Riot Games has released Valorant patch 13.05, a smaller update built around quality-of-life tweaks, esports features and bug fixes, Dot Esports reported. The patch also carries an advance warning that the Agent Gear progression system is being rebuilt in the following update.
Pick'Ems return for Valorant Champions Shanghai from September 10. Predictions for the group stage can be made in the client and on the web, with points awarded for correct picks and bonus points for calling exact placements. Rewards are handed out for taking part regardless of accuracy, and all picks have to be locked in before the group stage begins on September 24.
Agent Gear, sprays and enforcement
Riot said the Agent Gear progression system will be reworked in patch 13.06 on September 22. After that update, each piece of gear is tied to how much an individual agent is played. Unlocks already earned are kept, and Kingdom Credits remain the currency.
Sound sprays have been retuned in response to player feedback so their audio only plays when enemies are nearby, which Riot said should cut noise clutter and keep team communication clearer during matches. The same attenuation standard will apply to audio sprays released in future.
Penalties for players detected using stream sniping and instalock tools have started rolling out. Offenders receive temporary game bans that escalate to permanent bans on repeat violations, a measure the patch notes framed as maintaining competitive integrity and reducing toxic behavior, particularly in ranked play.
Agent bug fixes
- Chamber no longer causes performance drops the first time Headhunter is equipped, aimed or fired in a round.
- Trapwire's debuff no longer sticks indefinitely on a new target when the original target dies just before the wire triggers.
- Cyber Cage no longer incorrectly blocks flashes, detection and other line-of-sight abilities.
- Deadlock's unintended visual effects no longer appear briefly on screen when GravNet is cast.
- Fade's Seize danger indicator now shows for enemies in spots on Lotus where it previously did not.
- KAY/O no longer causes client-side framerate drops on each pulse of NULL/cmd.
- Omen's Dark Cover no longer obscures vision after the smoke has fully dissipated.
- Sage's Healing Orb tooltips are no longer missing from the HUD when the ability is equipped.
Three fixes went to Waylay. Vision-blocking abilities no longer stop Saturate from applying Hinder to players inside its area, Refract no longer leaves snapshots of dynamic map objects visible after the ability ends, and Saturate no longer applies Hinder to agents while they are intangible.