Breeze Changes Inspire New Tricks and Strategies in VALORANT
Pro VALORANT teams are already exploring innovative tactics to gain an advantage over their competition following the recent changes to the map Breeze. With several months remaining before the start of the VCT 2024 season, a tier two team has devised an incredible strategy that caught the attention of an observer.
The Challengers DACH League, as part of their OFF//SEASON 2023 program, is hosting a unique offseason event called Arcade. In this event, teams can choose their opponents in the group stage and have a limited number of lives. Additionally, this is one of the first professional events to feature the revamped Breeze map in the active map pool.
The team representing Ovation eSports, a small Swiss organization that has been competing in the DACH system for two years, has already developed an exciting and unique approach on Breeze. They combine Sova’s Shock Dart with the chute that drops from the tunnel to the mid area, along with Omen’s teleport ability.
The Shock Dart lineup from the A site side of the mid connector opens the chute hatch, allowing Omen to teleport up and into the tunnel after running out into mid from the same connector. Since the tunnel has been revised in the new Breeze, this strategy presents an intriguing opportunity.
Unfortunately, the attackers were not caught off guard by this play as they were close enough to the chute drop to hear it opening and the sound of Omen teleporting. However, it still stalls the attackers from quickly gaining control over A Cave or Mid, giving the defenders on Ovation more time to strategize. Ultimately, Ovation emerged as the winners of the map.
In addition to the impressive gameplay, credit also goes to the observer who captured this moment. Observers have the demanding task of ensuring that all the action is shown on the screen and constantly monitoring all ten players. Although the observer was initially unaware of the lineup, they followed their instincts and allowed viewers to witness the entire play.
Will this strategy become a part of the Breeze pro meta? Perhaps, but more observers will now be aware of it and ready to capture it on screen.