Riot Games has relesaed a brand new update to Valorant with multiple patch fixes. While there are a bunch of tweaks incoming with Patch 2.01, it is Valorant heroes and maps that are seeing the big changes.
As a live service game, the developers are going to be consistently updating elements to enhance the experience. In this case, it looks like updates are coming swiftly as the Valorant Twitter suggests fans may not have expected one so soon. While patches can occasionally be for small bugs or glitches, 2.01 is going to change a variety of elements in the game.
The main aspect that is being fixed is the controversial map Split, even being referred to as an overhaul patch. The focus of this patch is to improve attacker options on the map and reduce 50/50 checks. In addition, the developers are changing up various corners and opening up certain areas of the map. While the full details can be seen in the patch notes, one example is widening a main doorway which makes stalling by defenders harder.
But the vast series of map alterations are not the only changes coming with Patch 2.01. One of Valorant's heroes, Jett, is seeing a nerf to smoke duration from 7 to 4.5 seconds. This is in part due to the longer Cloudburst ability allowing Jett to fill the Controller role. Riot Games does not want Duelist characters infringing on other roles, so hence the update. Some other changes of note include hiding custom games from player history and queue restrictions for AFK-ing.
It seems like the developers behind Valorant understand issues with the game's current state. A major update for maps is no small feat, and the patch notes suggest Riot Games has thought it through. They have included short gifs of the differences, a nice touch for fans wondering about the update. Some live service games do not see significant changes for extensive periods of time, but Valorant is still going strong. While 2.01 could have been map specific, it also updates characters, player options, queues, and even a host of bug fixes.
That said, there could be frustration among some players by the nerf to Jett. Cloudburst originally had a 4 second duration, and it was changed to 7. With the developers mostly reverting that change, it implies a shortsightedness when making character edits. Riot Games also states that it hopes to punish AFK-ing more harshly without effecting those with connectivity issues. As of now, it remains to be seen whether this will function as promised. Over, these Valorant changes should shake up strategies and give players more to look forward to.
Valorant is available on PC.