Quick Links
Valorant has continued to create massive waves since its launch in 2020. Over the last two-plus years, we’ve seen a handful of new agents and maps added that have kept the game feeling fresh. And with Valorant’s major Episode Six update, we have another new battlefield to explore in Lotus.
Lotus is an ancient city built by the Guardians in the Western Ghats of Omega Earth’s India. Known as the City of Flowers, it was meant to be a multiverse nexus but a catastrophic event caused the city to fall into ruins. Here's everything you need to know.
Three Spike Sites
Lotus joins Haven as only the second map in Valorant with three spike sites. Lotus is massive and you’ll need to cover a lot of ground to properly attack or defend. Each spike site is closer to the defender side, so attackers on this map are at an overall disadvantage. Of the three sites, B Site is the easiest for attackers for an all-out assault when a round starts.
- Omen’s ultimate ability From The Shadows can turn the tides on offense or defense. The agent can quickly teleport to another site, and because of the size of the map, it’ll take a bit of time for the enemy team to rotate.
There’s a ledge in the middle of B Site that provides a suitable vantage point, but because of the three different entries, you’ll need someone to watch your flank.
The main difference between Lotus and Haven is the former has three Ultimate orbs instead of just two. Lotus is the only map in Valorant that has three orbs and they’re located in A Main, B Main, and C Mound. Both attackers and defenders have an equal opportunity to claim the ultimate orbs, though the orb outside of B Main might be the easiest for attackers to collect.
Breakable And Moveable Doors
With how big of a map Lotus is, you’ll need to know how to quickly travel from one site to another and utilize any shortcuts available to you. Two doors on the map can open by toggling a switch near them, giving you a faster path across Lotus. Flipping the switch from either side will activate the door and it will rotate 180 degrees over a short duration before closing shut again. One door is located next to A Tree and leads into A Rubble, while the other door is near B Main and leads into C Mound.
Besides these shifting doors, there is also a breakable door that connects A Main and A Link. The door will have a colored indicator that will change to reflect the amount of damage the door has taken before being destroyed. It starts with blue, then turns yellow, and finally red when it’s about to break. Utilizing these doors will help you regardless if you’re attacking or defending by being able to traverse the map more quickly.
Locate Enemies With Initiators
Whether you’re attacking or defending, knowing early on where the enemy is located can make or break the game. It’s important to have at least two Initiators on your team from Sova, Breach, Skye, Kay/O, and Fade.
- Each of these agents possesses abilities that allow you to locate enemies, the main difference being the distance of the power.
- Sites A and C are in wide open areas, so Kay/O’s Zero Point can help identify enemies within a large radius. Fade’s Haunt is another suitable enemy-detecting ability to use as well.
- Site B is located in the middle of the ruins and is full of sharp corners. Use Skye’s Trailblazer or Breach’s Fault Line to quickly clear corners near the site.
- Sova is the premier Initiator agent on Lotus because he can detect enemies far away with his Recon Bolt or clear close corners with his Owl Drone.
Defense Needs Sentinels
Without the proper team composition, the size of Lotus can quickly doom your defense. Because of the three spike sites, the defense is going to be spread thin and there will be one site that only has one agent to defend it. Sentinels are defensive experts and having Killjoy or Cypher can certainly hold their own.
- Killjoy is one of the best defensive agents in the game because of her utility. She can place a Turret to return fire against the enemy team, while also placing her Nanoswarm or Alarmbot in other areas to detect enemies.
- Her Lockdown ultimate ability forces the opposing team to clear out within 32 meters. This ability is useful on both offense and defense, making Killjoy a versatile agent in that sense.
- Cypher also has a solid variety of utility with his Trapwire, Cyber Cage, and Spycam. He can up these surveillance items on a site while defending another area of the map.
- Neural Theft is a useful ultimate on any map, so activate it as many times as you can on Lotus. Cypher downloads information from a dead enemy to reveal the location of the remaining enemy team.