Valorant patch 4.0 is live, including the release of the new agent Neon, map and weapon reworks, and adjustments to competitive ranked ratings.
VALORANT patch 4.0 is live, including the release of the new agent Neon, map and weapon reworks, a fresh battle pass and skin line, and an adjustment to competitive ranked ratings (RR).
The 4.0 patch adds the Filipino speedster Neon to the roster. The latest agent will be a duelist, according to Riot. Her kit is built around movement speed, as she “surges forward at shocking speeds, discharging bursts of bioelectric radiance as fast as her body generates it."
Aside from the latest agent introduction, Riot announced changes to Bind and Breeze, updates to the mid-tier weapons to help in save and eco rounds, and changing the ranked rating penalty when playing with a 5-stack.
Map Tweaks
In a similar rework to Split, Riot has opened these two maps to buff the lacking side. The updates will change the dynamics of the maps drastically.
On Bind, the major adjustments come to A short. An area of Bind that can get clogged with utility and turn attacking approaches upside down. The first change is taking away the double-stack box cover.
"The double stack of cover at short A has been changed to remove a very powerful one-way smoke location that made the area a little too difficult for Attackers to approach."
Additionally, Riot placed a box on A short to give attackers a "mix-up peek" spot. The changes are minor, but will greatly impact how teams approach the map.
Now Breeze went through more significant changes. The A site, mid, and B site have a fresh look. The addition of three new boxes will change how the wide-open map style plays.
On A Site, retakes from defenders spawn were extremely difficult with a lack of cover. The introduction of a larger box on the back of the site will make executing retakes that much easier. They also extended out the pool on site and increased the width of the double-doors choke around A Main.
The final map change, aside from straightening out the curved mid wall, was on B site. The site went through a major rework, placing two crates and a new wall for defensive cover. The larger back wall cuts off the B Main headshot peek, but allows for more defensive, retake-minded strategies.
"The new stack of crates limits some angles from B Main, gives you new options when holding or retaking, and should break up some awkward fights that can occur on thin walls."
The Eco Round gets a buff in Valorant patch 4.0
The Ares, Guardian, and Bulldog all received buffs in patch 4.0. It's clear Riot is looking to add more versatility to the half-buy purchases. In addition to buffing these weapons, the Spectre got a major nerf, meaning the meta won't be so Spectre relient moving forward.
"The Spectre’s versatility makes us happy, but it was over-performing in long range engagements and was too powerful even within its intended close range and mobile scenarios. By making the accuracy error come in a bit earlier and switching yaws more often, we hope it will make it more difficult to get kills when spraying over a long range. Likewise, the close range sprays will require more control to be effective."
Competitive Updates
Finally, the competitive updates look to make playing the game more accessible in Valorant patch 4.0. Riot has made it clear they want to help newer players with the learning curve.
"We believe everyone should take time to learn the ins and outs of core gameplay, and have ample exposure to all the maps and Agents VALORANT will throw at you before competing in our ranked experience. To force this learning period, we’ve decided to add an Account Level requirement to play in Competitive," said Riot's Communications Strategist Jeff Landa.
Setting the ranked requirement to level-20 forces players to play more maps and agents. It will also dissuade potential smurf accounts from queuing now that the barrier of entry is more demanding.
Aside from the new competitive requirement, Riot also reduced the 5-stack RR from 50% to 25%. The patch notes state that the initial penalty was too harsh. The change only affects players Diamond 2 or lower.
The last major change is the increased map randomization. Map randomization means limiting players from seeing the same maps consecutively. It also allows players to see more maps in general, helping new players learn the game.
"Increased our map weights, which should lead to an increase in map variety and reduction in map duplicates from match to match'
Stay tuned to Esports.gg for the latest in Valorant news and updates.