Published , by Donovan Erskine
Published , by Donovan Erskine
With a successful Act 2 launch in the rearview mirror, Riot Games is back to business as usual with Valorant. In pursuit to make the most balanced tactical shooter possible, the developer is constantly making updates and tweaking gameplay. Valorant update 1.06 is rolling in, and takes aim at a number of bugs, as well as the game’s shotguns.
Following a company-wide week off, Riot Games is back with the first patch for Valorant Act 2. With little changes made to the game’s agents, Patch 1.06 addresses gameplay and mechanics. Dubbed the “Air Shotgun Update” by Riot itself, 1.06 nerfs the power of shotguns while in the air.
“There's been overly frustrating moments where people are accurate with these weapons while in the air. We hope to curb some of those encounters while still making them possible if you catch an opponent at a short distance,” the developer shared. The shotgun spread penalty while in the air has been increased from .5 to 1.25.
The only agent tweak in Valorant patch 1.06 is an audio change for Phoenix and Breach. “The audio and visuals for blinding effects (Phoenix Curveball and Breach Flashpoint) should better indicate when to turn away, and when it's safe to look again," Riot shared. This change serves to make things a bit more fair for players attempting to avoid flashes.
Valorant update 1.06 also addresses several minor interface and gameplay issues. A detailed list of these changes can be found on the Valorant website. In the pantheon of Valorant updates, 1.06 is certainly one of the lightest yet. With Killjoy being recently introduced to the game, it stands to reason that Riot Games is closely monitoring her impact, and could address her in a future update.