What changed in VALORANT from 12 to 13

TLDR; Pick’ Ems for Champs, penalties for stream sniping and instalock tools, and future changes to the Agent Gear system so make sure to grind it out and get all the items now! Heyo, it’s Ash and we’ve got a small-ish patch for you with mostly bug fixes. We’re prepping for a pretty beefy next patch in 13.06 so more to come! Let’s get it. ALL PLATFORMSCOSMETICS UPDATES

• Sound Sprays
• Based on your feedback, we've adjusted the sound attenuation for all sound sprays so you'll only be able to hear the sounds if you're nearby to ensure teams can communicate effectively. This will be a standard for all future audio sprays. ESPORTS FEATURES
• Pick’Ems have returned for Champions Shanghai! Starting on September 10, you will have access to the Group Stage in-client and on the web. Predict the advancing teams for points, earning extra points for correctly guessing the exact placement. You’ll also earn rewards just for participating. Get your picks in before Groups kickoff on September 24th! PLAYER BEHAVIOR UPDATES
• We've started rolling out penalties if we detect usage of stream sniping and instalock tools. Players found using these tools will be subject to temporary game bans that will escalate to permanent with repeated usage. PROGRESSION UPDATES
• Agent Gear
• Heads up, gamers! With the release of Patch 13.06 on September 22, we'll be revamping the Agent Gear system and the way you unlock items on that progression track. You will still keep the gear you've already earned, and you'll continue to use Kingdom Credits to unlock future gear. But after Patch 13.06, each piece of gear will be tied directly to how much you play the associated Agent. So if you're currently grinding for Agent Gear on any Agents you don't usually play, now's your chance to lock in and get those unlocks. BUG FIXES
• Agent
• General
• Fixed an issue where Agent Ultimate voiceover could continue playing from an enemy's perspective after the Agent casting the Ultimate was killed.
• Fixed an issue where the Combat Report incorrectly displayed "Enemies Blinded" for certain abilities that don't apply Blind.
• Fixed an issue where smokes would block flashes after dissipating.
• We’ve better timed the dissipation for the smokes on Astra, Brimstone, Clove, Miks, and Omen to fix an issue where their smokes could continue blocking flashes and other line-of-sight-dependent abilities while the smoke was dissipating.
• Chamber
• Fixed an issue that could cause performance drops the first time Chamber equipped, aimed, or fired Headhunter during a round.
• Cypher
• Fixed an issue where Cypher's Trapwire debuff could persist indefinitely on a new target if the initial target was killed just before the Trapwire triggered.
• Fixed an issue where Cypher's Cyber Cage could incorrectly block flashes, detection, and other line-of-sight-dependent abilities.
• Deadlock
• Fixed an issue where casting Deadlock's GravNet could briefly display unintended VFX on screen.
• Fade
• Fixed an issue where Fade's Seize would not display its danger indicator to enemies in certain locations on Lotus.
• KAY/O
• Fixed an issue where KAY/O's NULL/cmd could cause client-side framerate drops with each pulse.
• Omen
• Fixed an issue where Omen’s Dark Cover could obscure a player’s vision after the smoke has dissipated.
• Sage
• Fixed an issue where Sage's Healing Orb ability tooltips could be missing from the HUD when equipping the ability.
• Waylay
• Fixed an issue where vision-blocking abilities could prevent Waylay's Saturate from applying Hinder to players within its area of effect.
• Fixed an issue where Waylay's Refract could cause snapshots of dynamic map objects to remain visible after the ability ended.
• Fixed an issue where Waylay's Saturate could apply Hinder to Agents while they were intangible. PC ONLYGENERAL UPDATES
• Default Bot Count in Range Practice Mode
• An option for 10, 5, or 1 bot to spawn has been added in the Range practice mode.
• The default number of bots spawned is now 5.
• You can adjust this number in the Range settings.
• Fixed an issue where the close button was not functional after purchasing VALORANT Points.

TLDR; Goodbye Breeze and hello Abyss! There’s a new map rotation in our Competitive and Deathmatch queues, and we fixed some issues with Agent bugs and transforming melees like Kuronami 2.0 and Nocturnum. Happy Patch Day, it’s Emily again! Act 5 is here, and with it a few fixes to keep your ranked grind consistent. Have y’all checked out the new skinline? You should really spam that flex… While we’re starting Act 5 with some minor bug fixes and adjustments, keep an eye out for news coming in September. I sense a new Dev Update on the horizon, and some other game updates we are stoked to reveal! That’s all for now, GLHF! ALL PLATFORMSMAP UPDATES

• Map Pool Updates
• ABYSS is IN the COMPETITIVE and DEATHMATCH queues.
• BREEZE is OUT of the COMPETITIVE and DEATHMATCH queues. BUG FIXES
• Agent
• Fixed an issue where Cypher's Spycam minimap icon was rotated incorrectly.
• Fixed an issue where Viper's Snake Bite equip animation appeared incorrectly from an enemy's point of view.
• Fixed an issue where Deadlock's GravNet visual effects could disappear after a player disconnected and reconnected.
• Stability
• Fixed an issue where repeatedly switching between Clove's Meddle and Ruse could cause a player to freeze and disconnect. PC ONLYPREMIER UPDATES Welcome to Stage V26A5! Matches start on August 18.
• This Stage will run for five weeks of matches instead of the usual seven.
• Teams with a Premier Score of at least 450 qualify for Playoffs on September 20.
• In Contender and Invite, qualification is still based on your placement - check out the standings page for more info. For Contender and Invite Division teams:
• Playoffs will be played across two days! The first round of Playoffs will be on September 19. Teams that advance from the first round return on September 20 for the finals. BUG FIXES
• Cosmetics
• Fixed a bug where the animation on all transforming melee weapons (like Kuronami 2.0 and Nocturnum) would not transform during their inspect.

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.