Breeze returns to VALORANT, replaces Sunset for Season 26 Act 1

Riot Games will bring Breeze back into the competitive map pool for Season 26 Act 1, swapping it in place of Sunset. The in-game countdown points to the rotation happening around January 7, 2026, ahead of the Act’s Premier schedule.

The returning tropical map was removed in the 8.11 update about a year and a half ago. Riot’s Gameplay Product Lead Coleman “Altombre” Palm said the team has been “investigating some updates for the map,” though specific tweaks have not been detailed yet, his brief note is preserved in a community comment on Reddit.

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The competitive map pool listed with the rotation will be:

Breeze
Corrode
Split
Abyss
Pearl
Bind
Haven

Since its debut in August 2023, Sunset has only been removed from competitive once, which made it a clear candidate to rotate out this time. Players who still want to play on Sunset can find it in modes like Swiftplay and Spike Rush. Pro players offered mixed reactions revealing their excitement about the return of Breeze.

omg happy new year, took us long enough to get here

— G2 mimi 🌻 (@mimimimichaela) January 1, 2026

Beyond the map swap, Riot’s live-balance team has signaled that additional agent balance changes will land with the update, Live Balance Designer Ryan Cousart noted upcoming adjustments on X.

We got some balance changes in before going to break, getting them ready for the new year. Was a heck of a year :’) going to recharge and come back fresh working on something new 😘 https://t.co/oV1FyCNenW

— Ryan Cousart (@rycoux) December 23, 2025

Keep an eye on the rotation timer in-game for the exact moment Breeze returns and for patch details that may arrive alongside the swap. Follow CPG on X, Bluesky, YouTube, and Instagram.

Valorant is a character-based 5v5 tactical shooter set on the global stage. Outwit, outplay, and outshine your competition with tactical abilities, precise gunplay, and adaptive teamwork.