VALORANT

Hey there, I’m Emily. I’ll be joining the Global Community team at Riot as an intern this summer, nice to meet you all! Hopefully y’all are staying cool with this summer heat, got a couple things for you to check out here :D Here’s what’s happening in Patch 13.02:

• Phoenix adjustment to address frequent casting of Run it Back.
• We are delaying AROS: Replication, we’ll let you know when we have news to share.
• Split, Corrode, and Lotus added to Retakes!
• Some Agent bug fixes.
• A fix for some door/ability interactions on Summit. GLHF and see you all on the server! ALL PLATFORMSAGENTS UPDATES
• Phoenix
• Overall we are happy with the state of Phoenix's balance. This is a small touch to address the frequency with which he is able to cast his ultimate to be more in line with other characters.
• Ultimate points increased from 6 to 7. MODES UPDATES
• RETAKE
• Split, Corrode, and Lotus are being added to the map pool for RETAKE.
• AROS: Replication
• All Random One Site: Replication will no longer be released in this update. We don’t take these decisions lightly as we know a lot of you were looking forward to this mode. We are still targeting a future release date and will let you know when we have more to share. BUG FIXES
• Agents
• Omen
• Fixed an issue where the Shrouded Step's obstructed placement indicator is missing.
• KAY/O
• Fixed an issue where NULL/cmd’s visual and death audio effects would not play when his downed timer expired.
• Fixed an issue where NULL/cmd’s death animation played incorrectly after being revived.
• Cypher
• Fixed an issue where Cyber Cage displayed incorrect visual effects when cast.
• Fixed a rare issue where Cypher disconnected while casting Neural Theft.
• Gekko
• Fixed an issue where the incorrect voiceover could play when Wingman planted the Spike.
• Fixed an issue where Wingman could unexpectedly die while planting or defusing the Spike under very low frame rate conditions.
• Miks
• Fixed an issue where the M Pulse ability icon and tooltip could be in the wrong place or missing on certain screens.
• Reyna
• Fixed an issue where the Dismiss icon remained grayed out after eliminating an enemy.
• Chamber
• Fixed an issue where Rendezvous could fail to teleport Chamber back to his anchor.
• Waylay
• Fixed an issue on Icebox where Lightspeed and Refract could allow Waylay to clip into the walls of B Tube.
• Jett
• Fixed an issue where Tailwind and Updraft could experience an unintended delay after using Cloudburst.
• Raze
• Fixed an issue where Boom Bot could briefly travel through solid geometry while locking onto airborne enemies.
• Deadlock
• Fixed an issue where Annihilation could incorrectly capture Omen while he was using From the Shadows, resulting in unintended damage of 900100 damage.
• Vyse
• Fixed an issue where Razorvine could become indestructible if it was deployed at the same moment Vyse was suppressed.
• Maps
• Summit
• Fixed an issue where Agent utility could sometimes be crushed by the door when it was already closed. PC ONLYBUG FIXES
• General
• Fixed a cosmetic issue where Packets Received/Sent Rate graphs showed incorrect values when the game is running at extremely high framerates. CONSOLE ONLYBUG FIXES
• Agent
• Chamber
• Fixed an issue where Tour de Force missed haptic feedback when equipped and fired.
• Yoru
• Fixed an issue where Fakeout was missing aim assistance functionality.
• Waylay
• Fixed an issue where using Lightspeed and immediately equipping the Spike or a Flex item could grant unintended dash speed and distance.
• Gameplay Systems
• Fixed an issue in game modes with no abilities where selecting Agent Info from the Settings menu could close the menu instead of displaying ability information.

Hey, it’s Ashley! Hope everyone has been enjoying their summer and spending some time outside. It’s the season of sport so if you’re watching the World Cup, who are you rooting for? Here’s the breakdown for Patch 13.01:

• Iso buff to weapon equip speed after unequipping Double Tap
• Yoru buff with an increase in duration of Gatecrash
• Outlaw adjustment to allow for more expression and control
• We can better detect rank manipulation and will begin issuing penalties for confirmed users. If you know you do this, count your days.
