The VCT 2025 season has just ended with NRG taking the big win against Fnatic in the finals. And with another season coming to a close, developers are already laying the massive update that will go live on October 15. The S25 Act 6 Valorant update will see the biggest agent balancing, along with map changes, weapon changes, and more. Read the full Valorant patch notes 11.08 here.
Valorant Agent Changes for Patch Notes 11.08
The key highlight of the Valorant patch notes 11.08 is the massive agent buffs and nerfs. This is so far the biggest change Riot has ever pushed to all Valorant agents . If you want the full breakdown, head over to our full Valorant agent buffs and nerfs article. That said, here is a quick overview of which characters got decent buffs or completely got nerfed to oblivion:
Controller Changes in 11.08
In the update, Controllers are on the much safer side, with only a few agents getting hit with the nerf. Here are the universal changes for all Valorant Controller agents:
- Nearsight visibility for enemies increased.
- Concuss and stim buffs are reduced globally.
- Rechargeable cooldowns increased for Astra and Omen .
Sentinel Changes in 11.08
As offensive utility becomes less dominant, defensive tools are being fine-tuned to keep counterplay balanced with the Valorant S25 Act 6 patch. Many abilities will now be simpler to detect, lure out, or break, and most Sentinel signature abilities will face longer cooldowns when destroyed.
- Cooldown for destroyed utility: 45s -> 60s.
- Health of breakable gadgets or walls reduced.
- Debuff durations are the same for all agents with new concuss and near-sight timings (2.5 seconds).
Initiator Changes in 11.08
Similar to Sentinels, Initiators are receiving more focused and deliberate adjustments to improve counterplay, with the main tweaks targeting ability cooldowns and stun durations. Through this, developers want to make Initiators more time-efficient and easier to counter.
- Signature ability cooldowns: 40s -> 60s (Sova Recon Bolt, Fade Haunt, KAY/O Zero Point, Breach Fault Line).
- The AOE for most abilities is lowered.
- Flash duration fixed at 2.25 seconds (Breach, KAY/O, Skye).
Duelist Changes in 11.08
Yoru and Neon are receiving nerfs to open up space for other Duelists to get more space. Hindering , Concuss, and Flashes are getting their debuff timer reduced. Moreover, Waylay and Iso ultimates are much smaller AOE, while Reyna gets fewer boosts during the Empress ultimate.
The new Valorant patch notes 11.08 agent changes are in contrast to the gameplay changes, where the developers want the gunplay to shine more. That takes us to the weapon adjustments in the Act 6 update.
Valorant Patch Notes 11.08 Weapon Adjustments
Rifles and SMGs are getting balance adjustments aimed at improving consistency and rewarding control. Here are the changes for all the weapon classes coming in the next Valorant patch:
PC Changes
Rifles
Riot Games has rolled out a new batch of weapon balance changes focused on shaking up how players handle rifles. According to the devs, tap strafing has become the go-to shooting method in most fights, leaving spraying and bursting less viable than intended. The goal with this update is to make each firing style—tapping, bursting, and spraying—feel like a meaningful choice based on range and playstyle. To achieve that, Riot has tweaked recoil behavior to make spraying more reliable, especially in close and mid-range encounters.
For reference, here’s what a few of the patch terms mean:
- % chance of yaw switch: The chance your gun’s horizontal recoil flips direction (left or right).
- Yaw switch time: How long it takes for the recoil to flip direction. A higher number means more time to adjust your aim.
- Protected bullet count: The number of bullets you can fire before the gun starts changing its recoil direction.
Bulldog
- Horizontal (Yaw) switch time increased from 0.37s -> 0.6s
- Chance for horizontal (Yaw) switch increased from 6% -> 10%
Phantom
- Horizontal (Yaw) switch time increased from 0.37s -> 0.6s
- Chance for horizontal (Yaw) switch increased from 6% -> 10%
- Protected bullet count increased from 6 -> 8 bullets
Vandal
- Horizontal (Yaw) switch time increased from 0.37s -> 0.6s
- Chance for horizontal (Yaw) switch increased from 6% -> 10%
- Protected bullet count increased from 4 -> 6 bullets
Submachine Guns
Riot has also made adjustments to SMGs, mainly to give the Spectre more breathing room against the Stinger. The changes make the Spectre a smoother, more controllable weapon, while the Stinger now demands tighter handling to stay effective in eco rounds.
