Storm Point has always been a map of extremes. Towering cliffs, sprawling jungles, and those infamous prowler dens make it a public lobby favorite—but in the competitive furnace of the ALGS, it has forced teams to tear up their playbooks and start over. By 2026, with the map firmly cemented in the rotation, a clear hierarchy has emerged. Valkyrie still rules the skies, her ultimate a non-negotiable rotation tool across the map’s vast distances. But look a little closer, and you’ll spot a handful of Legends who are flipping the script entirely. While Valkyrie is the queen, Storm Point has quietly crowned its own court of off-meta royalty, and we spoke to three NA pros who are leading the charge. Their picks? Ash, Loba, and Fuse—each bringing a completely different flavor to the drop ship.
Jonathan ‘Kotigami’ Carlo didn’t mince words when we asked about his choice of Assault Legend. “Ash is almost a must-pick on Storm Point,” he stated flatly, and the data backs him up. While Wraith has historically been the designated portal-pulling phase-shifter, Storm Point’s sheer scale and verticality have thrown her a curveball. Ash’s ultimate, a one-way instant teleport, lets a squad close gaps or snatch high ground without the vulnerable, in-the-open waddle that Wraith’s portal demands. Kotigami, who played Ash for Unlucky during the Split 2 circuit, nailed the issue: “Since Storm Point is such a gigantic map, instant teleport helps so much more than Wraith trying to teleport running around in the open.” And the high ground? There is so much of it—those precarious ‘god spots’ perched on cliff edges—that the ability to leap vertically is priceless. Sure, there’s no panic button to zip back if things go wrong, but as Kotigami puts it, the “verticality is worth so much more.”
What really makes Ash sing on Storm Point is her synergy with the ever-present Valkyrie. Kotigami explained how the two work hand in hand: Ash’s Arc Snare roots opponents in place, and before they can wiggle free, Valkyrie’s Missile Swarm rains down from above. It’s a brutal one-two punch that turns a tactical poke into a knock invitation. “Ash traps ‘em, Valk zaps ‘em. You get the picture,” he laughed—a disarmingly simple combo that perfectly exploits the map’s wide-open rotations. Unlucky drops on the northern edge of the map, which means they don’t need a loot-focused Legend to survive; they can rely on Ash’s aggressive mobility to secure early positioning and bully teams out of priority zones. The only alternative Kotigami would entertain is Loba, but only if they landed more centrally. For north-side squads, Ash’s utility simply outweighs a few extra shield batteries.
Meanwhile, teams that do claim those central drop spots are discovering just how transformative a well-played Loba can be. Douglas ‘Protectful’ Roberts of Oxygen Esports has been tinkering with the thief since the Split 1 Playoffs, and Storm Point finally let her shine. “We figured we needed more loot with our spot so we brought out Loba,” he recalled. Oxygen lands at Barometer, a hotly contested POI where they fight two other teams for control of the massive central tower. The tower is key: it lets them scan a Beacon with Valkyrie, grab ring knowledge, and then Valk ult away before anyone can take potshots. The catch? Escaping early means leaving with barely anything in their backpacks. That’s where Loba’s Black Market Boutique earns its keep.
Once Oxygen rotates to a safe spot inside the zone, Protectful drops the ultimate and vacuums up everything the squad needs. “Specifically Round 3-4 you always get armors, batteries, just all the loot,” he said. The beauty of Loba on Storm Point is how her value scales. After a chaotic mid-game, death boxes litter the landscape, and her Black Market can snipe fully-kitted weapons and red Evo Shields from the safety of cover. Even care packages become a zero-risk proposition; Loba can yoink their contents faster than anyone can sprint over. It’s a loot-hungry playstyle that would make your random teammates drool, and it keeps Oxygen fully kitted for the final circles. No wonder Protectful grinned when describing the late-game bounty: “all the loot you need”—a phrase that has probably never been uttered by a Gibraltar main.
If loot isn't your love language, how about explosions? Dexterity’s Davis ‘wave’ Barone brought Fuse to Storm Point from day one, and his reasoning is refreshingly straightforward: “We are able to control large portions of the zone because Fuse can apply so much pressure with his Knuckle Clusters.” On a map where chokepoints can stretch into long, narrow canyons, the Aussie demolitionist thrives. His tactical ability lets him spam clusters of mini-grenades into doorways, halting rotations and forcing squads to hunker behind rocks while his team seizes the initiative. It’s zoning on steroids—and right now, most opponents haven’t figured out a reliable counter.
But wave is honest about the learning curve. Fuse’s ultimate, The Motherlode, is a double-edged sword wrapped in a ring of fire. “His ult hurts you more than it can help you if you aren't perfect with it… It slows your teammates and it can cut you off from your team if not placed properly,” he warned. There’s a chaotic art to dropping a flaming circle in the exact right spot, and wave admits he still messes up from time to time—especially when rushed. Yet Dexterity is committed to the fiery madman for at least the rest of the season, banking on the fact that rare picks often throw off opponents who have drilled standard Valk-Gibby-Caustic rotations a hundred times. “People don't know how to counter Fuse yet so for us it definitely helps,” he added, a sly grin almost audible through the static.
What’s making Storm Point so fascinating in 2026 is that this is only half the story. Beyond Ash, Loba, and Fuse, a whole ecosystem of revived Legends is creeping back into the competitive spotlight. Horizon’s gravity lifts are creating devastating angles on the map’s multi-tiered buildings. Crypto’s drone scans are invaluable for teams playing edge in the dense jungle. Even Bangalore’s smokes have found a niche for blocking sightlines across the wide-open beaches. Over in APAC North, Wattson—of all Legends—has reappeared to lock down buildings, a pick that hasn’t been truly viable since the Pathfinder meta of yesteryear. The old idea of a single, universal meta has been shattered; now we’re looking at a future where each map cultivates its own specialist lineup, and that’s brilliant for everyone watching from home.
Still, wave left us with a piece of advice that should echo in every ranked grinder’s ears: “I think overall people should try to go off-meta because everyone plays differently. Copying what TSM does won't help you, people need to learn their own game.” It’s a fitting coda for a map that has pried open the legend select screen and let the weird kids play. Storm Point might be a beast to rotate through, but it’s turned the ALGS into a glorious, chaotic laboratory—and the experiments are just getting started.