Even before its initial release, Valorant took the global esports scene by storm, and it’s now back with Valorant 3.0 Patch containing numerous updates and changes to the game. Valorant has seen tremendous growth in the past year in terms of both popularity and in-game developments.
Achieving 16 million active users in the game on its First Anniversary is no easy feat, and this massive success can be credited mainly to its team of developers. They timely monitor and test the game besides accepting user and community feedback to improve the game and keep it fresh by introducing needed and exciting changes.
From adding several in-game features with Newer Episodes and Acts, the game currently offers a vast roster of 16 agents compared to the previous eight at the time of its release. Furthermore, the addition of newer maps, in-game elements, and an active valorant twitter community has collectively brought us to Episode 3 Act 1. You may read all about it here.
It is fairly common knowledge that a new valorant game episode often comes with a patch update, which coincidentally also aligns with the oncoming Valorant Champions Tour. So, let’s take a look at what’s new, what’s changed, and what’s more to expect from this ever-growing and exciting esports FPS free-to-play title.
Read More: New Valorant Patch + Gun Bundle!
Remarkable Valorant 3.0 Patch Updates
The Valorant game presently has a total of 7 maps (formerly four at the time of release) while retaining the much reliable Valorant Vanguard system. It prevents players from cheating in-game and allows for a smoother gameplay experience.
To aid this fantastic gaming experience, a new valorant 3.0 patch is out, and it contains a host of changes beyond the expected valorant buffs & nerfs. The list of changes are categorized for convenience, and they are all listed below:
Valorant 3.0 Patch: Weapon Updates
Shooting the running players is bound to slow their pace but shooting while simultaneously running has been a hot debate topic in the game. The patch changes the target tagging accuracy for addressing the run-and-gun scenario to make it more rewarding for players and promote proactive movements along with better gun combats in the short, long, and mid-range.
Previously, the run-and-gun events (popularly clipped on Valorant Reddit) have allowed players to tag enemies more easily. In contrast, now, with a minor reduction in the accuracy of such type of tagging, the game again demands players to challenge their valorant weapon aiming abilities and muscle memory.
The same is also true for walk and shooting, where players could previously get semi-accurate shots at mid-range. It is now in balance by modifying the walk accuracy to promote players to halt before shooting for better accuracy. In summary, these changes will affect short-range Sidearms and SMGs combats and long-range Heavies and Rifle combats.
Read More: New Valorant Map – Fracture!
All the tagging (slowed movement after getting hit by bullets) changes, valorant deadzone (movement speed when a player becomes inaccurate) weapon changes, and other modifications that affect weapons from the new 3.0 Valorant Patch are listed below:
All Weapons:
Bullet tagging reduced from 75% slow to 72.5% slow
Weapon deadzone reduced from 30% to 27.5%
All SMGs
- Walking inaccuracy reduced from 0.3 to 1.0
- Running inaccuracy increased from 2.0 to 2.5
All Rifles
- Walking inaccuracy increased from 1.3 to 2.0
- Running inaccuracy unchanged at 5.0
All Heavies
- Walking inaccuracy increased from 0.5 to 2.4
- Running inaccuracy unchanged at 6.0
Classic
- Walking inaccuracy increased from 0.25 to 0.84
- Running inaccuracy increased from 1.5 to 2.1
Frenzy
- Walking inaccuracy increased from 0.25 to 0.80
- Running inaccuracy increased from 1.0 to 2.0
Ghost
- Walking inaccuracy increased from 0.25 to 0.92
- Running inaccuracy increased from 1.85 to 2.3
Sheriff
- Walking inaccuracy increased from 0.25 to 1.2
- Running inaccuracy increased from 2.0 to 3.0
Judge
- Damage of Pellet falloff at 10m reduced from 13 HP per pellet to 10 HP per pellet.
- Damage of Pellet falloff at 15m reduced from 10 HP per pellet to 7 HP per pellet.
Bulldog
- Hip fire firing rate (Round Per Second) at full auto mode increased from 9.15 RPS to 9.5 RPS.
