When is Bind expected to return in Valorant?

With the introduction of Lotus, the iconic Valorant map of Bind was removed from the game’s rotating map pool in Episode 6 Act 1. Back in 2020, Bind was one of the three original maps that the tactical shooter was released with. Naturally, many fans had an attachment to the map and its sudden removal caused quite a stir within the community.

Although a recent leak has claimed that Bind will receive a rework or an update in the future, a potential release window wasn't mentioned. From the looks of it, Bind may return sooner than fans were expecting.

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Here’s when fans can expect Bind to return in Valorant

In Episode 6 Act 1, Riot launched the new Lotus map and introduced a reworked Split to Valorant's map rotation, while Bind and Breeze were removed from the Competitive and Unrated queues. Interestingly, both Bind and Breeze are still available in Spike Rush and other game modes.

Considering the recent mention of Bind’s rework by a reliable informant, fans may likely see it returning in Episode 7 Act 1, which is expected to commence in late July 2023 after the conclusion of Episode 6 Act 3. To accommodate this map in the rotation, one of the existing maps will likely be removed.

Last year, the developers revealed the reasoning behind removing Bind and Breeze from the tactical shooter game's rotation. For Bind, they stated:

“We’d like to open up more play around the teleporters and potentially rethink how teams execute, and defend against executes, on both sites.”

For Breeze, the developers highlighted the potential to improve team composition diversity and simplifying space:

“We feel like this map has some room to improve in terms of Agents and team comp diversity, as well as some opportunities for simplification of the space.”

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Expected changes in Valorant's Bind

Bind Market (Image via Valorant Wiki)

Bind was one of the most defender-centric maps in Valorant. Players generally had to tackle its skinny chokepoints using a double Duelist and double Controller team composition. Even then, it was difficult for attackers to enter sites and handle post-plant situations without Molotov lineups.

Like Split’s rework, fans can expect multiple changes to Bind’s chokepoints (B Hookah, A Lamps, A Cubby, and more) and the teleporters. The passages could potentially be widened to allow attackers to take control of the space and peek more effectively. Furthermore, some obstacles (boxes) may be restyled to remove unnecessary complications.

Split’s changes have definitely opened new avenues for players to tackle the map’s defender-favoring features, with Bind expected to receive a similarly successful rework.

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Currently, Valorant features a total of nine maps in its pool, with seven of them in regular rotation. With Pearl’s release back in Episode 5 last year, the developers decided to maintain a seven-map rotation and launch new maps accordingly, as their general idea was to make it easier for beginners.

Like Split’s eventual return, the developers will likely reintroduce both Bind and Breeze into the rotation pool sometime in the future.