Cover-Credits:
Episode 4 Act 3 of Valorant went live in the game on April 27 and along with a new agent Fade, added a brand new battle pass. With every new Valorant episode comes at least one new map; Episode 2 saw the release of Breeze while Fracture debuted in Episode 3. This has lead to player speculation about a new map dropping some time during Episode 4 Act 3 and Riot, in typical Riot fashion, seems to be dropping hints of the same. According to Valorant fans on Twitter, this Act’s battlepass seems to indicate Lisbon, Portugal to be next map location.
Battlepass hints at Lisbon, Portugal being next map location
Twitter user Cynprel picked up on hints that the new map would be set in Lisbon, Portugal as early as November last year.
In January 2022, Cynprel also noticed this little detail in Valorant’s Episode 4 cinematic “WARM UP”.
With the release of Episode 4 Act 3’s battlepass, certain player cards seem to point to the iconic yellow trams of Lisbon.
Twitter user Johlee also noted that “The tram on the card says "city-center". The actual tram 727 has the following route: Passing by the Marquês de Pombal roundabout, a place that can be considered "the city center".
The aquarium shown in the player card may be a reference to Vasco da Gama Aquarium. While the tram route does not go inside the actual aquarium as the player card suggests, it stops approximately 500 meters away from the entrance.
Riot Games is known for their love of easter eggs and dropping little breadcrumbs for players to figure out their next move. While yellow trams are not restricted to Lisbon and are also found in areas of the UK such as Greater Manchester, other hints strongly point towards the game's eighth map location being set in Lisbon, Portugal.