Valorant 3.0 Patch: Agent Updates
Valorant’s one of the most impressive features is allowing the players to select different agents possessing unique abilities for the gameplay. Delivering on its promise to introduce more agents at the time of its release, the game currently has 16 distinct agents. Each possesses a set of unique abilities. To learn about the newest agent in valorant, click here.
Still, valorant esports players and other global players have evidently been relying more on abilities over weapon use, which slightly decimates the game’s FPS factor. Thus, to make the game rounds more dynamic, some adjustments have been made regarding the agents’ abilities. Collectively, they will improve the tradeoff factor to establish a better balance between the gunplay and the abilities.
All Agents
The signature abilities now offer a minimum of one recharge per round, rather than accumulating charge every round. (Ending the game with one charge remaining will not offer an additional charge in the new round)
Charges acquired from the cooldown are now strictly temporary.
Return of visibility is quicker during the fadeout period of all the flashes.
Astra
- Nova Pulse
- Cooldown time increased from 12s to 25s.
- Gravity Well
- Cooldown time increased from 12s to 25s.
- Stars
- Will remain inactive during the Buy Phase.
- It takes 1.4s for the stars to charge and become usable after the Buy Phase barrier drops.
- Recall cooldown time increased from 8s to 15s.
- Default offered signature charges reduced from 2 to 1.
- Astral Form
- Attacking side Astra can now view the spike(inanimate) location in Astral Form.
Breach
- Flashpoint
- Total maximum charges reduced from 3 to 2.
- Projectile speed decreased from 2500m/s to 2000m/s
- Fault Line
- Full charge time lowered from 1.5s to 1s.
- The width area increased from 600 to 750.
- Telegraph wind-up time lowered from 1.3s to 1s.
- Concussion duration increased from 3s to 3.5s.
- Unequip period after firing reduced from 1s to 0.7s.
- Cooldown time increased from 35s to 40s.
- After Shock
- Now offers 3 explosions at a difference of 0.6 sec without falloff and deals 60HP damage.
- The radius of the explosion increased from 260 to 300.
- Unequip period after firing decreased from 1.1s to 0.9s.
- Rolling Thunder
- All explosion widths increased to 2300, which was previously the width of the final explosion only.
Cypher
- Neural Theft
- Required ultimate points/orbs reduced from 7 to 6.
Jett
- Tailwind
- No longer ruptures Cypher’s Trapwire
- Bladestorm
- Required ultimate points/orbs increased from 6 to 7.
Killjoy
- Alarmbot
- Cooldown after pickup increased from 7s to 20s.
- Turret
- Cooldown after pickup increased from 10s to 20s.
Omen
- Dark Cover
- Total maximum charges reduced from 2 to 1.
- Cooldown time increased from 35s to 40s.
- Second smoke must now be purchased for 100.
Raze
- Model
- Raze Model is updated with Polish Pass.
- Showstopper
- Required ultimate points/orbs increased from 7 to 8.
Sage
- Resurrection
- Required ultimate points/orbs increased from 7 to 8.
Skye
- Trailblazer
- Vision radius increased from 1720 to 2250.
- Maximum concussion duration increased from 3s to 4s.
- Guiding Light
- Total maximum charges reduced from 3 to 2.
- Charges now replenish with 40s cooldown.
- Trigger flash without needing to re-equip.
- Improved projectile guiding and tighter corner movement when free flying.
- Audio fading upon casting is lowered from 3250 to 1250.
Sova
- Recon Bolt
- Cooldown time increased from 35s to 40s.
- Hunter’s Fury
- Required ultimate points/orbs increased from 7 to 8.
Viper
- Snakebite
- Effect duration reduced from 8s to 6.5s.
- Outer Edges of the Acid Patch form quicker to ensure it’s lethal if an enemy sits in the entire duration.
Yoru
- Gatecrash
- Cooldown time increased from 35s to 40s.
Valorant 3.0 Patch: In-Game Economy Changes
Valorant Challengers and Valorant Champions series have so far been immensely successful and enjoyable among the game enthusiasts who now await the next matches dearly. However, the Valorant Competitive scene is inciting mixed reactions from fans and valorant players alike upon the matter of agent’s abilities and weapon use.
