The complete Icebox Valorant map guide

The Icebox map was added a few months after Valorant’s official release and has been a trademark map for the game ever since. Riot Games have changed the map quite a bit over time, as recently as Act ii of Episode 4, to keep it from becoming stale and boring. In this Icebox Valorant map guide, we’ll be going over the basic concepts that you need to understand to find success on this map.

Valorant Icebox Map Callouts

Attackers can go up the higher area on the side called A Belt or go on the ground floor up until the Ultimate Orb. There they have an option to go up in A Nest and take the zip line to the spike site or keep walking. On the left side are the A Pipes and on the right side is A Generator. Both of them are elevated areas that offer some cover and can be used in skirmishes. There is a back entrance to the site through A Rafters and a site entrance next to A Screen.

To get to the B Site from Attacker Spawn, you need to go through the tight corridors around B Green. In the most recent patch, B Garage got changed to give more space for the attacking side, so they can dodge the utility poured in by the defenders. From there they can transition to B Yellow, who also got adjusted and new boxes were added next to it. The B spike site has been enlarged and now you can plant on a bigger surface even into B Hall. Other ways to get on the B Site are through B Snowman and B Orange. B Orange is the default entrance from mid while B Hall is an extension of B Kitchen and B Tube. The middle of the map is defined by the long sightline stretching from Mid Boiler to Mid Blue.

Understanding Icebox

Since Icebox is one of Valorant’s older maps, it doesn't have a complex design like the newer ones. The A Site in particular is very complex in game with tons of different angles, boxes, sightlines but the callouts don’t describe that. The B Site is connected to other areas of the map through long pathways that are in turn interconnected with each other. This creates a maze-like structure on the top of the B Site, which discourages repetitive gameplay patterns and makes the map more fun.

The A Site is another maze of its own, especially with utility flying in and Operator angles being held. All of these factors make the middle of the map crucial for many reasons, one of which is flank opportunities. Both Ultimate Orbs are placed in neutral positions and the team willing to fight for them and invest utility , will often get them. If the attackers ever manage to get into B Kitchen, it would mean disaster for the defending side because this part of the map is at the heart of the defense.

Bombsite A

How to attack Bombsite A

Attacking the A site can be really hard if your team composition lacks utility, but the most common tactic is to spread out. One player should hold the flank watch on the boxes in Mid or on A Belt while the rest of the team pushes. The sniper user will try to get a pick from A Belt while two players push up A Pipes and Platform.

They will try to hold a crossfire and combine with the sniper to cover for the last player trying to get the Orb. Once the spike is down, the attackers will likely retreat and play for frags. Planting the spike in the open makes it really hard for the defending team to defuse because they will be exposed to crossfire and utility dumping, but the attackers will avoid direct duels.

How to defend Bombsite A

At the start of the round, the defending team will try to set up a crossfire with one player on the Generator and the other on A Pipes. The player on the Generator has a straight sightline on the players advancing towards Ebox, which opens a great opportunity for a first blood. Meanwhile the player on A Pipes will either be looking for a pick on the player pushing Platform or if someone dares to go up in Nest.

This defender can also play more safely and go on the A Screen at the start of the round but only if his agent allows him too. This spot holds the same angles but with better coverage. Lastly, if the Operator player isn't on the Generator he will be on A Rafters looking to contest any push coming his way.

A Rafters

The back entrance to the site not only allows for the fastest rotations to the B Site but also serves as a get away card for the defenders. This Catwalk will often hold Operator users looking to prey on attackers coming up A Belt, on the zipline or on A Pipes. Agents like Jett, Chamber and Omen can use their abilities to take off angles on top of A Screen and Generator, and then quickly retreat to the back of the site.

If you are holding this position be ready to destroy some Sova Recon Bolts and run away from some Raze Grenades. Attackers know that someone will be holding these long sightlines and will do everything they can to clear them before planting. The Nest and Radionite box on the site are spammable, so think twice when searching for cover in A Rafters.

Bombsite B

How to attack Bombsite B

Attacking the B Site seems easier than it is, but we have yet to see how the new changes to the map affect this. Going through Mid would be the preferred way but the defenders will contest it heavily every single round. Your best option is sneaking up on B Tube and pushing into B Hall but that will also be hard to do.

The only real possibility is to attack the alley around B Green, where the Ultimate Orb is located. The new and improved design of B Garage should benefit and protect the attacking team more while pushing up. The B site itself received some changes that also benefited the attackers, with safer areas for planting and better post plant coverage.

