Riot Games dropped Valorant Patch Notes 8.01 on January 23rd. Big changes are happening, like boosting Iso, tweaking Raze’s Blast Pack, and reopening A Hole in Breeze. Let’s check out a snippet from the patch notes.
It’s the end of january 2024, but we’ve got one more patch before we wave goodbye to the first month of the new year. Get ready for updates on agents and a cool tweak in the map “Breeze.”
Table of Contents
Map updates
Breeze: They have made some changes and want to know what you think. Developers have simplified the main area and B site, but that closing off the A-hole made it tough for attackers.
So, after looking at your feedback, They have decided to reopen the A hole to give attackers more choices.
Agent Changes
Skye Changes
In 2023, Skye took the lead among initiators, becoming the go-to choice in solo and group matches. The ultimate, “Guiding Light” (E), played a big part, giving skye an edge in fights and handy scouting ability.
It’s the only flash that recharges among initiators. However, while it’s cool that skye can use both Flash and Recon, there’s no clear downside to balance this flexibility.
To make skye players think more about when to use “Guiding Light” (E), Dev’s made a change. The unique mix of combat and scouting would stay, but the cost of adding skye to the team should be clearer. They aim to keep skye versatile for solo and group play without overshadowing other flash agents.
Removing the recharge of Guiding Light (E) makes using this skill more strategic, balancing skye combat strength with scouting. It’s a clear trade-off for early-round information gathering, requiring careful decision-making with Skye special abilities.
The flash at the end of “Guiding Light” now encourages more intentional decisions, making fake flashes more tactical and allowing the skill to cover maximum distance while still being effective.
Changes to “Guiding Light” (E):
- No recharge during a round
- Flash automatically activates when it ends
Patch 6.07 brought back the yellow warning for players chased by the Seeker (X) to make interactions clearer, even in close combat.
Changes to Seeker (X):
- Yellow arrow warning when the Seeker approaches a target
Iso Changes
With this Iso update, Dev’s are boosting the independence and combat benefits of Double Tap (E). The Energy Orb now lasts a bit longer, giving you more time to secure a shield while handling threats.
Buff effects and shield duration extensions provide extra time to decide on engagements. Reducing the shield width of “Double Tap” (E) lowers the chance of enemies detecting you when entering an area.
Changes To Double Tap (E):
- Increased orb duration: 2 seconds >>> 3 seconds
- Initial buff effect and shield duration extended: 15 seconds >>> 20 seconds
- Shield width reduced: 120 >>> 100
We’ve also cut the cost of “Contingency” to match its in-game value.
Changes To Contingency (C):
- Cost reduction: 250 >>> 200
Raze Blast Pack Update
Raze can cover long distances with the “Blast Pack” (Q), surprising opponents. This audio update makes it clearer when Raze’s enters an area with a Blast Pack (Q), especially helpful when a lot is happening at once.
Changes To Blast Pack (Q):
- Sound when Rays approaches with “Blast Pack” altered for better clarity.
Game system update
Making Jump Throws Easier
Dev’s have added something to make it easier when you throw stuff while jumping. If you press the button to throw within 100ms of jumping, the stuff goes at the same speed as if you threw it while just standing there.
This means it will always hit the enemy in the same spot. Most jump throws you do already work like this, but a few might need a tiny tweak.
Better Sound for Your Games
If you go to settings and have speakers on both sides, They turned on something cool called HRTF (head-related transfer function). It makes the sounds in your game sound even better.
Faster Loading and Booting
They made things faster when you start up the game or load a match. It’s like when you turn on your computer, and it’s quicker to get everything ready.
Updates about How Players Act
They have added more info to the messages you get about how people are behaving in the game. Now, it’s easier to see and understand the rules and what happens if you break them.
Bug Fixes
Agent
- There was a bug before. When using “Slash” (X), sometimes the explosion got stuck on things and didn’t hit enemies.
- Now, when Iso takes down a practice bot at the shooting range, energy orbs pop up (not during shooting tests).
- Reyna, after defeating a practice bot at the shooting range, gets soul orbs (not during shooting tests).
Game System
- Fixed a problem when switching from checking weapons to scoping in Outlaw.
- The display of bullet paths when using Chamber’s “Tour de Force” (X) and Operator around corners is now fixed.
- No more weird visual effects like Omen’s “From the Shadows” (X) on the minimap during a match.
- Also, the white circle showing spikes on the minimap won’t vanish if the spikes are at the edge.
Map
Breeze
- A Hall door used to start open; now it starts closed.
Lotus
- There was a problem where you could stand on collapsed pillars at site C; it’s fixed.
Ice Box
- Fixed an issue where standing on the green container was possible.
Split
- No more standing on the vent in the garage.
Mode
Team Death Match
- Players won’t run out of spare ammo when grabbing an Outlaw from a weapon spawner.
Premier
- Checking your Premier standings for the first time won’t leave your zone or division unloaded.
- Teams will show up on the standings tab right after a match during a stage period.
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