Valorant Update 7.09 Patch Notes: Tips, Items, Skins, Player Behaviour And More
Valorant continues to evolve and keep players engaged with regular updates. The latest Valorant Patch 7.09 introduces significant changes, including agent updates, weapon tweaks, and numerous quality-of-life improvements. With the onset of Episode 7 Act 3, players are eagerly diving into a transformed gaming experience. This article delves into the patch notes, showcasing what Valorant Patch 7.09 has in store.
Agent Updates: Iso Makes His Mark
Valorant Patch 7.09 welcomes a new agent, Iso, hailing from China. As a Duelist, Iso offers a unique set of abilities that will undoubtedly influence the game’s meta. His toolkit includes:
- Double Tap (E): With a Base Charge of 1 and a total of 2 Charges, this ability costs 150 Credits.
- Undercut (Q): Iso’s Undercut ability boasts a Base Charge of 0, with a total of 2 Charges, and comes at 200 Credits.
- Contingency (C): With a Base Charge of 0 and a Total of 1 Charge, Contingency can be activated for 250 Credits.
- Kill Contract (X): Iso’s Ultimate ability, Kill Contract, requires 7 Ultimate Orbs for activation.
Agent Cypher’s Buff: A Shift in Surveillance
Cypher, Valorant’s surveillance expert, receives a noteworthy buff that alters the dynamics of his playstyle. The changes to his Trapwire ability are as follows:
- The time required to concuss a trapped enemy has been reduced from 3 to 1.5 seconds.
- After a trapped enemy is successfully concussed or the concussed enemy is eliminated, the Trapwire (C) will now re-arm itself after 0.5 seconds instead of being destroyed.
- The duration of slow applied to an enemy after being hit by the trap has been increased from 0.75 to 2 seconds.
Agent Skye’s Collision Adjustment
Skye, the radiant initiator, sees her ability, Trailblazer (Q), undergo a collision adjustment. Now, when it collides with Trapwire, it passes beneath the wire when placed at mid-height. Importantly, this change does not affect the hitboxes for weapon damage.
Agent Fade’s Collision Adjustment
Similar to Skye, Agent Fade’s ability, Prowler (C), has also been adjusted in terms of collision with Trapwire. When placed at foot height, the Prowler now passes over the trap, and when placed at head height, it passes under it. Like Skye’s changes, this adjustment does not influence weapon hitboxes.
Agent Raze’s Nerfs: Balance in Explosives
- Raze, known for her explosive expertise, undergoes some necessary nerfs to ensure balance:
- The primary grenade explosion radius has been reduced from 6m to 5.5m.
- The secondary grenade explosion radius has been reduced from 6m to 5.25m.
- The minimum damage from the primary and secondary grenade explosions has been drastically decreased from 15 to 1.
- The damage multiplier to enemy utility has been reduced from 250% to 100%.
- Raze’s Blast Pack (Q) no longer deals damage until fully armed, and the satchel arm time has been increased from 0.5 to 1.5 seconds.
Weapon Updates: Judge Receives Adjustments
The trusty Judge, a popular shotgun in Valorant, undergoes some changes to balance its gameplay:
- The maximum magazine size for the Judge has been reduced from 7 to 5 bullets.
- The spread while jumping has increased from 1.25 to 2.25.
- The running spread has been elevated from 0.10 to 0.75.
Player Behavior Updates: Enhanced Reporting
Valorant Patch 7.09 brings an improvement to player reporting. Now, when reporting an unruly player, you have the option to mute them, streamlining the process of handling disruptive individuals. This change aims to create a more pleasant gaming experience by allowing players to manage their interactions with ease.
Social Updates: Connecting Gamers
Riot Games is committed to enhancing the social experience for its players. In Valorant Patch 7.09, several updates have been introduced to facilitate better connections between friends playing different Riot Games. These updates include:
- Updated icons in the Friends List for friends playing other Riot Games.
- Unique icons to indicate people playing Riot Mobile and Teamfight Tactics (TFT).
- A “gray dot” Player Card Image to signify players online in Riot Mobile.
- Replacing the “Unknown Product” icon with a red Riot fist.
- Updated icons for players in League of Legends, Legends of Runeterra, and WildRift.
Premier Updates: Elevating Competition
Valorant Premier, a pinnacle of competitive play, witnesses some essential updates in Valorant Patch 7.09:
Premier Practice: Teams can now queue for practice matches on select non-match days. These matches follow the structure of Premier games but do not affect Premier Scores.
Timeouts: Each team in Premier matches is granted one timeout per side, along with an additional timeout during overtime.
Enrollment Update: Team Enrollment is extended, running for one and a half days. Teams created during this period can recruit members and participate in Premier at any point in the Stage.
Playoff Seeding: Going forward, teams with higher Premier Scores will enjoy more favorable seeding in the Playoff tournament.
Playoff Queue: A seeding period of 15 minutes is introduced for improved matchmaking. During this time, teams must lock in and stay queued.
Premier Crests: Crests, a symbol of a team’s performance, will now evolve over the entire Stage, reflecting a team’s journey through the competition.
Bug Fixes: Squashing the Gremlins
Valorant Patch 7.09 also includes bug fixes, addressing issues that have affected the gameplay experience. Notable bug fixes include resolving a hardware configuration issue resulting in a white screen at login and a rare bug causing footstep noises upon detaching from a rope.
An Exciting Evolution
Valorant Update 7.09 ushers in a new era of gameplay with fresh agent updates, weapon adjustments, and quality-of-life improvements. The introduction of Iso and the changes to existing agents promise to reshape the meta, offering players a chance to adapt and innovate.
As Valorant continues to evolve, it’s an exciting time for the community, with the prospect of experiencing the game in novel ways. With this comprehensive patch, Valorant demonstrates its commitment to maintaining a vibrant, engaging, and ever-evolving gaming environment for its players.