It has only been just over a week since the launch of the highly anticipated Valorant Episode 2, and it seems like the developers have already shipped another update to the competitive shooter.
The new update has brought a number of changes to the game. These changes include, other than the map adjustment and agent fixes, the heavily requested feature to hide custom matches from your Match History, an adjustment of queue restrictions that’ll likely “forgive the unintentional AFK, while still punishing the habitual AFKer”
Valorant Patch 2.01 Agent Changes
The only agent fix included in the patch is a heavy nerf to the duelist Jett. The duration of her smokescreen has taken a heavy hit from 7 seconds to only a mere 4.5 seconds, which is 0.5 seconds more than what it was prior to the 1.0 patch.
“We’ve found that the result of that change was that Jett became a substitute for the Controller role, and reasonably aggressive teams could make use of her Cloudburst smokes to quickly take space without relying on a dedicated Controller,” the devs said.
Other than this, Valorant patch 2.01 also brings a number of adjustments to the map Split, focused on improving attacker options on the map, some competitive and social changes, and a ton of bug fixes.
You can read more about the patch notes on Riot’s official blog here.
Valorant Patch Notes 2.01
The full patch notes can be seen below, but here are the headline changes:
Jett
- Smoke duration decreased 7 > 4.5
AFK restrictions
- Adding AFK forgiveness for a certain number of rounds, but repeated/extended occurrences will be penalized with higher queue restrictions
Split
- Major map changes to improve balance
Didn’t think we’d patch again so soon?
Consider this the Split overhaul patch, and part 2 of the continued Controller role balance.
We also added two oft-requested features: the ability to hide custom matches from your Match History, and an adjustment of queue restrictions, which hope to forgive the unintentional AFK, while still punishing the habitual AFKer.
AGENT UPDATES
JETT
| Smoke duration decreased 7 >>> 4.5 |
In a continuation of the Controller changes from Patch 2.0, we felt it was important to consider Jett’s smokes as well. In Patch 1.0, we increased Jett’s smoke duration to 7 seconds (from the then 4 seconds), and we are partially undoing that now. We’ve found that the result of that change was that Jett became a substitute for the Controller role, and reasonably aggressive teams could make use of her Cloudburst smokes to quickly take space without relying on a dedicated Controller. This is part of a pattern of Duelists superseding more utility-focused Agents that we will continue to look at in the future. It’s important that Jett can use her smokes to create temporary windows for the high action plays that define her style, but those windows need to be brief enough to ensure that Controllers are where teams look for team-focused vision blocking.
MAP UPDATES
SPLIT
This Split update is focused around improving attacker options on the map, as well as reducing 50/50 checks, the depth of certain corners, and opening specific areas on the map by increasing chokepoint widths.
Increased the width of the B Main doorway
- This should make the space easier to navigate for attackers, and make it more difficult for defenders to stall Attackers in the choke point. There is a crate for attackers to utilize on the other side of the doorways as cover, which allows for utility to be thrown into the site from a new angle.
On top of the changes to B Main, there is an additional trash pile placed in the corner to prevent defenders from hiding in too deep a nook
- This creates a new angle into B Main when standing on the new object.
Increased Spike plant zone boundary
- This allows a new Spike plant location for attackers to defend from within B Main.
New material stack for cover in B Site that allows you to isolate angles more effectively
- This also breaks up a vertical 50/50 angle when peeking into the site from B Main.
Reduced depth of this corner to allow pushing into defender spawn with more safety
Removed this cubby near defender spawn to allow pushing through this area more safely
Increased the width of the Vent Room entrance
Added a sloped wall in the Vent Room, which removes a 50/50 check when entering Vents from Mid
- The new sloped wall also protects you from wall penetration coming from Mid.
Simplified the Ramen/Scuttle Crab area
- This should make the map feel more open and allow you to push through and clear this area without having to rely as heavily on utility.
Reduce depth of cubby in Sewer to allow pushing through this space more safely
Increased the width of the doorway to A Tower and reduced safety of defenders in A Tower
- This change should increase the value of controlling A Ramps.
Adjusted angle of sloped wall
- This allows the back corner to be cleared slightly earlier from attackers. This angle is still safe from the A Tower, however you can now successfully clear this spot by stepping out onto the Rafters without having to drop down towards site.
Adjusted wall depth near Screens, which allows you to move out of Screens more safely without the use of utility
COMPETITIVE UPDATES
- Added ability to hide custom game results from Match History
- Many of you, especially pros, have asked for the ability to not show custom game Match History results, so that they can practice without other players scouting their strategies. We wanted to ship this feature ahead of Challengers so you can practice without this concern.
SOCIAL UPDATES
- The Add Friend button now exists for teammates only, and the option of adding enemy players has been removed
- Any teammates with privacy/streamer mode enabled will not have the Add Friend button near their name.
- Queue restrictions for AFK-ing in-game and during pre-game have changed
- We want to make sure that folks having connectivity issues aren’t harshly penalized, but those who are purposefully AFK-ing receive harsher penalties.
- With that, we will be adding AFK forgiveness for a certain number of rounds, but repeated/extended occurrences will be penalized with higher queue restrictions.
BUGS
- Fixed an issue with rank promotion and demotion indicators overlapping players rank on the Career page
- Fixed a bug that would cause either a Radiant icon or an error message to show during the End of Game screen instead of the correct rank details
- Fixed a bug where Reyna’s Leer would not display on the minimap correctly
- Fixed a bug where credits wouldn’t be properly refunded after selling a gun that a teammate bought
- Thanks to this post, as well as many previous reports on reddit!
- Fixed a bug where offscreen flash VFX would display incorrectly
- Fixed a bug where Phoenix’s starting location would briefly be displayed on the minimap after being killed in Run it Back
- Fixed issue where Omen’s reforming VFX didn’t line up with where he actually appeared when using Shrouded Step
- Fixed Jett being able to trigger the defuse sound while dashing
- Fixed Omen being able to trigger the defuse sound while teleporting
- Fixed issue that caused Yoru’s Fakeout decoy to persist in the world after his death
- Fixed issue where Raze’s Boom Bot could be placed through some walls
- Fixed issue where Omen could have his gun equipped while forming during From the Shadows
- Resolved Regrowth’s number UI not updating as Skye used the ability
- Fixed fire rate stacking issue when a player is in one Brimstone Stim Pack while another ends
- Fixed Skye not properly showing the callout region she’s in