• Loads of bug fixes ALL PLATFORMSAGENTS UPDATES
• Iso
• Double Tap
• The speed of equipping your weapon after unequipping Double Tap is now instant.
• Yoru
• Gatecrash
• Active Beacon Duration increased from 15s >>> 20s
• Fakeout
• To further satisfy his deception fantasy, clones from Fakeout will now hold Yoru's last equipped weapon, instead of defaulting to his strongest weapon. PLAYER BEHAVIOR UPDATES
• Rank Manipulation Penalties
• We’ve rolled out new tools to better detect rank manipulation in VALORANT, building on systems we successfully introduced in League of Legends last year. Combined with the data we’ve gathered since adding the Rank Manipulation category in-game late last year, we will begin issuing penalties for confirmed rank manipulation.
• Penalties may include account suspensions, rank reversions, and ranked reward reversions.
• As part of this, players will begin to receive reporter and bystander feedback in game when a player in their matches is penalized for rank manipulation.
• Our goal is to protect ranked integrity and make sure competitive progress reflects fair play. For more detail on what counts as rank manipulation and how we’re approaching enforcement, check out this Play Fair article. WEAPONS UPDATES Outlaw has been performing strongly and we still want it to feel powerful with its back-to-back shots, but allow for some expression and some control to warrant that power.
• Outlaw
• Recovery from 0.1 >>> 0.15 after first shot
• Spread from 0 >>> 2.25 after first shot
• Recoil from 0 >>> 4.0 after first shot BUG FIXES
• Agents
• Astra
• Fixed an issue where Astra's ability cooldown timer could sometimes remain visible after the ability had already been used.
• Clove
• Fixed an issue where Clove could gain an extra charge of Ruse during the Buy Phase by purchasing and reselling ability charges.
• Cypher
• Fixed an issue where Cyber Cage could incorrectly block line-of-sight interactions above the ability's visual effects.
• Fixed an issue where Cyber Cage's trajectory indicator would not appear when throwing the ability into locations outside of Cypher's line of sight.
• Fixed an issue where Cyber Cage would sometimes fail to play an audio cue when enemies entered through the lower portion of the cage.
• Fixed an issue where certain Spycam voice lines would not play correctly during specific actions.
• Deadlock
• Fixed an issue where GravNet's third-person visual effects could disappear after a player disconnected and reconnected to the match.
• Gekko
• Fixed an issue where Nearsight visual effects on some controllable creatures could persist after they had been destroyed by an enemy.
• Iso
• Fixed an issue where Double Tap could incorrectly prevent the first instance of fall damage.
• Jett
• Fixed an issue where Cloudburst could be activated during Updraft and Tailwind animations when multiple abilities were bound to the same key.
• Fixed an inconsistency where Jett could not pick up the Spike or weapons during Tailwind.
• KAY/O
• Fixed an issue where FLASH/drive was missing part of its visual effects.
• Fixed an issue that could cause an animation skip when equipping FLASH/drive.
• Killjoy
• Fixed an issue on Split where Killjoy's Alarmbot could interact with players through certain wooden covers.
• Miks
• Fixed an issue where Miks could gain an extra charge of Waveform during the Buy Phase by purchasing and reselling ability charges.
• Neon
• Fixed an issue where Neon could be unable to pick up the Spike while sliding over it.
• Reyna
• Fixed an issue where Dismiss could occasionally leave Reyna unable to equip a weapon.
• Fixed an issue on Abyss where Leer could apply its blind effect in unintended locations near A Main.
• Sage
• Fixed an issue where players revived by Sage inside Viper's Pit or Poison Cloud would not correctly receive the nearsighted debuff.
• Skye
• Fixed an issue where Skye could gain an extra charge of Guiding Light during the Buy Phase by purchasing and reselling ability charges.
• Fixed an issue where Nearsight visual effects on some controllable creatures could persist after they had been destroyed by an enemy.
