Valorant patch notes for update 6.0 are upon us as we prepare for the arrival of Valorant Episode 6 Act 1, which aims to kick off 2023 with a bang for the Riot multiplayer FPS game. The patch includes a rework to the way gun zoom works, updates to competitive ranked rating systems, and the arrival of new Valorant map Lotus. The patch is set to arrive alongside the Episode 6 Act 1 release date on January 10.
The new map is a three-site map with plenty of rotation potential. It will initially be available in a Lotus only queue in swiftplay mode for the first week, after which it will move into the competitive and unrated map rotation as part of Valorant patch 6.1. In addition, Split is making a return, with a few changes aimed at improving life for attackers.
Omen’s E, Dark Cover, will now fall to the height of nearby ground when placed inside walls. Riot explains, “One-way smokes are a part of Valorant, but they are difficult to play against and we want to keep them limited to intentional and understandable areas.” It says the team will keep track of whether this change dramatically alters Omen’s power level.
There are adjustments to the way gun zoom works when using toggle zoom, which Riot says should mean “fewer cases that can lead to zoom disagreements between the client and server.” In theory, this shouldn’t be something you need to worry about – you’ll just have a slightly smoother experience using ADS and scopes if you prefer your zoom on a toggle.
Riot notes that the changes to the way ranked rating works “should make ranked rating gains and losses more consistent, and reduce the effect stomps have on your ranked rating.” There will, of course, be a ranked reset with the new episode, so you should expect to place slightly lower than in the previous episode. However, your gains and losses should now be based more on simple win/loss rather than the exact round differential, lessening the effect of those disheartening one-way matches.
You’ll now have the option to favourite specific variants of gun skins, meaning that you can choose to include only certain ones in your pool of potential visual designs rather than the whole set. When this system releases, your existing favourite weapon skins will automatically favourite all variants, allowing you to change things from there should you wish.
Valorant 6.0 patch notes
Gameplay Systems
- Reworked the way guns process zoom inputs for ADS and scopes when using toggle zoom. There should now be fewer cases that can lead to zoom disagreements between the client and server under adverse network conditions like packet loss and ping jitter. Additionally, zoom inputs when using toggle zoom can now be buffered earlier than before and multiple zoom level transitions can be buffered at once.
- Omen’s Dark Cover (E) placed inside walls will now fall to the height of nearby ground.
Maps
New Map: Lotus
- Lotus is a new 3-site map that offers a variety of rotation options. Unlock the secrets behind the doors of these ancient ruins.
- Please note that the Lotus only queue will only be playable in swiftplay mode for one week and then goes into the competitive and unrated map rotation in Patch 6.1.
Split
- A Main: First engagement area for Attackers has been widened and a small ledge added for mixups. Boost box next to the orb has been reduced to give Attackers a new position looking into A site.
- A Rafters: The under-over area has been removed, making this much easier to deal with as an Attacker.
- A Tower: The back section of the Tower has been flattened to make the fight to Ramps easier for both teams.
- Mid: Players can now silently drop down Mid platform. The trick-jump up onto Mid box has also been removed for simplicity.
- B Tower: Defender side jump up box has been removed to simplify the space.
- B Rope Pocket: The hard corner here has been smoothed out to make clearing the spot easier.
Map Rotation
- Breeze and Bind have now been removed from competitive and unrated map rotation, but are still playable in all other modes.
Competitive Updates
- Episode reset: A new Episode means a ranked reset! Expect your placement rank to be lower than at the end of Episode 5, and good luck on your climb!
- For all players: Ranked rating gains and losses will depend slightly more on win/loss, and slightly less on the exact round differential of the match.
- For players whose ranks are far away from their MMR: Ranked rating gains will depend more on individual performance, instead of round differential. You should also see your rank and MMR converge faster.
Progression Updates
- Added the ability to favourite specific variants of your gun skins (along with some UX/UI changes to better support that). Now, when you favorite a specific variant, only your favorited variants will enter the
potential pool of weapons you can take into game if you’ve equipped the random favorite for that weapon type. On release, your existing favorite weapon skins will now have all unlocked variants favorited to maintain consistency with current behavior.
Bug Fixes
Cosmetics
- Odin’s ammo belt will no longer visually pop into a vertical position when swapping gun buddies in the Model Viewer.
Maps
- Ascent: Fixed a bug when breaking the door at Market by using an ability on the wall to the side of it.
Agents
- Fixed a bug where Cypher’s Trapwire (C) could be placed through Sage’s Barrier Orb (C).
- Fixed objects like traps that were not being damaged if they are placed in molotov patches that are already active.
- Fixed bug where you could see Skye’s Seekers (X) on the minimap while they were still invisible if you had line of sight to their hidden location.
- Fixed a bug where suppression would not properly interrupt Fade’s Prowler (C) control.
- Fixed a bug where Viper was able to deactivate her ultimate, Viper’s Pit (X), while suppressed.
Gameplay interactions
- Killjoy’s Lockdown (X) now properly takes damage from all abilities.
- Fixed Skye’s Trailblazer (Q) dealing damage to enemy Skye’s Trailblazer (Q) and Sova’s Owl Drone (C).
- Fixed Sova’s Hunter’s Fury (X) and Breach’s Aftershock (C) not damaging Raze’s Blast Pack (Q).
- Fixed Phoenix’s Blaze (C) not dealing damage to Harbor’s Cove (Q), Raze’s Blast Pack (Q), Reyna’s Leer (C), Sova’s Recon Bolt (E), and KAY/O’s ZERO/POINT (E).
- Fixed Brimstone’s Orbital Strike (X) not dealing damage to Harbor’s Cove (Q).
- Fixed Breach’s Aftershock (C), Raze’s Showstopper (X) and Paint Shells (E), damaging allied Killjoy’s Nanoswarm (C).
- Fixed Sova Hunter’s Fury (X) damaging allied Fade’s Haunt (E).
- Fixed Killjoy’s Nanoswarm (C), Phoenix’s Hot Hands (E) and Blaze (C) not dealing damage to Chamber’s Rendezvous (E) and Trademark (C).
Keep an eye on our Valorant tier list for the best agents to use in the new season, along with our comprehensive guide to all the Valorant agents and abilities. We’ve also got a selection of the best Valorant crosshair codes to help you line up those headshots and get the edge on the competition in one of the best multiplayer games on PC in 2023.
