2021 Valorant Changes

The last two months have been eventful for Valorant’s continued post-release development. As promised at the time of the Episode Two launch, the developers have continued to address player criticisms of the ranking system, making leaderboard progression more accessible and intuitive. The hero shooter’s latest character has jumped into the fray with the arrival of the Episode’s second Act. A brand-new mode was implemented on a trial basis, challenging fans to leave their comfort zone. Between those promising additions and the ongoing efforts to improve the game’s balance and the overall player experience, it’s worth taking the time to consider all that has changed in more detail.

Competitive Play Changes

It’s fair to say that improving the players’ competitive progression has been the developers’ main focus. Most recent updates have tweaked this system in different ways, mainly with the goal of making the climb through the ranks faster and less frustrating while also discouraging unsporting behavior. Here are the main changes since the beginning of February:

• (2.02) The Convergence multiplier has been adjusted to increase Rank Rating (RR) gain from ranked wins and decrease RR loss from defeats when the player’s rank is below their Matchmaking Rating (MMR);
• (2.02) Players at the Diamond 3 rank has been restricted to only solo or duo queue, encouraging competitors to rely on their own skills more rather than five-stacking;
• (2.02) In matches from Iron to Diamond, players who exceed their own average performance will receive more RR points, regardless of how their allies and enemies perform;
• (2.03) Going AFK for more than five rounds in ranked games is now punished with the loss of 8 RR;
• (2.03) Act rank badges now reflect the best ranked win in an Act, rather than the ninth best;
• (2.04) Players will retain their rank at the beginning of each new Act, with the sole exception of Radiant ranks, which will degrade to Immortal. Radiant and Immortal players will keep their starting places on the leaderboard, but lose 90% of their RR;
• (2.04) Radiant Rank now requires not only placing in the regional Top 500 but also reaching an RR cap based on the region’s rank and RR distribution;
• (2.04) Only one Placement Match is needed to display a player’s rank and leaderboard position. However, those who have not yet done so during the Episode will still have to complete five Placement Matches;
• (2.04) The possible rank disparity at the lower ranks has been increased, meaning that people with a greater spread of skill can play together early on;
• (2.04) The average RR changes have been lowered by 5 RR and the demotion protection threshold has been reduced from 80 to 70 RR to prevent player ranks from getting too far away from their MMR;
• (2.05) RR changes at Radiant rank have been tuned to be more similar to Immortal rank;
• (2.05) Regular queue dodging (abandoning a competitive game before it starts) is now punished with the loss of 3 RR.

The finetuning process is going to continue for the foreseeable future. The developers have been very transparent about their attempts to balance ease of promotion with competitive integrity. Their wish is to ensure that Radiant rank holders really are the top players in their regions, but they don’t wish to force their users to play too many matches just to prove their worth. The company’s data-driven approach to solving this problem may take more time and experimentation but hopefully should result in a more fun experience down the line.

Say Hello to Agent 16

A new Act means a new Agent. The latest challenger, Astra, hails from Ghana and possesses an unusually versatile Controller build. Rather than buy abilities at the start of a match, she can get up to five Stars (two free, three more bought). Her Ultimate ability lets the Agent float above the battlefield and deploys those Stars wherever she wants. They may then be used as focal points for one of three abilities: a gravity pull, a concealing smoke, or a stun. When fully charged, the Ultimate may also be used to deploy a wall that blocks projectiles and muffles sounds. After practicing in unrated games, players could use those abilities to exercise unparalleled control over the battlefield.

Escalation Trial Run

The new game mode, Escalation, takes clear inspiration from the Call of Duty series’ Gun Game, though its focus on teamwork gives it a distinct identity. It consists of twelve escalation levels, each of which gives players access to a random weapon or ability that is increasingly less deadly. Standard Agent abilities are otherwise disabled. To reach the next level, a team must collect 7 points by performing kills, which is made easier by fast respawns. Each player must also carry out at least one kill with their current weapon to unlock the next one. Kills with lower-level weapons only give half a point.

Victory goes to the first team to finish all levels or the one that gets the furthest in ten minutes. Every match gives 800 XP to all participants and 200 more to the victors, making this mode an excellent option for completing Agent Contracts. While only temporary at first, Escalation’s positive reception among the community may mean a more permanent implementation later.

Ongoing Balance Tweaks

Several existing Agents and weapons received considerable tweaks as well. Those who missed out on the last two months might wish to practice or get some remedial coaching to make sure they can keep up with the new meta. These are the most impactful adjustments, not including bug fixes:

• (2.02) All rifles are now less accurate if fired while moving, especially at longer distances (increase in deviation);
• (2.03) Maximum charges for Reyna’s Devour and Dismiss powers are decreased to two each (previously four), while their costs are doubled. On the other hand, the vampiric operator’s enemies may now spawn Soul Orbs if they have been hit by her attacks within three seconds of their deaths – not only if she finishes them off personally;
• (2.03) Yoru can now see the visibility and audibility ranges for his Gatecrash teleport, helping his players plan their movements in advance. Also, he retains access to the minimap while using Dimensional Drift. Any Agents detected during movement through the other dimension will be added to the minimaps of his allies, as well;
• (2.03) The audio cues of Brimstone’s and Phoenix’s persistent fire powers now stand out more;
• (2.03) Marshal sniper rifle gets superior magnification and movement speed when zooming in, as well as a lower cost;
• (2.03) Stinger SMG gets more expensive while being nerfed with a reduced fire rate when fired full auto, accelerated maximum spread, and increased recoil in either firing mode. However, its recovery time for burst mode is decreased;
• (2.03) Frenzy pistol price goes up.

As with competitive tweaks, tuning the shooter’s balance is a continuing challenge, but the developers continue to work towards creating a more varied experience. All characters and weapons are meant to perform well in their respective roles without making other options useless. It remains to be seen how well Astra will end up fitting this design philosophy.

Quality of Life Improvements

In addition to those gameplay changes, Valorant has made some notable strides towards improving the overall player experience. While many fixes in this area may seem trivial, they add up to create a much more enjoyable title. Players have been given more control over their rank and act rank visibility. The Match History feature has received a filter for options like different game modes. Some menu layouts have been updated. The death sequence has been streamlined, with fewer jarring transitions and camera movements. There have also been various attempts to optimize the game’s performance.

Perhaps the most notable addition is the new tactical voiceover feature added to ranked and normal play in Act II. Agent voice lines now convey more information, such as enemy locations on the map. This is meant to improve the experience for teams that for whatever reason can’t use voice communications. The callouts may also appear in the text chat. However, player voice chat will always override those voiceovers, making reliance on this feature entirely optional.

Conclusion

Valorant’s improvement is an ongoing process. Far from all players are satisfied with the game’s current state, though they may be pleased to know that the developers agree with them. Overall, though, it may be said that the recent months showcase the desire for continued growth and experimentation that is part of what attracted Valorant’s fans to the shooter in the first place.