• Viper
• Fixed an issue where players using controllable abilities could briefly see through Viper's Pit.
• Fixed an issue where players revived by Sage inside Viper's Pit or Poison Cloud would not correctly receive the Nearsighted debuff.
• Veto
• Fixed an issue where the Evolution voice filter could persist on certain voice lines for the remainder of the match after activating the Ultimate.
• Yoru
• Fixed an issue that allowed Yoru to gain unintended movement speed while in Dimensional Drift when interacting with Flex/Totems.
• Maps
• Split
• Fixed an issue where certain wall-based abilities could be cut off when used in the middle of B Garage.
• Summit
• Fixed an issue where Iso could survive the falling door crush.
• Fixed an issue where Waylay could reach unintended locations using Refract and Lightspeed. BUG FIXES
• General
• Fixed a cosmetic issue where Packets Received/Sent Rate graphs showed incorrect values when the game is running at extremely high framerates KNOWN ISSUES
• Agent
• Omen
• Shrouded Step’s obstructed placement indicator is missing PC ONLYSOCIAL UPDATES
• Discord 🤝 Riot
• VALORANT is partnering with Discord to make getting into your next game with your friends easier. You can now link your accounts to unlock new social features!
• Invite friends in Discord straight to your party from within VALORANT. No alt-tabbing needed.
• Copy a lobby link and share it directly on your server or anywhere your friends are.
• See which of your Discord friends play VALORANT and jump into parties faster.
• This rolled out as a beta in Brazil first and is launching globally wherever Discord is available on July 21.
• For more information, check out <this article>.

Sup, gamers! We’re back with a big one for the start of V26 Act 4. So let’s jump right into it! TL;DR:

• Our Sentinel buffs are here! (Cypher, Killjoy, Veto, Sage, and Deadlock)
• We’re reducing Signature Ability cooldowns for Initiators! (Sova, Fade, Skye, Breach, and KAY/O)
• Our newest map Summit is now in the Competitive Map Rotation.
• We’re adjusting our Ranked Rating (RR) calculations!
• We’re making adjustments to improve consistency of player ranks in your Competitive lobbies.
• We’re tuning the Bandit to make it more viable outside of pistol rounds.
• Our newest limited-time mode Retake is now in the queue menu!
• Omen Shrouded Step audio is changing for gameplay clarity.
• Lots of small updates to Agent voice lines!
• We’ve added our first version of Inbox for cataloging some of your in-client notifications.
• Plus, a bunch of bug fixes. There’s a lot more detail from the Devs below! So be sure to check out the full notes for more context on all the changes. Good luck on your Act 4 grind! ALL PLATFORMSAGENTS UPDATES Sentinels serve an important role in the VALORANT tactical loop by punishing attackers who ignore macro strategy and instead opt for repeated, low information 5-player site hits. We believe VALORANT is best when strategy is mixed. These changes are aimed at improving overall Sentinel power so they can better serve their purpose in keeping disrespectful attackers honest, as well as improve their kill potential when anchoring sites alone.
• Cypher
• Trapwire
• Reduced windup from .9s to .7s.
• Killjoy
• Turret
• Rate of fire increased by 50%
• Nanoswarm
• Duration increased from 4s to 5s.
• Alarmbot
• Movement speed increased by 50%.
• Veto
• Interceptor
• Reclaim cooldown reduced from 30s to 20s.
• Crosscut
• Usable area increased from 24m to 30m.
• Arming time after placing was reduced from 1.5s to .75s.
• Sage
• Healing Orb
• Self Heal-Over-Time has increased from 50 to 100.
• Deadlock
• GravNet
• Cooldown reduced from 60s to 50s. While we’ve appreciated that gunplay is playing a bigger role in VALORANT rounds since Patch 11.08, we feel there is room to give Initiators more strategic agency by playing around their cooldowns in late-round scenarios. These changes aim to strike a balance between the old cooldowns and the changes from Patch 11.08 late last year.
• Initiator Cooldowns
• The signature ability cooldown of Sova, Fade, Skye, Breach, KAY/0 have been reduced from 60s to 50s.
