All Pearl Changes In Valorant Patch 5.06

Pearl has been in dire need for changes according to fans and pro players alike, with Riot tweaking certain aspects of the map.

Pearl val
Pearl will change for the good... hopefully. I ©Riot Games

Valorant map design can be tricky, as it needs to be a fun playground with enough room for both attacking and defending teams to set up shop without heavily favoring one or the other.

Sometimes, regardless of where you played, it seemed no one was happy - and that's the case with Pearl. A polarizing map that, months after Riot denied working on a rework, has received just that.

Don't picture a massive overhaul, but fixes on different parts of the map, that put together, should make for a more fun and less frustrating experience overall. All these changes will come with Valorant patch 5.06 so let's break it all down.

All Pearl Changes For Valorant 5.06 Update

Let's detail everything new you can expect when the latest update drops.

B Main - Lowered waist-high wall on the left side of B Main so that it can no longer completely hide anyone.

BEFORE

B main before
B Main on Pearl I ©Riot Games

AFTER

B main after
B Main on Pearl I ©Riot Games

Mid Shops - Clearing this area in Mid Shops is harder than Riot intended. By extending the platform, the devs are still keeping some of the holding power for attackers, but making it easier to push this area.

BEFORE

Mid shops
Mid-shops Pearl I © Riot Games

AFTER

Mid shops after
Mid-shops Pearl I © Riot Games

Mid Shops to Mid Plaza - This is another spot on Mid Shops that’s proven to be painful to clear when trying to move through mid. So Riot removed one of the corners.

BEFORE

Mid shops to plaza before
Mid-shops to Plaza Pearl I © Riot Games

AFTER

Mid shops to plaza after
Mid-shops to Plaza Pearl I © Riot Games

Mid Top - Mid currently favors attackers so Riot pushed in a wall on Mid Top, to remove a 50-50 check. This should make it slightly easier for defenders to challenge mid.

BEFORE

Mid top plaza
Mid top Plaza. I ©Riot Games

AFTER

Mid top plaza after
Mid top Plaza. I ©Riot Games

A Art - Riot noticed the difficulty both sides have had moving effectively through A Art. They're simplifying the space so there are fewer areas to check.

BEFORE

Art 1
A Art Pearl. I ©Riot Games
Art 2
A Art Pearl. I ©Riot Games
Art 3
A Art Pearl. I ©Riot Games

AFTER

A art 1
A Art Pearl. I ©Riot Games
A art 2
A Art Pearl. I ©Riot Games
A art 3
A Art Pearl. I ©Riot Games

B Link - This box provides a good piece of cover for attackers pushing B link, but it’s been tough to re-clear for defenders. Riot is keeping a little attacker-side power, but making it easier for defenders to manage. The stack of boxes cover closer to the site will shift from the left side to the right, to simplify the number of angles approaching players need to consider, as well as close a difficult sightline to B Hall.

BEFORE

B link
B Link Pearl I ©Riot Games
B link 1
B Link Pearl I ©Riot Games

AFTER

B link after
B Link Pearl I ©Riot Games
B link after 2
B Link Pearl I ©Riot Games

A Main - Removing a cut out on the wall of A Main to simplify the space, which should also make this area slightly easier for defenders to aggro into (although really, you should hold site).

A main
A Main Pearl I ©Riot Games

AFTER

A main 1
A Main Pearl I ©Riot Games

A Main to A Site - This spot was unnecessarily tough to smoke effectively. By tightening the choke by a margin, Riot hopes to make smoking easier and give a small buff to defenders (i.e, a new utility spot). The cubby on the right will also shrink slightly to keep it from being too deep.

BEFORE

Stairs before
A to main Site Pearl. I ©Riot Games

AFTER

Stairs after
A to main Site Pearl. I ©Riot Games

And that's it! We hope this makes Pearl more playable since we're still missing Split so much in ranked.

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Andres Aquino
Andres Aquino