Valorant is known not only for its unique mechanics of agent interaction and abilities but also for its extensive variety of game maps. Four years since its release, the game features 11 diverse locations, and new ones are regularly added. But today, we're not talking about a new map, but about the well-known, one of the first locations that appeared in the game – Ascent. Our editorial team has prepared for you the biggest guide to the Ascent map in Valorant, so our readers can learn about all aspects of this location.

After reading this material, you will learn all the details about the Ascent map, how to play correctly on this location, which agents perform best on this map, and other features that will suit both newcomers and experienced players. We will also try to understand why the map is so popular among both casual and professional players.

Map Overview

Although Ascent is one of the oldest maps in the game, it is not one of the very first. The location was added to the game with patch 1.0, which marked the official release of the game on July 2, 2020. However, before it, three maps were added during the beta test, so Ascent is not the first location. According to the game's lore, it is located on Alpha Earth, and the real-life prototype is one of the most famous and beautiful Italian cities – Venice. The map partially captures all the beauty of this famous city, despite its partial destruction. On it, you can find places and streets from the real city, so players rightly consider it one of the most beautiful maps in Valorant. However, it should be noted that, unlike the real prototype, you will not see waters around the map. This is because, according to the lore, part of the city rose high into the air and is now held by the force of the radianite resource.

Map Design

Ascent map in Valorant, compared to other locations in the game, is quite simple and ordinary. The map does not have various teleporters, cliffs, secret passages, and the only unique feature is the Bomb doors, which are located when entering both Spike installation points. We will explain the uniqueness of these doors below. Additionally, the location is simple in that it has only two Spike installation points, separated by a central corridor. It is precisely its simplicity and design that attract players. The simple color palette is pleasing to the eye, so players enjoy spending a lot of time on it.

Features of Ascent

As mentioned above, the location does have one unique feature called Bomb doors. They are located when entering both Spike installation points. The uniqueness of these doors lies in the fact that they are closed using a separate mechanism located nearby. Once closed, the doors cannot be opened, only destroyed. They have 500 HP and take damage from bullets, explosive damage, knife hits that deal double damage, as well as from certain abilities.

READ MORE: Best pair of agents for duo on Ascent map

Designations on Ascent Map

Ascent val map also has many unique positions that have individual names. They may be unfamiliar to new players, so below we will explain where they are located.

Designations on Point A

• A Main – General name for the site where the Spike is planted
• Tree – Transition point between mid and point A installation
• Heaven – Elevated area on point A from the defense side
• Hell – Corner located below Heaven, where players from both sides often hide
• Generator – Semi-protected area on point A where Spike is usually planted
• Sphere – Place before entering the plant, where the Ultimate orb is located

Designations on Point B

• B Main – General name for the site where the Spike is planted
• Boathouse – Semi-closed area where defense players often hide
• Switch – Device for closing automatic doors, located at Boathouse
• Market – Narrow passage behind automatic doors leading from point B to mid
• Sphere – Place before entering the plant, where the Ultimate orb is located
• Long – Corridor after Sphere, which is before entering the plant
• Designations on Mid
• Mid Top – Name for the upper central part of the map, from where you can rotate to both plants
• Catwalk – Path from mid leading to short plant A
• Pizza – Corridor located before entering point B and the spawn for defense players

Best Agents to Play on Ascent

Over four years of the map's existence, the game's community has thoroughly studied which agents perform better on this location compared to others. Below we will briefly describe the  best agents on the Ascent map in Valorant.

Alternative Agents

Although the agents listed above are the best on the Ascent Val map, you may not always be able to use them. Sometimes you may not have these agents, or someone has already been picked. For such cases, we have prepared a few more agents that also perform well on Ascent.

If you want to learn more in detail about the best agents on Ascent Valorant, we recommend reading our material. In it, we have detailed the strengths and weaknesses of each agent, so you will learn something new.

Defense Strategy on Ascent

Full control of doors

For defenders, a great strategy that is often used is full control of the doors. On the Ascent map, there are two pairs of Bomb doors at each Spike installation point. It is very important for defense players to close these doors because this makes it easy for them to defend the point. With this strategy, defense players can defend both points effectively.