• Gekko’s ability cooldowns after reclaiming his buddies has been reduced from 20s to 15s. While the gameplay and thematic elements of Omen’s Shrouded Step generally align with our design intention, cases where Omen teleports past or behind enemies during chaotic VALORANT rounds undetected because they simply could not parse the audio violates our gameplay clarity standards. This change is small, but should make Omen’s more obvious casts of this ability easier to hear.
• Omen
• Shrouded Step
• We’ve updated enemy Omen Shrouded Step audio with the goal of improving clarity in situations where you are within range of the ability but are unable to hear it.
• Agent VO Updates
• We're making small updates to various Agents voice lines and critical gameplay audio tells in order to reduce audio clutter and standardize Agent ability VO across our roster.
• New Sage and Viper voice lines interactions for the new map, Summit.
• New conversation lines between Miks & Gekko, and Jett & Phoenix.
• We’re also using this opportunity to remove a handful of lines that no longer meet our quality standards as they relate to agent behavior. The affected Agents are Killjoy, Jett, Reyna, Skye, Astra, Clove, Chamber, Neon, Deadlock, Vyse, Breach, Viper, Omen, Sova, Yoru, Fade, Iso, Tejo and Harbor. CLIENT UPDATES
• Inbox is now live in the VALORANT client, giving you one place to revisit curated, non-urgent notifications. You can see which messages are new or read, delete individual items to keep things tidy, and expect more notifications over time as we continue expanding Inbox.
• At launch, the Inbox includes the following message types:
• Gifting updates, so you’ll know when a gift you sent was accepted or rejected.
• Premier updates for promotion, being up for promotion, and qualifying for playoffs.
• RR refund notifications.
• Reporter feedback notifications, including “thank you for the report” messages.
• And Act Introduction messages, so you can revisit the current Act’s high-level info in-client. COMPETITIVE UPDATES
• RR/MMR Adjustments
• Now that the MMR changes we made earlier this year have had some time to settle, we’re adjusting our Ranked Rating (RR) calculations so you feel a little less stuck if you are consistently winning matches.
• Let us know if the climb is feeling better, especially for our Immortal+ players! MAP UPDATES
• NEW MAP: SUMMIT
• A 5v5 Spike mode map set in a Radiant training academy nestled in the mountains of China. Battle through training halls and meditation gardens where droppable walls reshape the battlefield mid-round.
• Summit features three lanes and two sites.
• Summit Launch Event
• Summit will be available to play in Competitive queue starting today.
• RR losses on Summit will be 50% reduced for the first two weeks. You will still receive 100% of the RR for any wins on Summit.
• Map Pool Updates
• SUMMIT and SUNSET are IN the COMPETITIVE and DEATHMATCH queues.
• FRACTURE and PEARL are OUT of the COMPETITIVE and DEATHMATCH queues. MODES UPDATES
• New Limited Time Mode
• Introducing RETAKE, a fast 3v3 Spike mode built around constant post-plant action. The Spike is already planted when the round begins; one team holds, the other coordinates the retake under a ticking timer. Hold the site, push the retake, and race to 5 rounds.
• Mode Details
• Round Structure
• 3v3 on single sites
• Sides swap every round. Planters defend the planted Spike, Retakers push to defuse
• Rounds end on team elimination, defuse, or Spike detonation
• First team to 5 rounds wins
• Pre-Planted Spike
• Auto-plants a few seconds into each round at a visible location on site
• Plant positions are randomized from a curated pool of spots per site
• Loadouts
• No economy. Pick from two cards each round: weapons and armor, and ability charges
• Each card offers two randomized options that escalate round over round
• Maps
• Available at launch: sites from Ascent, Bind, Haven, Summit, and Sunset
• Each match is played on a single site selected at random
• NEW MAP QUEUE: SUMMIT
• Summit Only queue will be available for 7 days.
