It is speculated that a new map located in Thailand is coming to VALORANT in the near future, although this possibility has only been hinted at so far.
Map speculation[]
The potential for Thailand map comes from the existance of Drift, a Team Deathmatch map based in the country. This is remarkable because all other TDM maps are based on a real map from α-Earth as they are most likely simulations created by Maxbot, who is from Alpha.
Additionally, significant resources have been invested in the creation of Drift which have resulted in the creation of numerous assets, so it is likely that these assets will be reused in the potential Thailand Map.
Drift[]
Being the first map introduced into the Team Deathmatch gamemode that does not have an Alpha equivalent map, Drift is a simulated environment created by Maxbot.
Given that there is no real world location available in game to compare Drift to, it is difficult to determine which aspects are taken from the real world and which are artificially introduced by Maxbot. Nonetheless, some elements can be distinguished, first of which being the skyscraper found in the background.
As seen in the images to the right, the building takes clear inspiration in the real world's ManaNakhon[1], located in the city of Bangkok, Thailand, which confirms the location of Drift. Another element that can be recognised in the map is an elephant which can also be found in Lotus, possibly being one of the elements that added by Maxbot to the simulation.
There are two more elements in this map that stand out. The first is a lighthouse far in the distance which emanates a bright light that brings attention to it, although it is unclear whether it has any relevance, and the second a tornado-looking anomaly that closely resembles that of the broken buildings in Ascent.
The anomaly was first introduced during the teaser campaign for the map with the message "Disaster in paradise with your friend Maxbot", which hints at the possibility that this element is not based off of an event that happened in the VALORANT world but rather a simulated addition, but it is unclear.
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A total of four teasers were posted in anticipation of Drift's release. The first teaser[2] is the left side of a postal with the text "Boundless Beauty MAXimum FUN", referencing Maxbot, while showing a wooden structure with two snake-like sculptures.
The second teaser[3] was a tweet by VALORANT France which showed a world map with a glitched marker in the Thailand area. This tweet has since been deleted, possibly because it revealed the location of the map too soon.
The third teaser[4] reads "Just here for the ZIPLINE? that's fine!" while showing two interesting elements. The first is the pin from Raze's granade, and the second one are the Radianite flowers that can also be found in Lotus. This is a further example of the shared elements between Lotus and Drift.
The fourth and final teaser[5] reads "Disaster in PARADISE from your friend MAXBOT" makes a more direct reference to Maxbot while also showing an anomaly similar to the one in Ascent, which is also present in the actual map.
2024 Lunar New Year campaign[]
Two months after the Drift teasers, a new set of teasers based around the 2024 Lunar New Year started dropping, all of which lead to the release of a new skinline, XERØFANG. However, is is possible that these are also relevant to the Thailand map.
The first of the four teasers[6] is an animated image that shows Iso, Jett and Phoenix on a wooden boat while on a trip to Thailand.
Year of the Dragon. Thailand trip. 走.
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The second teaser[7] shows the three agents having some traditional Thai food, and the third one[8] displays the agents in a dragon dance festival, with Phoenix opening a red envelope and Iso teasing at something happening that night.
Parades are always nice, but wait till they see what I have planned for tonight.
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The third teaser leads into the final one, the XERØFANG Skin Reveal Trailer[9], where Iso takes Jett and Phoenix into a club. Although they are supposedly still in Thailand, Iso speaks in Chinese before being allowed inside.
Mandarin/Cantonese Chinese
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English
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恭喜发财
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"Wishing you prosperity in the coming year" / "Wishing you happiness and prosperity"
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