Defending point A with Sage

For this strategy, you need to have an agent Sage in your team. She needs to block the long passage using her Barrier Orb. This will give the team a lot of time, and you can always control the direction of the enemy's attack.

Defending point B with smokes

This strategy is not new and is used by most players, but it remains effective. You can, using agents like Omen and Brimstone, control all possible passages and place smokes on them. This makes it very difficult for enemies to approach the point, and most likely they will rotate.

If you want to know which positions are better to occupy when playing defense on Ascent Valorant, we recommend reading our article where we have detailed all possible positions.

READ MORE: Best places on Ascent Valorant maps when playing defense

Attack Strategy on Ascent

Controlling Mid

On any simple map with two Spike points, mid is the key area and Ascent is no exception. For the attacking side, it is very important to dominate the middle part of the map because from there you have a path to any position and Spike installation point. Moreover, by controlling mid, you can intercept defense players who are rotating.

Quick push to point A through haven

If you want to quickly push one of the positions, it's worth choosing point A because its layout allows it. To do this, you need to go through mid to short and three positions, from where you can enter Haven through a window. But don't forget that the window breaks with a loud sound, which will signal to the defense players.

READ MORE: Best places on Ascent Valorant maps when attacking

Tips and Tricks

• Use Bomb Doors

You can use the unique feature of the Ascent map to your advantage. For example, you can easily kill enemies who stand right behind the doors. The doors themselves have a kind of indicator, and the more damage they take, the redder it becomes. Therefore, you need to monitor it to detect the enemy in time.

• Many Positions Are Shootable

When playing on Ascent, do not forget that many positions on both points A and B are shootable. For example, Haven at point A, or Boathouse at point B.

• Use Agents Correctly

This is general advice that applies to all maps. You need to study all possible positions and names on the map to interact with them correctly. For example, if you have information that the enemy is at Boathouse, you can direct Brimstone's ultimate there, and most likely he won't have time to escape and will die.

Note: Riot Games regularly releases updates and fixes various internal game mechanics. Therefore, we recommend checking the update history from the developers or following our portal, where we promptly report all new developments in the game.

How professionals play Ascent

Another important point when studying the map is to watch professional players. They have honed their game skills and map knowledge to the maximum, so it's worth learning from them how to act in various situations. For example, take Team Heretics, one of the strongest in Europe. Their overall win rate on the Ascent map is 66%, so you can learn a lot from this team.

For example, we take this match against Gen.G Esports in the grand final of Masters Shanghai. Although in this match the European team lost, they showed a very good game on Ascent.

1. Proper Pick: As seen in the video, Team Heretics chose the best agents on Ascent, which you can find in our list above. They started the match with the pick: Sova, KAY/O, Killjoy, Omen, Jett. These agents perform best on this map. By the way, at 9:47, you can see one of our tips in action, as Wo0t shoots through a wall and kills an opponent.
2. Quick Rotation to A: Starting at 10:47, you can see how the team makes a quick rotation to A. Interestingly, Heretics do not immediately enter the plant but wait in the tree area until the enemy installs the Spike, and only then begin attacking.
3. Full Control of Mid: After the side switch, at 36:30, you can see how Team Heretics confidently takes mid. As mentioned above, mid is a key part on a map like Ascent, so controlling it often leads to victory. And so, Team Heretics took mid, entered plant B, and thanks to that won the round.
4. Fake Push to B: In the 17th round at 44:10, you can see how Team Heretics fake a push at the point. First, Killjoy approaches point B and gathers information. Meanwhile, his teammates are at mid, waiting for information. After the opponents start rotating to mid, the team quickly rotates to A, thanks to which they won the round.
5. Closed Play on Plant B: In the last round at 57:30, you can see how Team Heretics planted the Spike. But as a result, they were in the minority and decided to safely hide on plant B. Although this place is quite dangerous against mass ultimates, the opponents did not have any. Team Heretics took advantage of this and safely stopped the opponents, which brought them victory in the confrontation.

Do not forget to watch professional players' matches and read their quotes about how they describe the map and how to play it correctly.

After reading our material, you have learned all the details about the Ascent map. But do not forget that to fully master it, you need to practice a lot, watch professional players, and continue reading materials on our site, where we thoroughly analyze every aspect of Riot's favorite shooter.