Valorant is heading toward the end of the year with a focus on balance adjustments and new features. Year-end patches provide the best opportunity for necessary changes without disrupting pro play. Expect larger scope changes designed to have a substantial impact on gameplay and Valorant Player behaviour penalties.
Agent Updates: Iso, Neon, Reyna, and Raze
The updates to Iso, Neon, Reyna, and Raze have met overall goals. Initially, Iso changes were too drastic, but the follow-up patch balanced the Duelist ecosystem, resulting in a healthy and varied state. This push and pull are a normal part of balancing competitive games.
More patches are being shipped throughout the year, ensuring they aren’t overly disruptive. Work is ongoing for Phoenix, with other Duelist roster changes in the pipeline. Additionally, weaker Sentinels and Controllers are under consideration for tuning.
While many expect Harbor changes with this patch, they are taking longer due to the need for larger scope work. Options are still being explored. Shortly after this announcement, Vyse will join the roster, and her performance will be monitored closely, as with all agent releases.
End-of-Year Changes: Astra, Chamber, Ares, and More
With the end of the VCT, new changes will start to roll out. In Patch 9.05, Astra received improvements to her utility output compared to other Controllers, while Chamber’s ability to defend territory aggressively and escape was enhanced. Ares is being buffed to improve viability among mid-range weapons. Additionally, expect changes to Phoenix, Sage, Cypher, and Gekko.
Map Rotation and Sunset Adjustments
Patch 9.08 introduces a new map rotation. Icebox and Lotus are out, while Split and Pearl return. Adjustments to Sunset focus on making B Site more defensible and improving post-plant gameplay by modifying B Main. Light changes to Mid provide defenders with additional options during contests. Feedback on map rotations has been noted, with Fracture under consideration for future updates. Map rotation schedules and cadence will be updated, with more details to come when Patch 9.08 goes live.
Anti-Cheat Updates: Vanguard and Ranked Rollbacks
VALORANT uses the anti-cheat system Vanguard to maintain fair play. Despite only 1% of games containing cheaters, the average cheater gets banned within their first six games. Anti-cheat efforts are adapting to the game’s debut on consoles, dealing with new cheats like input spoofing. While encountering cheaters occasionally on PC or console, Vanguard’s detection methods delay immediate responses to preserve effectiveness. Ranked rollbacks will be implemented for players who lose games due to a cheater. If the cheater is banned post-game, RR will be refunded.
Valorant Player Behavior: Comms Abuse and Hardware Bans
The player behavior team continues to address communication abuse with stricter penalties and expanded gameplay restrictions. Hardware bans are now in effect for severe cases, following manual reviews. An audit of the manual review process ensures faster escalations and increased staff support for handling repeat offenders.
Voice Evaluation and Global Rollout
Voice communication remains a significant area for abuse. A beta for automated voice evaluation began in North America last year, showing promising results. Global rollout will begin before the end of the year, starting with English and expanding to other languages over time.