Spectre
- Total spread reduced from 1.5 -> 1.3
- Tap Efficiency increased from 2 -> 3 (Tap Efficiency affects how much inaccuracy builds up when firing before the weapon fully resets. A higher value means better follow-up shot accuracy.)
- Horizontal (Yaw) switch time increased from 0.18s -> 0.28s
- Protected bullet count increased from 4 -> 5 bullets
Stinger (Full Auto)
- Total spread increased from 1.3 -> 1.5
- Spread now ramps up faster (after 6 bullets instead of 7)
- Vertical (Pitch) recoil increases more aggressively
- Total recoil remains unchanged
Console Changes
Spectre
- Horizontal (Yaw) switch time increased from 0.20s -> 0.28s
Stinger (Full Auto)
- Vertical (Pitch) recoil curve now ramps up more aggressively
- Total recoil remains unchanged
Bulldog
- Horizontal (Yaw) switch time increased from 0.50s -> 0.60s
Phantom
- Horizontal (Yaw) switch time increased from 0.50s -> 0.6s
- Protected bullet count from yaw (horizontal) switching while spraying increased from 5 -> 8 bullets
Vandal
- Horizontal (Yaw) switch time increased from 0.50s -> 0.6s
- Protected bullet count from yaw (horizontal) switching while spraying increased from 5 -> 6 bullets
Valorant Patch 11.08: Pearl and Abyss Map Reworks
Patch 11.08 is one of Valorant’s biggest updates yet, bringing all-out adjustments to the maps as well. Along with the focus toward precision gunplay and smarter site control, both Pearl and Abyss are receiving major reworks that aim to improve balance and tactical depth. The upcoming ranked map pool will feature Abyss, Pearl, Ascent, Bind, Lotus, Split, and Icebox. That said, here are the map adjustments for the Valorant patch notes 11.08:
Abyss Map Changes in 11.08
Abyss, now celebrating its first year in rotation, is being reshaped to promote stronger defensive holds and fairer post-plant play. The main focus lies on the Mid and B Site, both redesigned to change the pacing of fights.
- B Site Rework : Riot has added new cubbies and cover points, giving defenders better control when holding or retaking. Attackers, meanwhile, will find more space in the approach corridors, improving utility usage and entry options. The tower area is now shorter, removing an awkward teleport corner for Omen players, and new corners near the main and under the tower help make post-plant positions safer and more tactical.
- Mid Adjustments : Mid Bend now sits closer to the mid boxes, slowing down rotations and encouraging more deliberate control. Attackers rotating from A to B have extra corners to clear, while the catwalk area is more open, forcing defenders to play further back. These changes should make fights around Mid more dynamic and less predictable.
Pearl Map Changes in 11.08
Pearl returns to the ranked pool with a focus on B Site and B Long, areas that had long favored attackers holding post-plants from range. Riot’s goal is to encourage more on-site fights and give defenders stronger retake options.
- B Long and B Site Updates : The long sightline from B Long has been partially blocked with new boxes, reducing how safely attackers can hold the spike from main. The new cover positions make planting for B Long riskier and create better opportunities for retakes.
- Defender Positions : Additional boxes and angles have been introduced to allow defenders to anchor more effectively and contest post-plants. A new corner on the left side of B Site now offers flexible options for both sides, adding more depth to site control and trading.
Valorant Patch 11.08: Competitive and Player Behaviour Updates
Starting in 11.09, accounts detected for sharing must enable Riot Mobile multi-factor authentication (MFA) to access Competitive queue. Other modes will remain unaffected. Added “Rank Manipulation” as a new reporting category. Please use ‘Rank Manipulation’ instead of ‘Cheating’ to report players who abuse matchmaking. This encompasses behaviors we commonly know as smurfing, wintrading, and boosting.
Valorant Patch 11.08: Premier Updates
Riot has detailed what’s next for Valorant Premier as Stage V25A6 kicks off. This update outlines how team placements will work going forward, introduces new rules for Contender eligibility, and adds an extra layer of prestige for VCT teams through in-game tags.