For instance, the Judge was heavily favored, whose reliance led to multiple 3k scenarios. The seemingly extravagant use and the easy availability of abilities also notably disrupted the game’s pace and the general FPS theme.
To bring about a balance regarding these circumstances, the valorant developers have introduced significant changes by re-defining the economy of both weapons and abilities. Such changes are projected to offer a better gameplay per round without having the opponents fragging each other too frequently by using their abilities.
The complete list of all the economy changes to weapons and agent’s abilities are stated below:
Weapon Economy Changes
- Snipers
- Marshal
- Cost lowered from 1000 to 950.
- Operator
- Cost lowered from 5000 to 4700.
- Marshal
- Rifles
- Bulldog
- Cost lowered from 2100 to 2050.
- Guardian
- Cost lowered from 2400 to 2250.
- Bulldog
- SMGs
- Stinger
- Cost lowered from 1100 to 950.
- Stinger
- Sidearms
- Frenzy
- Cost lowered from 500 to 450.
- Shorty
- Cost lowered from 200 to 150.
- Frenzy
- Shotguns
- Bucky
- Cost lowered from 900 to 850.
- Judge
- Cost increased from 1600 to 1850.
- Bucky
- Heavies
- Ares
- Cost lowered from 1600 to 1550.
- Ares
Agent Abilities Economy Changes
- Astra
- Stars
- Cost lowered from 200 to 150.
- Stars
- Breach
- Flashpoint
- Cost increased from 200 to 250.
- Aftershock
- Cost increased from 100 to 200.
- Flashpoint
- Brimstone
- Incendiary
- Cost increased from 200 to 250.
- Incendiary
- Jett
- Updraft
- Cost increased from 100 to 150.
- Cloudburst
- Cost increased from 100 to 200.
- Updraft
- Omen
- Paranoia
- Cost lowered from 400 to 300.
- Dark Cover
- Now buy it at 100.
- Shrouded Step
- Cost increased from 100 to 150.
- Paranoia
- Phoenix
- Curveball
- Cost increased from 200 to 250.
- Curveball
- Raze
- Boombot
- Cost increased from 200 to 400.
- Boombot
- Reyna
- Leer
- Cost increased from 200 to 250.
- Leer
- Sage
- Slow Orb
- Cost increased from 100 to 200.
- Barrier Orb
- Cost increased from 300 to 400.
- Slow Orb
- Skye
- Trailblazer
- Cost increased from 200 to 250.
- Guiding Light
- Cost increased from 100 to 250.
- Trailblazer
- Sova
- Shock Dart
- Cost increased from 100 to 150.
- Owl Drone
- Cost increased from 300 to 400.
- Shock Dart
- Viper
- Snakebite
- Cost increased from 100 to 200.
- Snakebite
- Yoru
- Blindside
- Cost increased from 200 to 250.
- Blindside
Competitive Updates – Ranked System Changes
The Ranked matches in Valorant are known to link players with similar skills and precision and other characteristics that define a player’s capabilities. The ranking system assigned to connect such valorant players in matchmaking queues has performed splendidly in the past for most types of players with respective ranks. But, except for multiple instances where teams have been stacked unevenly, the system did require an improvement.
An issue of such a type was noticeably known to occur more in valorant ranked matches among the group of gold, platinum, and diamond players. On the other hand, the Immortal & Radiant ranked players were observed to have extensive matchmaking queues, which would also fail once or twice in a fortnight.
From Twitter @PlayValorant (official valorant)
Unofficially, such inconsistencies have been due to ironing out the in-game cheaters with the help of the Valorant Vanguard system and other methods. But to improve the valorant ranking system, changes have been made to the patch so you can expect the following types of results, to say the least:
- All game wins across all the ranks will matter despite the age of the account.
- Improved individual performance evaluation to assist better and balanced player matchmaking.
- We improved the matchmaking accuracy across the ranked system for offering better rank climbing. It’ll help with reducing the grossly elevated or plummeted rank fluctuations.
