The final patch of VALORANT Episode Nine, Act One, is set to bring significant updates and improvements to the game, with key changes to several agents and overall gameplay enhancements.
Patch 9.03, going live on August 13, 2024, focuses on refining the gameplay experience by addressing inconsistencies in agent abilities, enhancing map interactions, and fixing various bugs.
Key Changes in Valorant Patch 9.03
1. Ground-Spreading Abilities Adjustment
- Brimstone’s Incendiary & Viper’s Snakebite: The patch addresses inconsistencies with ground-spreading abilities that previously caused unpredictable damage. This update ensures that these abilities now behave more consistently, preventing them from affecting areas outside their visual range or damaging players through walls.
2. Minimap Interaction Improvements
- Brimstone, Clove, and Omen: Players can now ping locations directly on the agents’ ability-deploying minimaps, enhancing team communication without needing to open the global minimap separately. This change is particularly beneficial for players who prefer using pings over voice communication.
3. Sage’s Barrier Orb Update
- Barrier Orb Placement Preview: Sage mains can now see a placement preview of the Barrier Orb on the minimap, helping to avoid placing walls with unintended gaps. This change makes Sage’s wall placements more precise and reliable, especially for newer players.
4. General Gameplay and Performance Fixes
- Improved Object Interaction: The update fixes issues with overlapping interactable objects, such as ropes and Cypher’s Spycam darts, ensuring smoother gameplay.
- Iso’s Kill Contract: Performance improvements have been made to Iso’s ultimate ability, promising a more seamless experience during its execution.
5. Map Updates
- Console-Specific Changes: While there are no map pool updates for PC players, console players will now have access to the map Pearl in Unrated and Swiftplay modes. Additionally, several map-related bugs, such as ability clipping and minor visual issues, have been addressed.
Full List of Bug Fixes in Valorant Patch 9.03
- General Fixes: Resolved an issue where opening menus would reset toggle crouch/toggle walk states.
- Gameplay Systems: Fixed bugs related to gun pinging, defuse timer displays, ability icons for Observers, and more.
- Maps: Corrected spots in Abyss where abilities could be thrown off the map and fixed visual issues around Defender Spawn.
- The Range: Fixed translation issues in various languages.
- Client (PC only): Addressed a bug affecting Combat Report visibility during pre-round.
- Console-Only Fixes: Fixed issues related to input loss when opening Ability maps and Shop/Scoreboard simultaneously, as well as glitches with Harbor’s High Tide ability.
Conclusion
Valorant Patch 9.03 brings a host of important updates, from refining agent abilities to improving map interactions and fixing persistent bugs. These changes aim to enhance the overall gameplay experience, ensuring smoother and more consistent matches for all players.
Whether you’re a seasoned player or new to the game, this patch delivers essential tweaks that could significantly impact your strategy and performance in Valorant.