How to defend Bombsite B

The standard for defending the B site is having a sniper player in the corner of the site behind B Yellow covering the entire corridor. That agent should be Jett or Chamber so if a hard commit comes through they can reposition safely after the first shot. Tripwire and mollies should slow down the attackers push while the rotations come through.

Another player should be on the B Site or in B Hall, covering the mid entrance to the site and preventing pushes coming through B Tube. If this part of the defense fails the rest of the defending team is put in a really bad position. One-way smokes, Viper and Sage walls, Slow Orbs and Snake Bites are necessary to prevent the push at any of these locations.

B Green

This area around, above and below the long green box leads up to the wide open area of B Yellow, and is the main way attackers can get on the B Site. It holds one of the two Ultimate Orbs and agents with mobility can thrive here due to elevation differences. This long narrow corridor is a prime location for any utility that can slow down the push, like Molotovs, traps and one way smokes.

That is if you don't get picked off right as you enter by the Operator hiding in the corner of the site. That’s why the most recent changes to the map were aimed mainly towards this area. To give the attacking team more room and safety while pushing in, otherwise the agent meta was becoming stale and repetitive.

B Orange

B Orange is the main entrance to the B Site coming through mid, under the B Tube. It leads directly to the site and can serve as a flank for defenders holding aggressive angles around B Yellow. But the more important part about this area is the Window to B Kitchen. If the attackers manage to sneak into this section they can effectively access every point of the map with little to no resistance.

That’s why there will always be at least one player playing on top of the B Nest, holding the angle under B tube to prevent such pushes and be ready to help the other defender at B Yellow. Oftentimes they will hold a crossfire with the player in Mid Boiler to prevent the push coming from Mid Blue. With B Tube walled off this effectively limits the options for attackers to straight site hits.

Middle

Having control over the middle of this map brings a lot of value so expect a lot of contesting over this area. Teams will use their information gathering tools, smokes and mollies to prevent the enemy players from pushing up in this area. This area is the fastest route from spawn to spawn and naturally is the fastest way to flank, which both teams are wary of.

B Kitchen

All you need to do is watch one game of professional Valorant play on Icebox to figure out what part of the map is the most influential. All those Sage walls you have been seeing in B Tube every round are there for a good reason. It is absolutely crucial for the defending team to deny the push and have control over B Kitchen.

This part of the map leads into the Defender Spawn from where attackers can pick and choose on how they want to win the round. They can flank both sites through A Rafters and B Snowman, or just take B Hall to the B Site and get on top of the defenders there. Losing control over this area automatically forfeits the round to the attacking team because it puts the defenders on the entire map into danger.

Attacking Spawn

Apart from Fracture, most of the Valorant maps have attacking spawns that are useless after the players leave them. And Icebox is no different. The only thing the attacking spawn is good for after the spawn barriers go down are flank watchers and saving a weapon.

Defending Spawn

The defending spawn however is the fastest route between both sites, while being closely connected to the middle of the map. This makes defending the entrance points a crucial task for the success of the defending team.

Tips and tricks for Icebox

Play around with verticality

There are a few major keys to achieving success on this map with one of them being team composition. Choosing the best Valorant agents suited for this map plays a huge role in the outcome of the game. Viper’s utility is necessary for preventing and executing pushes, while Jett and Chamber’s mobility and Operator proficiency make them perfect for this map.

They can abuse the verticality this map offers and that means a lot. Getting off angles at the start of rounds is one thing, but having the ability to get on top of B Tube, B Yellow and B Green completely breaks the game. Defenders are forced to walk in places where they can be shot at from more than five places.

Block off chokepoints

Sage is also a highly valuable pick on this map and this leads into our next tip.

Blocking off choke points is crucial on a map like this one that acts as a maze. We have already mentioned the importance of the Sage Wall in B Tube, but it’s also useful for planting and diffusing on both sites. The Viper wall does a great job at denying sightlines while her Snake bites and Sage’s Slow Orbs can completely stop pushes in their tracks.

Be the lurker or the flanker

We already talked about the aggressive off angles you can take on both sites and that covers our next tip, which is not being afraid to push on defense. If your team tells you that they’re hard committing to the site you’re not one, you shouldn't always go back towards your spawn. This map is big but not as big as Breeze. Push up that site, get that free Ultimate Orb and either go mid and look for their lurker or flank them from behind. If your team manages to stifle down their push and if they don't rotate immediately, you might have yourself a golden opportunity.