked and competitive tournaments too. With the Viper’s Pit, one can cover either plant site on the post plant. It’s worth remembering Viper is one of the best agents on any map because of her ability to have a universal presence in the game.
Another controller worth looking at is Astra. Her smokes, like Cypher’s, are ideal in leaving no gaps on any choke points in B main or the middle of the map. Thanks to Sunset’s layout, if Astra places her ultimate she can use it to confuse the defenders about which part of the map the attackers wish to plant.
A special mention also goes to Harbor, he should be quite effective on this new Valorant map due to his ultimate and High Tides ability to curve as the user wishes.
Duelist
Unquestionably, the ideal Duelist for Sunset is Raze. Raze is one of the most complete agents currently pickable in Valorant. Her cluster grenade can be used to exploit choke points, such as B main. While her Boombot could be crucial in clearing certain angles on the map such as in Market or even A main.
Initiator
Finally, looking at the Initiator class there are quite a few agents who should prove good picks on Sunset. There are two agents in particular who could see a lot of usage in competitive matches — Breach and Fade.
Fade should be quite useful on Sunset, due to her prowlers being able to detect agents holding a particular angle. Her Haunt, when used correctly, can detect a lot of agents at once providing plenty of information.
Breach, on the other hand, benefits a lot thanks to the heavy presence of walls. His Aftershock and flashes should help provide entry onto the B site with ease. While saving up his Rolling Thunder for a retake will help take back quite a lot of map control on the site.