At the end of this Stage, only the top 16 teams in Invite will keep their spot in the Invite Division. All other Invite teams will be demoted when the next Stage begins, following the rules listed on the Standings tab.
Demoted teams will drop back into the zone they originally promoted from. Team Owners will also have the option to change their zone in the Team Settings menu before their team plays its first match of the next Stage. If a team cannot be placed automatically, the Team Owner will be prompted to select a zone manually.
For all other divisions, demotion will not apply. Teams will continue to promote or be seeded into their respective divisions as usual when the next Stage starts.
Contender Eligibility Updates
Contender Eligibility for 2025 expires at the end of Stage V25A6. To remain eligible in 2026 , players will need to complete at least one qualifying action during Stage V25A6 or at any point next year.
Qualifying actions include:
- Playing a Weekly or Playoff match on a team in the Contender or Invite Division
- Reaching Immortal 3 or higher as a peak Competitive rank
- Playing a Playoff match in Elite 5
Contender Eligibility for 2026 will expire at the end of that year.
VCT Team Tags
Starting this patch, Riot is expanding the Team Tag feature to officially include VCT teams. Professional players will now have their team’s tag displayed before their name across the client—in the social panel, lobby, in-game (including the killfeed), and on the Competitive Leaderboards.
VCT team names and tags are exclusively reserved for partnered teams. Any current Premier team using a VCT team’s name or tag will receive an in-game prompt asking the Team Owner to change their team’s name.
A gaming nerd who covers all things video games. Spending time playing games and writing about them was always a dream. Thanks to Beebom, I live it. Once I am done gaming, I write. Once I am done writing, I game. You feel me.
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- Valorant Night Market for the Season 2026, Act 1 will start on February 5, 2026.
- The new skins added to the Market were the Combat Crafts, Aperture, and Wonderstallion weapon skin bundles.
- To purchase the skins, go to Night Market -> Click the Cards -> Reveal Skins -> Purchase your desired skin.
The Valorant Night Market is one of the most anticipated events each season. During this limited-time event, players have six cards, each containing different weapon skins from previous Valorant skin bundles. The best part is that these skins come at a discounted price. The discounts can go up to 50%, which is worth it. So, for those wondering when the next Valorant Night Market is, we’ve compiled the Season 2026 event details and what skins will be included here.
When is the Next Valorant Night Market (Confirmed Date)
After the end of the February Night Market, Riot Games has finally revealed the official dates for the next night market. As per the official social media post, Valorant’s next Night Market will start on February 5, 2026, and end on March 2, 2026. The previous Night Market ended on January 6th, 2026, with the beginning of Valorant Season 2026 Act 1.
We have included the official release date and time for Valorant’s next Night Market for certain regions in the list below:
- Los Angeles – 5:00 PM PDT (February 5, 2026)
- New York – 8:00 PM EST (February 5, 2026)
- Frankfurt – 1:00 AM CET (February 6, 2026)
- Mumbai – 5:30 AM IST (February 6, 2026)
- Seoul, Tokyo – 9:00 AM KST / JST (February 6, 2026)
- Sydney – 11:00 AM AEDT (February 6, 2026)
The night market usually runs for around 20+ days, while the December 2024 market was live for three weeks. As you might know, the cards will not refresh during this duration. You can get the revealed skins until the Night Market ends at a discounted price. As per the official dates, the next Night Market will end on March, 2025. This will be right before Season 2026 begins.
New Night Market Skins in February 2026
The February Night Market will have new skins from the Convex, Daydreams, Endeavour, Fortune’s Hand, Galleria, Infantry, Intergrade, Luxe, Prism II, Reverie, Rush, Sensation, Smite (1.0), Switchback, Wonderstallion, and more bundles. This was added to an already large pool of Valorant weapon skin bundles on offer. However, it doesn’t include any weapon skin priced over 1,775VP.
At least two premium-tier skins are guaranteed on the reveal for every player. Moreover, note that any melee weapon priced at 4,350VP and above is not included in the Night Market.