• Summit Only games will use the Swiftplay mode format. WEAPONS UPDATES Now that the Bandit has been out for a few months, we’re fairly happy with where it’s landed, but we see an opportunity to make the gun more reliable while still maintaining its position as a precision weapon to master. We want to keep the Bandit’s pricing and mechanical mastery in check relative to the Ghost and Sheriff and we think these changes put it in a more competitive spot.
• Bandit Tuning
• Recovery from .45 >>> .4
• Tap efficiency from 3 >>> 4
• Pitch recoil at max down from 4 >>> 3 BUG FIXES
• General
• Fixed a bug where two different VOs could play when a player wins the round and game.
• Fixed a bug where if a player was spectating an ally who got an Ace or Clutch in the previous round, the pre-round commend VO could become directional for the spectator.
• Fixed a bug where the bottom HUD color for Signature and Ultimate abilities would be an incorrect color after Side Swap or Overtime.
• Agents
• Harbor
• Fixed a bug where Harbor’s Reckoning debuff could linger briefly after the ability’s VFX disappeared.
• Killjoy
• Fixed a bug where Killjoy’s Nanoswarm cast VO line would not play.
• Viper
• Fixed a bug where Viper could crouch outside of Viper’s Pit on Abyss without losing Smoke Integrity.
• Fixed a bug where Viper’s Pit could incorrectly spread through certain placements of Sage’s Barrier Orb and Vyse’s Shear, creating a divider inside the pit.
• Fixed a bug where Viper’s Pit VFX could fail to appear in Replays after scrubbing the timeline and switching to Free Cam.
• Fixed a bug where Viper’s Pit smoke could appear with artifacts or form incorrectly on Ascent, Abyss, Haven, Icebox, and Split. KNOWN ISSUES
• General
• In certain scenarios, it’s possible that players will be notified twice about RR refunds via Inbox and the Modal popup. Please note that this does not mean you are getting a double refund. PC ONLYCOMPETITIVE UPDATES
• We’ve made changes to our matchmaking to ensure the average rank of each team is within 1 sub-tier.
• Basically, if your team's average rank is Gold 2, the other team's average rank will also be within Gold more often. PREMIER UPDATES
• Welcome to Stage V26A4! Matches start on July 1.
• Teams with a Premier Score of at least 600 qualify for Playoffs on August 16.
• Make sure to check the schedule in client for match start times for your zone!
• For Contender and Invite Division teams:
• Qualification is still based on your placement - check out the standings page for more info.
• Playoffs will be played across two days! The first round of Playoffs will be on August 15. Teams that advance from the first round return on August 16 for the finals.

Hi, friends! Kenny, here. This week’s patch is just a lil guy! TL;DR, we’re launching the My VALORANT Card site today, fixing some bugs, and making some Premier changes. This is the last patch of Act 3. Act 4 starts in two weeks with a bunch of exciting stuff coming. So stay tuned! GL HF GGs, gamers. ALL PLATFORMSGENERAL UPDATES

• My VALORANT Card is now live!
• Flex your skill, highlight your personality, and connect with other players using a personalized VALORANT card. You can use My VALORANT Card to find the perfect new addition to your squad based on what matters most to you—rank, roles to fill, or purely vibes.
• Check out mycard.playvalorant.com to create your card, share on socials, and find new friends to add to your stack. BUG FIXES
• Agents
• Fixed a bug where Agents would frequently repeat the spike pick up line when dropped on the zipline in Fracture.
• Fixed a bug where if in left-handed mode Skye, Neon, and Fade’s HUD VFX would sometimes appear shifted into the middle of the screen.
• Fixed a bug where Miks was getting assists for healing uninjured allies with M-Pulse.
• Fixed a bug where Viper’s Pit was getting stuck unable to expand in a few specific spots.
• Fixed a bug where Sage’s Healing Orb was not usable during the buy phase.
• Fixed a bug where Miks’ M-Pulse could not be toggled after quickly swapping between abilities.
• Fixed a bug where Clove’s Not Dead Yet first person and third person SFX were not playing when the ability was available and when the ability timed out.