- Higher ranked players can expect to gain better matches as their performance will also be evaluated and used to seek players despite the game’s result.
- Closer game defeats will affect the overall rank ratings but only by a smaller margin.
- Rank Rating Curve is readjusted to improve the rank distribution and queuing.
- Placements raised to Diamond 1.
After observing the proposed possible changes in terms of valorant competitive ranked mode, it appears that Valorant is the nearest to solving some of its matchmaking issues. With that said, the new economy and agent changes are determined to shake up the calm and re-define the Meta agents of Valorant Maps like Haven, Breeze, Ascent, etc.
Read more about the Breeze map meta agents by visiting this link.
Gameplay & Performance Updates
Valorant has been one of those games for over a year that has earned the players’ enthusiasm like you from multiple age groups, genders, and generations. To offer a better and accurate gameplay experience to the different players who each use different configurations, in-game settings, etc.; the developers have managed to offer these worthwhile updates to allow smoother game performance:
Improved & Informative Killfeed
A killfeed might not seem of much importance to some players, but it is essential to observe it, especially if you ever want to attempt valorant competitive matches. Regardless of it, the new valorant patch update comes with an enhanced killfeed that’s comparatively better than before.
- Kills made by you will carry a unique border visible only on your killfeed.
- Team players who may have assisted the kill will be depicted on the left of the person securing the kill or at the left of the killfeed entries.
- Any kill assisted by you will also appear on the left of killfeed entries but albeit with a marked border.
- Reviving a player in the team will depict a specific image in the killfeed. So will another specific image when they are killed in the second life.
- Addition of multi-color killfeed for better displaying the same team color appearing side by side in events where multiple kills occur or when they happen simultaneously at once or so.
Round Rollback
- You can now reset the game to a previous round and begin playing again from that state using the Round Rollback feature.
- You can enable this feature by navigating to ‘Options’ at the time of setting up a custom game and turning ‘On’ the Tournament Mode.
- Only Moderators can initiate a rollback unless cheats are enabled for all players as a custom menu option, then any player can activate roll back.
- In an already initiated match, the roll back feature can be found in the ‘Cheats’ menu.
- Players can now toggle on/off the outer crosshair lines. (Available in Tournament Mode Custom Games Only)
Read More: Best Dot Crosshair Valorant – How To Get Valorant Dot Crosshair?
Other Updates
One of the largest patches in the history of Valorant updates has also taken care of several smaller things responsible for game performance to improve the game in various scenarios. Those changes and additional miscellaneous changes are mentioned together in the points below:
- Valorant Year One Event Pass (Limited to Patch 3.0)
- A pass similar to Battlepass but free for all and contains seven in-game rewards.
- Squad Boost (Limited to Patch 3.0)
- Earn boost by playing with a squad of one or more.
- 8% on one additional player.
- 12% on two additional players.
- 16% on three additional players.
- 20% on four additional players.
- Earn boost by playing with a squad of one or more.
- Permanent Account Leveling
- Your player card will display a numerical value on the topside at the center, reflecting experience gained from the number of games played.
Anticipated Valorant Game Updates
The Valorant has already proved its mettle in the world of esports and is only expected to climb higher. The success is reported to extend to mobile platforms, with the news surfacing that the work to develop the valorant mobile game has already begun and is anticipated to complete by the third or fourth quarter of 2022.
A Clash Style Tournament is also in the works where teams of 7 can compete with each other in tournaments within the Act for gaining massive in-game rewards
But you don’t have to wait till then to enjoy this free-to-play game! Even if you don’t have a windows machine, you can download valorant on mac and play it readily for hours on end! However, no reports have surfaced regarding Riot Inc.’s developed Valorant to hit consoles. So it will probably take a while before we may see a PS5 Valorant or an Xbox Valorant but never say never, right?
You can subscribe to our weekly Valorant newsletter to get all the latest updates on the game. We’re soon also offering Champions Tour Newsletters. So keep an eye out for it, and to read about the bug fixes in the Valorant Patch 3.0, you can visit the official website. Happy Gaming Radiants!
