VALORANT // Dev Updates September 2024: Agent Changes, Map rotation, Ranked rollback and more
The VALORANT // Dev Updates was released earlier today. In the update, the developers discussed the changes planned for the rest of the year. It covered the developments on multiple fronts including the agent balance, map rotation, VANGUARD, anti-cheat, player behaviour and ranks reset.
Here are the key takeaways from the September 2024 VALORANT // Dev Updates
Agent Balance
With agents being the centerpiece of the VALORANT experience, the rest of the year will include more balancing updates to the agents.
Throughout the year, we have seen major changes to Skye, Viper, Neon, Iso, Reyna, Raze, Chamber and Astra. These changes aim to balance the agents and bring them to the same level as their peers.
The rest of the year will include balancing updates for Phoenix, Sage, Cypher and Gekko. The developers did not hint what directions the changes would take, but they will be aimed at refining the balance between agents.
Harbor is also expected to undergo changes, but there is no set time when the Water-Bending controller will receive an update.
Map Rotation
The biggest map rotation change will come with Patch 9.08 or Episode 9 Act III when Icebox and Lotus will be replaced by Split and Pearl.
Additionally, Sunset B site and mid will be tweaked to make them a little more defense favored. Lastly, the schedule and frequency of map rotation will be reworked and more details about the same will be discussed with the release of Patch 9.08.
VANGUARD and Anti-Cheat
One of the biggest changes coming in terms of VANGUARD and Anti-cheat will be ‘Ranked Rollback’, a system to refund RR lost to a cheater.
Player Behaviour
VALORANT and Riot Games have been taking crucial steps to reduce toxicity in-game and taking measures to keep the community healthy and open.
The rest of the year will focus on bringing the “Automated Voice Evaluation” to the rest of the world. Initially, only the moderation will only be limited to English, with more languages added down the line.
Additionally, repeat offenders will receive severe punishment after manual evaluation. Riot also plans to increase the size of the team to evaluate larger requests and clean the community at a faster rate.
Rank Reset update
A better way to reset rank is also in the works which will ensure a smaller drop in rank after a reset. This change is a direct response to the complaints about placing in a much lower ranks like Silver and Gold after getting to Ascendant every episode.
Overall the upcoming updates aim at elevating the player experience in VALORANT. The regular updates and community interactions helps Riot Games stay on top of their game and continuously increase their reach and player base.
The next VALORANT // Dev Update will be released at the start of 2025, with the start of VCT 2025.
Featured Image Credits: Riot Games
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