• Fixed an issue where Raze's Blast Pack wasn't dealing damage to destructible enemy abilities.
• Fixed an issue where Gekko’s reclaimable ability globules would disappear after using Thrash.
• Maps
• Fixed a bug on Breeze that allowed multiple Agent abilities to lock onto enemies who were out of sight behind the large boxes on A Main.
• Store
• Fixed an overlap issue on buy button prompts in Arabic while previewing bundles. KNOWN ISSUES
• Agents
• We’re aware of the issue with Waylay where she can place her Refract on a roof on Ascent.
• Maps
• We’re aware of the issue on Lotus where the doors sometimes don’t open. PC ONLYPREMIER UPDATES
• V26A3 Contender and Invite Division schedule changes:
• Playoffs now take place across multiple days.
• The first round of playoffs will be on June 20
• Teams that advance from the first round return on June 21 for their next matchup
• Make sure to check the schedule in client for round start times for your zone! BUG FIXES
• Premier
• Fixed a bug where Premier team tags would not show up in the Buy menu during pre-round phase.
• Added clearer error messaging during the ‘Create Team’ flow when a name and tag is already taken. CONSOLE ONLYWEAPON UPDATES
• Judge
• Minimum spread increased from 2.25 >>> 2.5
• This change was made in Patch 12.09 for PC and is now being implemented for Console as we previously mentioned in the Patch 12.09 Patch Notes. BUG FIXES
• Fixed an issue where you couldn't see the Cypher camera model when placing the ability.

Hi folks, it’s a light patch this time around, but notably, Replays are now accessible through your friends’ list! ALL PLATFORMSGENERAL UPDATES

• Replay Friend Sharing: You can now access and watch your friends’ replays for all eligible modes (Competitive, Unrated, Swiftplay, Premier, Custom) directly from their Career page.
• Replays for Custom games are only available when the lobby owner enables recording in the Custom options menu before the game starts. Recording must be enabled again for each new game. ESPORTS FEATURES
• Masters London Pick’Ems
• Pick'Ems are back for Masters London! Starting May 27 (PT), you can make your picks for the Swiss Stage in-client and on the web.
• For the Swiss Stage, you’ll be tasked with trying to predict who will advance from the 8-team Swiss Groups. For extra bonus points, try to predict a team who will make it out flawlessly with a 2-0 record.
• You can earn an exclusive title just for playing, but win additional prizes depending on how you fare against other players. MODES UPDATES
• SKIRMISH: ASCENSION - All selectable Agents are available for both 1v1 and 2v2 modes even if you do not have them unlocked
• NEW SKIRMISH MAPS
• Added Skirmish Maps D and E
• Available in all queues and customs.
• Both feature ramps for more peek angle variety Skirmish D Skirmish E BUG FIXES
• Agents
• Miks
• Fixed a bug where Miks's M-Pulse healing would persist briefly on enemies after they exit its range.
• Fixed a bug where Miks's M-Pulse could cancel other ability and weapon equip animations
• Fixed a bug where spamming alt-fire with Miks's M-Pulse could cause it to be used in the wrong form.
• Harbor
• Fixed a bug where Harbor's Reckoning could disappear early if the player spammed the cast button
• Gameplay
• Fixed a bug that allowed players to inadvertently kill enemies from spawn during the buy phase. This fix was rolled out with a patch redeploy during 12.09.
• Modes
• Skirmish 2v2: Fixed a bug where the timer was stuck at 0.5 seconds in overtime
• Store
• Fixed an issue where bundle details were not displayed on the confirmation page when purchasing VCT bundles. PC ONLYPREMIER UPDATES
• V26A3 Contender and Invite Division schedule changes:
• Playoffs now take place across multiple days.
• The first round of playoffs will be on June 20
• Teams that advance from the first round return on June 21 for their next matchup
• Make sure to check the schedule in client for round start times for your zone! CONSOLE ONLYBUG FIXES
• Store
• Fixed a clipping issue when confirming a gun buddy purchase from the battlepass.