Upcoming New Skins
- Combat Crafts
- Aperture
- Wonderstallion
How to Access Valorant Night Market
I may have never been lucky in the skins department of the Valorant store, but the night market always thrills me for one reason. Yes, we’re talking about the Night Market skins reveal ceremony we have all seen our favorite streamers hype and enjoy. I am sure someone who never got a good night market also loves this part.
Well, it is not a ceremony-like thing but follow the steps below to know how to reveal your skin in the Night Market:
First of all, make sure you check the dates above for the Night Market as they have a limited time.
Now, when Night Market is live, open Valorant. On the home screen, look for the card icon on the top right of your screen.
Once you click the icon, there will be six mystery cards on your screen.
The colors on the cards define the rarity of skins you will get. Click each card to reveal your Night Market skins.
Got to Nightmarket
Click on the Cards
Reveal the Skins
That’s how you can reveal the skin in Night Market. Now, choose the skin you want to buy for a special discount by clicking on the skin.
Can I Reroll Night Market Skins in Valorant?
No. Unfortunately, you must be fortunate to have good skins in the Night Market. Once you reveal these skins, you cannot reroll them in the current period of the Night Market in Valorant. There is also no refresh or reset for the market.
So, you will have to choose from these skins only if you want to purchase anything from the market. Well, you can also wait for two more months to see your next Night Market skins.
Previous Valorant Night Market Dates
This list below compiles all Night Market appearances since its debut in December 2020 (Episode 1, Act 3):
- December 11, 2025 – January 6, 2026 (Season 2025, Act 6)
- September 25, 2025 – October 9, 2025 (Season 2025, Act 5)
- July 10, 2025 – July 24, 2025 (Season 2025, Act 4)
- June 5, 2025 – June 24, 2025 (Season 2025, Act 3)
- April 9, 2025 – April 29, 2025 (Season 2025, Act 2)
- February 13, 2025 – March 4, 2025 (Season 2025, Act 1)
- December 16, 2024 – January 7, 2025 (Episode 9, Act 3)
- September 26, 2024 – October 22, 2024 (Episode 9, Act 2)
- August 15 – August 28, 2024 (Episode 9, Act 1)
- May 22 – June 12, 2024 (Episode 8, Act 3)
- April 10 – April 29, 2024 (Episode 8, Act 2)
- January 31, 2024 – February 28, 2024 (Episode 8, Act 1)
- December 13, 2023 – January 8, 2024 (Episode 7, Act 3)
- October 11, 2023 – October 30, 2023 (Episode 7, Act 2)
- August 9, 2023 – August 28, 2023 (Episode 7, Act 1)
- June 14, 2023 – June 27, 2023 (Episode 6, Act 3)
- April 5, 2023 – April 25, 2023 (Episode 6, Act 2)
- February 15, 2023 – February 27, 2023 (Episode 6, Act 1)
- December 7, 2022 – January 4, 2023 (Episode 5, Act 3)
- September 28, 2022 – October 11, 2022 (Episode 5, Act 2)
- July 20, 2022 – August 2, 2022 (Episode 5, Act 1)
- May 18, 2022 – May 31, 2022 (Episode 4, Act 3)
- April 6, 2022 – April 19, 2022 (Episode 4, Act 2)
- February 9, 2022 – February 22, 2022 (Episode 4, Act 1)
- December 9, 2021 – December 21, 2021 (Episode 3, Act 3)
- September 29, 2021 – October 12, 2021 (Episode 3, Act 2)
- July 28, 2021 – August 10, 2021 (Episode 3, Act 1)
- June 2, 2021 – June 15, 2021 (Episode 2, Act 3)
- April 8, 2021 – April 20, 2021 (Episode 2, Act 2)
- February 11, 2021 – February 23, 2021 (Episode 2, Act 1)
- December 10, 2020 – January 11, 2021 (Episode 1, Act 3)
No, the Night Market stays there for 20+ days. You can only purchase skins at a discounted price during that. Once the market expires, the skins will go away from the market and prices will be basic in the store.
Yes and No, Both. You can refund only if the skin comes under the Valorant refund policy . If the skin does not come under the policy then you cannot ask for a refund.
A gaming nerd who covers all things video games. Spending time playing games and writing about them was always a dream. Thanks to Beebom, I live it. Once I am done gaming, I write. Once I am done writing, I game. You feel me.
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