The latest dev update has plenty tucked in ahead of this year's VALORANT Champions.
VALORANT has plenty of new content coming before VALORANT Champions, and this time the devs are going well beyond Agent and map changes. In a press release, Riot Games detailed a new experimental 16-player 2v2 mode, another 2,900-credit rifle, a replacement for Agent Gear, competitive progression changes, and several quality-of-life updates.
Most of it lands with Patch 13.06 on 22 September, including Gauntlet: Glitched and the new Warden rifle. Practice Range access while sitting in matchmaking is also on the way, while some of the competitive changes will roll out later.
What is Gauntlet: Glitched in VALORANT?
Gauntlet: Glitched is essentially a 2v2v2v2v2v2v2v2 mode, throwing 16 players into eight duos and pairing them off in 2v2 fights until only one team is left standing.
The twist is that nobody is playing a normal Agent kit. Instead, the mode pulls abilities away from their original Agents and lets players draft and combine them into entirely new builds on hybrid Robo-Agents.
Its core loop takes inspiration from roguelikes: draft an ability, fight a round, then head back into the draft and decide what comes next. Abilities start at Level 1 and can be upgraded all the way to Level 3, so players can spread their picks across a wider kit or keep doubling down on the same abilities to push them further.
Since the draft options are randomised every round, there is no fixed build waiting at the end of a match. One duo could end up stacking mobility and rushing fights, while another could fill its kit with defensive bots, traps, and utility. Players will also need to think about how their picks work with their duo rather than simply building two separate kits.
Once the round starts, each duo is matched against another for a 2v2 duel. Lose, and the team loses health. Hit zero, and they are out. That cycle continues until only one duo remains.
The mode is designed to run for around eight to 15 minutes, with players able to queue solo or with a friend. It also uses staged weapon progression alongside the ability draft, while four purpose-built arenas remix spaces from existing VALORANT maps and stitch them together with glitched seams.
The upgrades can also change familiar abilities in some unexpected ways. Yoru's Fakeout can eventually become a decoy that fires bullets on its own, while Skye's Trailblazer can grow into a giant creature capable of killing an enemy in one bite. Gekko's Wingman, meanwhile, grows much larger and still charges at the first enemy it finds to concuss them.
Riot is also using the randomised draft to give mixed-skill duos more room to contribute. The devs specifically point to pairings such as a Diamond and Bronze player, with the controlled variance intended to keep both involved rather than leaving one person carrying the entire match.
What is the Warden rifle in VALORANT?
Another thing coming with Patch 13.06 is the Warden, a new automatic rifle joining the Vandal and Phantom at 2,900 credits. Its 2x scope immediately sets it apart from VALORANT's other full-buy rifles, and the devs say it will have the best first-shot accuracy in the game while aiming down sights.
There is a trade-off, though. The Warden only holds 18 rounds per magazine and fires at 6.5 rounds per second, so it is not going to offer the same spray potential as the Vandal or Phantom. Each shot deals 50 body damage at any range, 200 to the head, and 42 to the legs. It also has medium wall penetration, with another 36 rounds in reserve.
How does the new VALORANT Agent Mastery system work?
Riot is also replacing the existing Agent Gear system with a new Agent Mastery system built around both playtime and performance with individual Agents. Players will be able to progress their mastery with their favourite Agents and unlock rewards that show how much time they have spent with them. The system will introduce customisable Agent IDs, alongside unlockable portraits, icons, borders, and other cosmetics tied to long-term mastery.
What competitive changes are coming to VALORANT?
Competitive progression is also getting several updates intended to give players more ways to track and display their ranked achievements. Competitive profile improvements are scheduled to arrive in the next patch, while a new Competitive Flex will debut with the start of the 2027 season. That Flex will then evolve throughout the year based on a player's ranked achievements, with additional upgrades becoming available during each Act.
What other updates are coming to VALORANT?
Patch 13.06 will also bring a refreshed home screen, alongside the long-awaited option to enter the Practice Range while waiting in matchmaking, giving players somewhere to warm up without dropping out of queue.
Outside the patch itself, VALORANT is expanding its console release to Australia and New Zealand. There is also more coming after Champions, with the devs confirming that a new Agent is planned for after the tournament, although no further details have been shared yet.
VALORANT Patch 13.06, including Gauntlet: Glitched and the Warden rifle, is set to launch on 22 September.
