Valorant 9.0 Patch Notes - Agent Changes & Gameplay Updates

Valorant Patch 9.0 is finally here, and to say that we are excited would definitely be an understatement. Episode 9 Act 1 marks the beginning of a brand-new season for Valorant, and this is always a thrilling event for the whole community. Everyone had their own theories about the new Valorant update, and now it's time to take a look at all the new information that Riot Games released about Episode 9 Act 1.

Although Patch 8.11 brought numerous changes to Valorant, there were a lot of issues with the update: bugs, unintentional buffs, and a few glitches here and there. However, this time we are expecting a smoother launch and a more enjoyable journey. Let's take a look at all the new changes and additions that we can expect to see in Valorant Patch 9.0.

Valorant Patch 9.0 Agent Changes

Even though there aren't as many changes to the Agents this time, there are still some bug fixes and new additions. Brand-new conversation voice lines were added to the following Agents in Valorant: Phoenix, Harbor, Yoru, Raze, Iso, Sage, Neon, Gekko, Skye, Deadlock, Omen, KAY/O, and Reyna. Additionally, the following Agents received some buffs and nerfs in the new Valorant Patch 9.0:

Sova

 

Owl Drone (C)

• HP: 60 ⇒ 100

Jett

 

Tailwind (E)

• Fixed an issue with Jett's Tailwind (diagonal dash) that was reducing the dash length.

Iso

 

Double Tap (E)

• Duration: 20s ⇒ 12s 
• REMOVED: Signature Kill Reset

Fixed an issue where Iso's shield hitbox could be misaligned. 

Riot Games received some serious criticism when it comes to Iso's buffs that were added in Patch 8.11, and fans are now happy that the developers stayed true to their word to nerf Iso at least a little bit. They had definitely made this Agent too powerful, and players were begging for downgrades, especially in terms of Iso's Double Tap ability and Shield abilities.

Valorant Patch 9.0 Maps & Competitive Updates

Competitive is officially coming to Valorant Console! Fans have been waiting for this addition ever since the game was released on PS5 and PS4, and we couldn't be happier. Additionally, the developers added a new Controls Preset selection screen. You can choose between a Valorant-specific controls preset or a Traditional console FPS preset as a starting scheme. Don't worry, you can always change them again through the Settings menu. Moreover, the Competitive map pool will begin with the following maps:

• Abyss
• Ascent
• Bind
• Haven
• Sunset

New maps will slowly be added to Valorant Console. Additionally, the sound transitions between Focus and ADS have been polished to reflect the aim state you're transitioning into, crosshair presets have been updated, and Crouch is now a Hold action instead of a Toggle action. You can now enter precision mode while in control settings to adjust sensitivity by 1 and a holistic Aim Sensitivity slider that was added to the game.

Valorant Patch 9.0 Premier

Those teams that managed to earn a promotion in Stage E8A3 are now in the new Invite Division. If they finish the Stage at a high enough rank, they will have the opportunity to make it into the Challenger's League. You can expect the following changes in Valorant Premier:

• No rematches within a Stage
• If no match is found, you get a win and 100 points
• Losses award 0 points
• Finals in playoffs are Best of 3 matchups

There are also some additional roster restrictions for Contender and Invite Division teams. If you want to read more about all the changes and everything you need to know about Valorant Premier, you can check out this article.

Valorant Patch 9.0 Abyss & Additional Fixes

Abyss is finally added to the Ranked map pool on PC! There were a few unintentional boost positions in the map and some bugs allowing players to get under the map. Fortunately, they are now fixed. Moreover, the developers of Valorant took care of the A Site cover, and it should now properly appear in Omen and Astra smoke-targeting worlds. Omen was also able to get between the spawn barriers, but there's no reason to worry about that anymore.

Other big fixes include a particle issue when using ADS on the Level 3 and 4 Mystbloom collection and Cypher's Spycam that was causing his hands to stutter for Spectators. Valorant Console was also lucky enough to receive some improvements, such as fixing the problem with the Focus and ADS sounds during transitions and the Leave Game menu persisting through AFK idling, as well as a little animation bug there.

Valorant Patch 9.0 Social Updates & Improvements

It's important to note that the Surrender and Remake menus are disabled on Valorant Console due to a bug that cannot be fixed immediately. Of course, this was expected due to fans complaining multiple times on different platforms about the issue. There are also improvements in Team Deathmatch; you can no longer see the DRAW as a final result, and there are specific scoreboard screens added to both Team Deathmatch and Deathmatch.

You will now be able to manage team and party voice on the fly, and there is even a Voice Chat added to the Settings page, so you can tailor your mic and voice settings according to your own setup. When you decide to add a friend, you can simply paste or type a full Riot ID into the appropriate field, and it will split the data into the Riot ID and tagline fields. Additionally, your friends list will now display only accurate platform information for your buddies! To read more about Valorant, you can click here.