Smurf combat, replay system, new map & more!

Written by: Wei

30/05/2025

Valorant is turning five, it’s really been five years already! Since its release, Riot’s popular 5v5 shooter has gone through tons of updates, bringing in new Agents, maps, and game modes. Now, Riot’s rolling out some pretty major changes to celebrate the game’s fifth anniversary, and there's a lot to look forward to.

Unreal Engine 5 Upgrade Drops in Patch 11.02 (Late July)

One of the biggest changes is that Valorant is making the leap to Unreal Engine 5. This upgrade will arrive with Patch 11.02, expected to land at the end of July.

Riot mentioned that the update will be a large download, since it's essentially swapping out the game engine.

But they’ve worked hard to make sure the transition doesn’t mess with your

gameplay, so your usual lineups and game feel should remain intact.

The upgrade will bring some improvements right away:

Better framerate performance
Faster patch downloads going forward
A special commemorative gun buddy for anyone who logs in while Patch 11.02 is live

5th Anniversary Free Event Pass + Capsule

To mark five years of Valorant, Riot is releasing a free event pass that highlights fun memories from the game’s early days.

You’ll also get access to the “5 Years // Beta Remastered” capsule, which includes:

A returning knife skin
A reactive gun buddy
An animated player card

Competitive Map Changes: New Map RR Adjustments

Starting with Patch 11.00, new maps will be added directly into the Competitive queue on Day 1.

To ease players into learning the new layout, Riot is adjusting how rank points work for the first two weeks:

RR loss on the new map will be cut by 50%
RR gain for wins stays at 100%

This gives players a chance to learn the map without taking big hits to their rank if things go sideways.

New Smurfing Prevention System

Riot is also ramping up efforts to fight smurfing in Ranked play. Their new approach includes multi-factor authentication (MFA) via app or SMS verification for accounts that raise red flags.

They’re also exploring the idea of requiring MFA for all Competitive accounts in the future.

Replay System Launching in September

Another long-requested feature is finally on the way: replays.

The PC replay system will officially roll out with Patch 11.06 in September. Console players will get support for replays later this year.

TL;DR – What’s Coming

Patch 11.02 (End of July): Unreal Engine 5 upgrade + gun buddy
Patch 11.00: New map enters Competitive right away with reduced RR loss
5th Anniversary Event: Free event pass + 5 Years capsule
Anti-Smurfing Update: MFA coming for suspicious accounts (and possibly more)
Replay System: Launches for PC in Patch 11.06 (September); consoles to follow