Roboteers, stand by!

The next Episode of Valorant, Riot Games tactical shooter, is upon us - Episode 3 Act 1 is due to get underway TODAY.

Approaching its first anniversary, the game has made great strides in becoming a PC phenomenon and a true successor to the popular title CSGO.

While we're still waiting for the full reveal, we do know a few things about this next update.

In this article you'll find information about the release date, Battle Pass, Trailer, new agent KAY/O and the Patch Notes.

Here's what's coming in the 3.0 update for Valorant.

The next update is expected to arrive on the 22nd June 2021.

The previous Battle Pass will end at 1AM BST on the 23rd June 2021.

Act 1 should run from the 22nd June until the 24th August.

Act 2 will run from the 24th August until October 19th.

Act 3 will finish up Episode 3, beginning October 19th and heading into the new year; finishing on the 11th January 2022.

This is according to @floxayyy.

We're still waiting on an official trailer for the new season, we have had the Agent Trailer release (see below).

A new Battle Pass will be on offer, introducing 50 tiers of rewards including Weapon skins, Gun buddies, Sprays, Icons, Banners and more.

The Battle Pass will cost 1,000 Valorant points.

Take a look at what's coming in the Battle Pass below! (Via @ValorLeaks)

KAY/O is the next agent arriving in Valorant and appears to be a robot/cyborg.

As an Inititaor, it's believed that he will come with a supressing ability that will disable agent abilities - via @ValorLeaks.

Abilities include:

• ZERO/POINT : Equip a suppression blade. FIRE to throw. The blade sticks to the first surface it hits winds up and then suppresses anyone in the radius of the explosion.
• FLASH/DRIVE: Equip a flash grenade. FIRE to throw. The flash grenade explodes after a short fuse, blinding anyone in line of sight.
• FRAG/MENT: Equip an explosive fragment. FIRE to throw. The fragment sticks to the floor and explodes multiple times, dealing near-lethal damage at the center with each explosion.
• Ultimate - NULL/CMD: Overload with polarized Radianite energy that empowers KAY/O and causes large energy pulses to emit from his location. Enemies hit with these pulses are suppressed for a short duration.
• While Overloaded, KAY/O gains Combat Stim ~ If KAY/O is killed while overloaded, he is downed and enters a destabilized state, allowing allies to stabilize his core and revive him.

The official patch notes have been released from Valorant.

Here's everything new coming in the next update:

• Size: 2.7GB
• Maximum placement: Diamond 1
• Immortal Returning in Act 2
• Account levelling added
• Hover Cards have been added to the social panel
• You can now invite to party with Riot ID in custom game
• Additional highlights for kills and assists in the killfeed
• Squad boost enabled

Check out the agent and weapon changes below!

All Agents

• Signature abilities now only provide a minimum of one charge per round instead of accumulating a charge every round.
• Charges gained from cooldowns are now always temporary
• Visibility returns faster during the fadeout period of all flashes

Jett

• Cloudburst now costs 200 (was 100)
• Updraft now costs 150 (was 100)
• Blade Storm now costs 7 Ult points (was 6)
• Jett's Tailwind can no longer dash through Cypher's tripwires

Omen

• Shrouded step now costs 150 (was 100)
  
• Paranoia now costs 300 (was 400)
• Dark cover charge reduced to 1 (was 2)
• Dark cover second smoke now costs 100
• Dark Cover smokes regenerate after 40 seconds

Skye

• Trailblazer vision radius increased 1750 >>> 2250
• Trailblazer max concussion duration increased 3 >>> 4
• Trailblazer price increased to 250 (was 200)
• Charges reduced 3 >>> 2
• Charges are now replenished on a 40-second cooldown
• Skye no longer needs to re-equip to trigger her flash
• Guiding Light’s projectile now goes around corners tighter when free flying and is more responsive to guiding
• Audio attenuation when cast reduced 3250 >>> 1250
• Cost of charges increased 100 >>> 250

Yoru

• Blindside price increased to 250 (from 200)
• Gatecrash cooldown time increased to 40 (was 35)

Brimstone

• Incendiary price increased to 250 (from 200)

Sova

• Owl Drone price increased to 400 (was 300)
• Shock Dart price increased to 150 (from 100)
• Recon Bolt cooldown time increased to 40 (was 35)
• Hunter's Fury Ult points increased to 8 (from 7)

Sage

• Slow Orb price increased to 200 from 100
• Barrier Orb cost increased to 400 (from 300)
• Resurrection increased to 8 Ult points (from 7)

Breach

• Aftershock price increased to 200 (was 100)
• Aftershock has 3 small burst shocks instead of 1 big shock
• Flashpoint price increased to 250 (was 200)
• Flashpoint charge decreased to 2 (was 3)
• Flashpoint Projectile speed decreased 2500 >>>2000
• Faultline full charge time decreased 1.5 >>> 1 second
• Faultline width increased 600 >>> 750
• Faultline telegraph windup time decreased 1.3 >>> 1
• Faultline concussion duration increased 3 >>> 3.5
• Faultline unequip time after firing decreased 1 >>> .7
• Faultline cooldown time increased 35 >>> 40
• Rolling Thunder width of all explosions increased to 2300, which was the previous width of the final explosion

Reyna

• Leer Price increased to 250 (was 200)

Phoenix

• Curveball price increased to 250 (was 200)

Viper

• Snakebite duration reduced 8 >>> 6.5
• Snakebite outer edges of Viper’s acid patch form faster to ensure it is lethal if an enemy sits in the entire duration
• Snakebit cost increased 100 >>> 200

