How are maps picked in esports matches?
I · Intermediate · The basics · 2 of 4Before a VALORANT match teams take turns to ban and pick maps from the tournament pool of seven, and the team that did not pick a map chooses its starting side. The higher seed decides whether to go first; with no seeding, a short skirmish decides. Players then choose agents, with 85 seconds to pick.
How it works
- Map pool: seven maps fixed for the tournament.
- Best of three: ban, ban, pick, pick, ban, ban, last map left.
- Sides: the other team picks the starting side on each picked map.
- Bans: compulsory; a team cannot skip one.
- Higher seed: chooses to be Team A or Team B.
- No seeding: a skirmish to five rounds decides.
- Agent select: 85 seconds, both teams at once.
- Wrong pick: tell an official before the timer ends.
The glossary has the map veto, the map (esports), the seeding (esports), the best of three, the patch and the match (esports).
Tricky cases
A player picks the wrong agent by mistake. Can it be fixed?
Yes, if they tell an official before the timer runs out.
Can a team skip its ban?
No.
Who picks sides on the deciding map?
Team A in a best of three; Team B in a best of five.
Can a player quit after picks and before the map loads?
No.
Why the rule exists
The veto lets each team avoid its weakest maps and play to its strengths. Fixed turns make the process fair and quick.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Best of three | Two bans each, one pick each | V 5.5.1.1 |
| Best of five | One ban each, two picks each | V 5.5.1.2 |
| PUBG | Fixed map order each day | P 4.4 |
From the rule book
the EWC 2026 VALORANT and PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS rule books: VALORANT, sections 5.1.2 and 5.5. Checked 14 October 2026. Official documents: the Esports World Cup 2026 rule books.