The VALORANT Esports World Cup 2025 has concluded, delivering a host of unexpected outcomes, from playoff participants to the grand final winner. Let's take one last look at the statistics of the past map pool, which will undergo two changes in the upcoming tournaments.

Map Pool Overview

Sunset — 16 matches

• Defenders: 46%
• Attackers: 54%

Sunset was the most popular map of the tournament, with a clear tilt towards the attack. Although the map is often considered balanced, the EWC 2025 statistics show its effectiveness for teams that excel in coordinating site entries and post-plant situations.

Icebox — 12 matches

• Defenders: 49%
• Attackers: 51%

Icebox remains nearly balanced, with a slight advantage for the attack. Its vertical structure and tight angles allow for flexible defense as well as swift pushes, as demonstrated by the tournament's top teams.

Lotus — 9 matches

• Defenders: 47%
• Attackers: 53%

Lotus continues to favor attackers, especially during the playoff stage. Its complex topology and three plant sites encourage creative strategies with a strong focus on rotations and fake plays.

Ascent — 9 matches

• Defenders: 51%
• Attackers: 49%

Ascent maintains its reputation as the most balanced map. Teams used it as a stable choice in decisive series. The gameplay here boiled down to reading the opponent's tempo and controlling the middle.

Haven — 8 matches

• Defenders: 54%
• Attackers: 46%

Haven is the only map with a noticeable defensive advantage. The three-site structure typically demands quick and precise actions from the attack. Meanwhile, teams on defense showed a high level of coordination and readiness for rapid rotations, predicting opponent actions and successful retake situations.

Pearl — 2 matches

• Defenders: 53%
• Attackers: 47%

Pearl was played only twice — the map is no longer part of the active pool but remained available in this tournament. In both instances, the defense appeared slightly stronger, though the map choice was more of a surprise element.

Split — 2 matches

• Defenders: 39%
• Attackers: 61%

The least popular map, but with the most significant tilt towards the attack. Historically a defense-oriented map, Split currently shows the opposite — teams that chose it executed aggressive strategies.

In summary, the VALORANT Esports World Cup 2025 showcased a clear strategic shift towards attackers — most maps favored the T side, except for Haven and Ascent. The tournament took place from July 8 to 13 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where 16 of the world's best teams competed for a prize pool of $1,250,000. Full results and a tournament overview are available via this link.