Riot has released the Valorant Episode 6 patch notes, showing us exactly what we can expect from Patch 6.0 of the popular hero shooter. Changes include a brand new map, the return of Split (with a few crucial changes), and some switchups to the way ranked play works, so let's take a look!
First up, of course, there's the new Lotus map, which we were first introduced to in a trailer a few days ago. Lotus is a 3-site map made up of intricately-constructed ancient ruins, and it offers a "variety of rotation options", according to Riot.
Valorant Patch 6.0 also sees the return of the Split map, and a few key changes have been made. These include a wider first engagement area for the attacking team, as well as a flattened Tower back section and the removal of some trick jumps to "simplify the space".
You'll also notice a whole host of changes to gameplay, including tweaks to the way ADS Zoom and Scope Toggle Zoom functions work. Changes to Agents include a bug fix for Cypher's Trapwire, which allowed players to place it through Sage's Barrier Orb, as well as fixes for various abilities including Killjoy's Lockdown, Brimstone's Orbital Strike, and more.
If you've been unhappy with the way Valorant ranked progression works, the Episode 6 patch notes should alleviate your concerns somewhat. Riot says it's addressed the way ranked rating gains or losses work, hopefully making them "more consistent". These changes include weighing wins and losses more heavily than round differentials, as well as aligning gains and losses more with individual performance, so if you tried to carry your team but they lost anyway, it should sting less.
Of course, Episode 6 is bringing plenty more changes besides this one, including the debut of the Araxys skinline teased yesterday. On that note, if you've got a favorite gun skin variant, you can now favorite it, and only your favorited variants will enter your weapon pool if you've equipped that weapon's Random Favorite.
You can read the full Valorant Episode 6 patch notes right here via the game's official website. Make sure you do so if you're heading back into Ranked, because you don't want to have to climb that ladder all over again without all the information you need to succeed. Valorant Episode 6 is out now, and you can check the game out for free on PC.