Raze

• Model has been updated with a polish pass
• Boombot price increased to 400 (was 200)
• Showstopper now costs 8 Ult points (was 7)

Astra

• Gravity Well: Cooldown time increased 12 >>> 25
• Nova Pulse: Cooldown time increased 12 >>> 25
• Stars are now inactive when placed during the buy phase
• On Attack, Astra can now see the Spike’s location in Astral form
• Recall cooldown increased 8 >>> 15
• Astral Form price decreased to 150 (was 200)
• Astral Form (Stars) decreased to 1 (was 2)

Cypher

• Neural theft now costs 6 Ult Points (was 7)

Killjoy

• Alarmbot cooldown after pickup increased 7 >>> 20
• Turret cooldown after pickup increased 10 >>> 20

All Weapons

• Bullet tagging changed from 75% slow >>> 72.5% slow
• Weapon Deadzones changed from 30% >>> 27.5%

All Rifles

• Walking inaccuracy changed from 1.3 >>> 2.0
• Running unchanged at 5.0

All Heavies

• Walking Inaccuracy changed from .5 >>> 2.4
• Running unchanged at 6.0

All SMGs

• Walking inaccuracy changed from .3 >>> 1.0
• Running inaccuracy changed from 2.0 >>> 2.5

Classic

• Walking inaccuracy changed from .25 >>> .84
• Running inaccuracy changed from 1.5 >>> 2.1

Frenzy

• Price decreased 500 >>> 450
• Walking inaccuracy changed from .25 >>> .8
• Running inaccuracy changed from 1.0 >>> 2.0

Ghost

• Walking inaccuracy changed from .25 >>> .92
• Running Inaccuracy changed from 1.85 >>> 2.3

Sheriff

• Walking inaccuracy changed from .25 >>> 1.2
• Running inaccuracy changed from 2.0 >>> 3.0

Judge

• Price increased 1600 >>> 1850
• Damage falloff at 10m changed from 13 per pellet >>> 10 per pellet
• Damage falloff at 15m changed from 10 per pellet >>> 7 per pellet

Bulldog

• Hip-fire (full auto mode) firing rate increased from 9.15 RPS >>> 9.5 RPS
• Price decreased 2100 >>> 2050

Shorty

• Price decreased 200 >>> 150

Stinger

• Price decreased 1100 >>> 950

Bucky

• Price decreased 900 >>> 850

Marshal

• Price decreased 1000 >>> 950

Ares

• Price decreased 1600 >>> 1550

Operator

• Price decreased from 5000 >>> 4700

• Reduced the possibility of feeling “hard stuck” on older accounts. If your skill improves, your rank should properly reflect that, regardless of account age.
• Matchmaking accuracy will improve across all ranks, which should lead to a smoother ranked climb and reduce how hard you may swing up and down in rank
• While winning games is still the most important factor, individual performance will also be accounted for to improve matchmaking at Immortal+
  • This should result in better matches at the highest levels.
• Close games will have a smaller effect on rank rating gains and losses
• Adjusted our Rank Rating curves, so climbing (or falling) should feel less volatile
• Updated Rank distribution
• Placements raised to Diamond 1

• Improved clipping plane calculations using multithreading
• Improved thread utilization across multiple cores for distributed tasks
• Optimized camera calculations
• Optimized ambient audio for each map
• General optimizations for all ability animations

• Improved clipping plane calculations using multithreading
• Improved thread utilization across multiple cores for distributed tasks
• Optimized camera calculations
• Optimized ambient audio for each map
• General optimizations for all ability animations

AGENTS

• Characters blocked by Sage’s Barrier Orb when resurrected now break the wall to ensure they don’t get pushed inside map geo
• Fixed Skye’s Seekers showing up on the minimap even when they aren’t visible to an enemy
• Fixed Viper’s ultimate not showing as active on the team UI when Viper’s Pit is up
• Fixed bug where Cypher’s Spy Camera could be placed inside the map on mid Icebox
• Fixed a bug where Reyna’s Dismiss ability could not be rebought if the Buy Menu is closed and reopened during the same Buy Phase
• Fixed a bug where cancelling Sova’s Hunter’s Fury while charging the shot allows player to skip unequip animation by equipping a weapon, ability, or Spike
• Fixed a bug where picking up Cypher’s TrapWires/Cages and Killjoy’s Nano Swarms during the Buy phase would prevent you from purchasing a second charge

COMPETITIVE

• Fixed a bug that was causing a delay in recent Competitive game’s Ranked Rating updates in Match History
• Fixed a Career screen visual bug that would show up for those who dropped out of Immortal
• Fixed a bug that caused a friend’s career to infinitely load

SOCIAL

Fixed a bug where friends' names were merging together in the social panel when interacting with them, jumbling them together at times. Word scramble no longer!

CONTENT SUPPORT

• Fixed an issue causing a hitch when viewing skins in the Collection

GAMEPLAY TECHNOLOGY

• • Fixed a bug where the inner crosshair toggle feature wasn't working
  • Fixed a bug where AOE kills were not rewarding the appropriate character if the enemy was in a debuffed state
  • Fixed a bug where the Spike icon pulse and beeping sound were not in sync
  • Fixed a bug where Ally defuse progress bar sometimes fails to appear
  • Fixed a bug where Observer’s Killfeed has no team colors
  • Reverted our fix for the “swirly arms” in the last patch, since it was causing significant animation snapping

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