Rejuvenation: Valorant reaches Episode 6, Act 1, introducing new patch 6.0

Seasons of Change

With the advent of Episode 6 upon us Valorant fans, massive changes are on the horizon. Map rotations see Breeze and Bind out, while old favorite Split returns after some reworks alongside new map Lotus. The new battlepass also enters, with new skin bundle 'Araxys.'

Here are all the patch notes for Valorant patch 6.0:

Change of Scenery

Maps in Valorant are the equivalent of custom arenas, testing everything from agent familiarity to battle prowess. Every player has their repertoire of favorite maps and preferences. With that said, patch 6.0 sees Breeze and Bind rotate out, so for all those haters of the long-sighted Breeze and teleporters, rejoice. The new patch will see the return of Split as well as new three-bomb-site map Lotus.

The lush new map is carved out of beautiful Indian architecture, overgrown with vines flowers. The map serves as the introduction of a new game mechanic, revolving doors. These doors rotate a full 180 degrees with each press of the switch. Moreover, destructible entrances have also been introduced, with side entryways that can be accessed for quick flanks and alternate approaches.

Patch 6.0 will see Lotus-only queue introduced for a week in Swiftplay mode. After that, it will enter the competitive and unrated map rotation in patch 6.1.

‘Split’ Reactions

For some, the return of Split is a cause of rejoice. For others, it signals the end of times as the map has earned the infamous reputation of brutal attacking sides. The famously defensive-sided maps has now seen some tweaks to hopefully swing some of it back in favor of attackers.

Quick summary of changes:

• A main has been changed to include a bench, peeking up ramp. It has also been widened, allowing for easier entries. The bench, similar to Bind A short, allows for a different elevated angle to peek from. Historically, that singular A main angle has been difficult to contend.
• Rafters on A site has been partially removed, exposing Hell now. The boost box in A main entryway has also been shortened, allowing for a small piece of cover before entering sire.
• A tower has had a shift in the stairs’ direction, removing some of the trickiness of the multiple angles defenders had access to when holding.
• Mid has had the lip removed on platform, removing the skill-jump that was previously possible onto the mid box.
• B tower has had the small jumpbox removed, disallowing the majority of defending agents from jumping up.

Time for a Reset

As per usual, the episode reset sees a hard rank reset as well. Players can expect to find themselves usually a tier below their end rank after placement. Adjustments to the Ranked system now sees Rating gains/losses more dependent on wins and losses, with less emphasis placed on exact round differential. So, if you get that W, doesn’t quite matter how you did it.

Moreover, Riot have also introduced a system for players whose ranks were far from their hidden MMR. RR gains will now be more dependent on individual performances over round differentials. Rank and MMR should converge faster now.

Omen Nerfs Incoming

Omen’s Dark Cover will now fall to the height of nearby ground instead of remaining within a wall. As quoted by Riot developers, ‘One-way smokes are part of Valorant, but they are difficult to play against and we want to keep them limited to intentional and understandable areas.’

Read the full Riot patch notes here.

Image credit: Riot Games