VALORANT is setting its foot on a new chapter. Here’s an early look at all the changes coming to Episode 8 Act 1.
VALORANT is moving towards a new chapter with the release of Episode 8, Defiance. Riot Games has already released the teasers and artwork, and based on what we’ve seen, it seems to be one of the most promising episodes since VALORANT’s launch.
However, we are only setting our foot on Act 1, and getting really excited shouldn’t be an appropriate response. So, for now, let’s focus on the things that are surely coming to the Act 1 of Defiance.
For starters, for the first time since launch, we are getting a brand new weapon into the game called Outlaw, making this Act somewhat memorable. Moreover, Icebox is returning to the map rotation, replacing Haven, which has been in the game for the longest time. On the other hand, Lotus is also receiving some adjustments to make it more viable competitively.
Apart from these, some of the Agents like Deadlock and Killjoy are also getting some balance changes. Curious to learn more? Here are the early patch notes for VALORANT Episode 8 Act 1.
Read More: VALORANT Kuronami Skin Bundle for Episode 8 Act 1 Has Been Revealed
Episode 8 Act 1 Early Patch Notes
Map Updates
Icebox
- Icebox is returning to VALORANT map rotation, replacing Haven. The new Icebox will see many changes over the mid and B area. The changes will affect Mid Blue, B Green, B Tube, and B Orange. No changes will be made to the A area.
You can see the exact Icebox changes here.
Lotus
- VALORANT’s second map, featuring a 3-site layout, is also getting some updates with the Defiance update. All three sites from Lotus will get some minor but noticeable changes, that’ll make it more viable for competitive play.
You can see the exact Lotus changes here.
Doors Refactor
- Upgraded the tech behind interactable doors in order to polish some interactions with others and with Agent abilities.
New Weapon: Outlaw
- Outlaw is VALORANT’s newest addition to the armory. It will be classified as a Sniper Rifle, and its stats will fall between Marshal and Operator. You can find the detailed overview below.
Outlaw Overview:
- Headshot Damage – 238
- Bodyshot Damage – 140
- Legshot Damage – 119
- Fire Rate – 2.75 Rds/Sec
- Equip Speed – 1.25 Sec
- Magazine – 2 Rds
- Zoom – 3.5x
- Move Speed – 80% (4.32 M/Sec)
General Updates
- The Gun Buddy Carousel should now appear alphabetically by name. Hopefully, it is much easier to find what you want!
Agent Updates
Deadlock
- Sonic Sensor (Q)
- Sonic Sensors are now recallable in round.
- Sonic Sensor’s pickup distance increased 12m >>> 27m
- Decreased time to concuss once triggered 1.0s >>> 0.5s
- Decreased time for enemies to destroy Sonic Sensor once triggered 0.65s >>> 0.5s
- Deadlock and her allies can now hear Sonic Sensor’s audio lightly when they are in its area of effect.
- Barrier Mesh (E)
- Increased the max length Barrier Mesh walls 6m >>> 10m
Killjoy
- Turret (E)
- Vision radius reduced 180 degrees >>> 100 degrees
- Added a representation of the Turret’s vision cone on Killjoy’s minimap when she is placing the Turret.
- Added VFX and updated the Turret’s animations to communicate the Turret’s new vision radius.
- Vision radius reduced 180 degrees >>> 100 degrees
Modes Updates
Team Deathmatch
- Stage 2 – Sheriff Loadout
- Heavy Shield >>> Light Shield
Map Rotation
- All modes (except Team Deathmatch and Custom games) will use the Competitive map rotation.
- Current rotation: Icebox, Lotus, Sunset, Breeze, Ascent, Bind, Split
Premier Updates
- Team Captain Role
- Added a secondary management role to rosters called Team Captain. Team Captains can help with team management, including inviting and removing team members. Captains cannot delete the team or kick the Team Owner out. Team Owners can promote and demote a Team Captain.
- Standings
- You can now view standings in other divisions and for previous Stages of Premier using the drop-down menus on the top left of the Standings Tab.
- Divisions
- You can now see which division you are seeded into before you play your first match.
- Playoff Qualification
- The threshold to qualify for this Stage is back to the standard 675 Premier Score.
- EMEA Zone Updates
- Updated our Zones to support the VCT Challengers League Path to Promotion in EMEA. To learn more about how to qualify for Challengers Open Qualifiers and how Premier integrates into esports in 2024, check out this article: https://valorantesports.com/news/qualifying-for-challengers-through-premier-your-path-to-pro-play/
Gameplay System Updates
- Starting in Patch 8.0, VALORANT will support third-party spatialization software for headphones.
Bug Fixes
General
- Fixed a bug with Raw Input Buffer where swapped primary/secondary mouse keys in Windows mouse settings were not being respected.
Read More: All the VALORANT Premier Changes with Episode 8 Act 1
Keep in mind that Riot Games has not revealed the official patch notes yet. So, there may be some changes that may not be included in the patch notes above. However, as soon as Riot Games reveals more information, we’ll be sure to update the article.
