Valorant's new Season 2026 Act 4 map and mode make me want to play it again

During Valorant's Masters London esports event on June 21, Riot Games revealed what players can expect from Act 4 of Season 2026 when it begins on June 24. The two most notable things this impending update will add are a new map called Summit and the 3v3 limited-time game mode Retake.

The Summit map is set in the Chinese training academy and monastery where Sage studied, so its cinematic reveal trailer primarily focuses on her. Summit is a three-lane map with two spike sites, but it's designed to be a little more dynamic than some of Valorant's other maps. Three droppable walls can be activated to change the pathways and sight-lines that players can utilize mid-match.

To encourage players to engage with the new map, there will be a Summit-only queue during its first week in the game, and the rank rating penalty for losing on Summit will be 50% less than usual for the first two weeks of Act 4.

It has been a long time since I last played Valorant, as its competitive edge and the constant focus on properly buying the best weapons and upgrades each round eventually burned me out. While Summit isn't quite enough to get me interested in the game again, the new 3v3 mode Retake caught my attention.

Retake is a 3v3 mode where players don't have to worry about planting a spike or buying weapons between rounds. Instead, players will have randomized loadouts each round and will have to attack or defend an already-planted spike. With its faster pace and emphasis on randomization, I'm definitely interested in booting up Valorant again to give Retake a shot.

Valorant is available on Windows PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X, with Act 4 of Season 2026 set to begin on June 24. The Blackspyre Collection skinline and a new battlepass will also come out alongside Act 4.