Almost four years since its initial release, new content is coming thick and fast for Valorant. Although Riot is yet to officially offer confirmation, we've got all the details regarding the release date for Valorant Episode 8 Act 1.
Alongside the set release date for Episode 8 Act 1, we've got an analysis of the Episode 8 trailer that's dropped ahead of Act 1's release, as well as all the known changes planned across Act 1 and the rest of Episode 8.
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Valorant Episode 8 Act 1 release date
Episode 8 Act 1 is set to begin on January 10, 2024, at 12 AM GMT. Although Riot hasn't officially announced the release date, a blog post from Riot's esports division detailing how to qualify for Challengers through Premier revealed the start date, explicitly this start date.
As per usual, there will likely be three acts across Valorant Episode 8, which has been titled as "Episode 8: Defiance". Naturally, the beginning of Episode 8 will also mark the end of Episode 7 Act 3, and its battle pass and competitive mode respectively.
Valorant Episode 8 trailer
Episode 8's reveal trailer, titled "RECKONING", centers primarily on the Valorant agent Omen and his backstory. Omen has been a part of Valorant's roster of playable characters since the game's full release, and the Episode 8 reveal trailer drops several major hints regarding Omen's backstory. Given Omen's state of amnesia, and the hints dropped in previous trailers, his backstory may well be revealed gradually over the acts of Episode 8.
Omen's relationship with Viper appears set to be a major source of conflict in the coming Valorant narrative. Described as "[Omen's] greatest failure", who now "holds [his] leash", the Episode 8 trailer drops more hints than ever before on Omen's origins. Omen's pre-existing relationship with Viper hasn't really been established as of yet, although Viper's in-game voice lines with Omen suggest she knows more of Omen's past than he does.
As the trailer comes to a close, it's clear that Omen will be on the hunt for answers, specifically from Viper. However, we'll have to wait for the next cinematic reveal to see how the plot unfolds. If you fancy watching the Valorant Episode 8 trailer for yourself, we've got the cinematic reveal down below.
Everything we know about Valorant Episode 8 Act 1
Currently, Riot has been keeping quiet on the changes and new content coming in Episode 8 Act 1, although some bits of information have been released ahead of the launch of Episode 8. In a tweet from the official Valorant account, the maps Lotus and Icebox will both be receiving quality-of-life updates sometime during Episode 8, whilst Icebox will be returning to the competitive map pool to replace Haven.
With Haven being one of the most popular maps amongst the player base, and Icebox one of the most hated across the community, players will be hoping that Riot has an ace up their sleeve with the update coming to Icebox.
However, the changes to Icebox and Lotus aren't confirmed to be coming in Act 1 of Episode 8, and may drop later in the episode. Meanwhile, the removal of Haven will leave Lotus as the only remaining competitive map with three sites in the next rotation.
Alongside these map changes, there will no doubt be some balancing to weapons and Agents in Act 1 of Episode 8. Leaks have suggested that the first new weapon since Valorant's release will debut in Episode 8, although no official confirmation has been given by Riot as of yet.
That's all there is to know about the release date, trailer, and upcoming content in Valorant Episode 8 Act 1. For more Valorant content, check out our Valorant Agents tier list, or our walkthrough on how to add friends in the game. Alternatively, check out our top tips on how to level up faster in Valorant.