VALORANT Patch 8.11 notes: All buffs, nerfs, and changes

Duelist changes, galore.

Iso, VALORANT agent
Image via Riot Games

VALORANT Patch 8.11 is all set to stir up the agent and map meta drastically, so if you have been feeling the lack of spice in your matches lately, there’s a lot to look forward to this time. 

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Slated to go live on June 11, Patch 8.11 brings significant balance updates to multiple agents and refreshes the competitive map pool. It also revamps the Radio Command wheel and the Store, making things prettier and more interactive. And, as usual, crucial bug fixes are included.

But that’s not it: VALORANT is finally going live on consoles, with 8.11 marking the first patch, so if you have been awaiting its arrival, the day has finally come. In case you are wondering, we have listed the full patch notes below.  

What’s included in VALORANT Patch 8.11?

VALORANT Patch 8.11 highlights
A summary. Image via Riot Games

Major agent updates

Gear up for an emotional experience, duelist mains, as Patch 8.11 brings big changes to your favorite class that you need to adapt to going forward.

The update reworks Iso, Neon, and Reyna to make them more relevant, nerfs Raze’s mobility to offer more counterplay to her sandbox movement style, and tones down the pseudo-duelist controller, Clove’s selfish capabilities.

Every agent update included in the patch is listed below for your convenience. 

Iso

  • Double Tap (E)
    • Iso now grants himself a shield upon finishing a one-second animation, during which he can’t use his gun. This plays a shield-forming sound at the end of the channel when the shield is activated.
    • Double Tap charges reduced from two to one.
    • Kill reset added to Double Tap, which recharges if he gets two kills.
    • Iso now receives a Wall Penetration tag instead of a standard Heavy Penetration tag when the shield is broken. He’s slowed less upon his shield breaking.
    • Iso now gets a damage indicator towards the direction of the enemy that broke the shield.
    • Iso can now recast Double Tap while it’s active to refresh the duration of the shield. This is relevant if he gets a refreshed charge of his Double Tap from getting two kills.

Neon

  • Fast Lane (C)
    • Neon’s wall dissipates from behind to minimize visual noise in combat space while giving cover for her. Its audio has been updated to travel with the fade out of the wall.
    • Wall Duration decreased from six to four seconds.
    • Wall Dissolve Duration increased from one to two seconds.
  • High Gear (E)
    • Sprint: Neon no longer has her strafe speed reduced while sprinting. Max Sprint Speed while moving sideways increased from 6.73 meters/second to 9.11 meters/second. Time until Full Fuel Regen decreased from 60 to 20 seconds.
    • Slide: Slide charges increased from one to two. Neon now removes all weapon movement error when sliding, meaning she’s more accurate. The second slide is purchasable for 150 credits. You can now instantly equip out of a slide. Slide equip buffer reduced to o.2 seconds (the amount of time before her gun comes out after sliding).

Reyna

  • Devour (Q)
    • Healing decreased from 100 to 50.
    • Full heal time reduced from three to two seconds.
    • Overheal of armor no longer decays after a timer.
  • Dismiss (E)
    • Top speed increased from 9.1 meters/second to 12 meters/second.
    • Total duration of Dismiss reduced from two to 1.5 seconds.
  • Empress (X)
    • Empress no longer has a timer and is permanent until Reyna is killed or the round ends.

Raze

  • Blast Pack (Q)
    • Raze’s satchels no longer explode for damage/knockback upon opponent destruction. 
    • Raze’s horizontal velocity when satcheling has been slowed.
    • Satchel explosion audio has been updated to be audible farther away to ensure enemies can hear the first satchel when a Raze double satchels.

Clove

  • Pick-Me-Up (C)
    • Cost increased from 100 to 200.
    • Duration decreased from 10 to eight seconds.
    • Damaging Assist Time to activate decreased from 10 to six seconds.
  • Not Dead Yet (X)
    • Cost increased from seven to eight points.
    • Unequip Delay increased from .7 to .8s
    • BUG FIX: Clove’s ultimate will no longer survive the fighting state if they get a smoke assist. 
  • New VO line for Omen and Clove when starting a match on Abyss.

Map pool updates

Abyss, VALORANT map loading screen
Get ready to make them fall through. Image via Riot Games

Abyss, a new two-site, three-lane map featuring terrifying “death drops,” goes live with Patch 8.11. Haven returns to the map pool, while Breeze and Split leave. Here’s a summary of map pool updates included in this patch: 

  • Competitive, Deathmatch, and Premier queues now contain Ascent, Bind, Icebox, Lotus, Sunset, and Haven. Abyss enters the competitive pool in Patch 9.0.
  • Breeze and Split have been removed from Competitive, Deathmatch, and Premier queues.
  • Starting this patch, Unrated, Swift Play, Spike Rush, and Escalation move to an open map pool. All maps, including Abyss, are available in these queues.

The console version features a limited map pool for now. It includes four maps, namely Abyss, Ascent, Bind, and Haven, and Riot plans to add a new map with every patch, starting with 9.0. Additionally, console players get access to an updated Open Range, offering several visual and feature tweaks.

Game mode updates

On PC, everything remains the same except for the addition of an Abyss-only queue, an exclusive mode offering an Unrated-like experience on the new map. It will help you get used to the map before it enters the Competitive map pool on June 25. The Abyss-only mode will be available for a week, so practice your tricks as much as possible.

The console version, however, launches with limited game modes, including Unrated, Swift Play, Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, and Custom games. VALORANT isn’t complete without its ranked experience, but don’t worry: Competitive mode will go live for console players in Patch 9.0, which is slated for release on June 25.

Additionally, with 8.11, consoles get exclusive new Training content, including a new Basic Training tutorial, Bot Training tutorial, and other practice options. All new Training content will come to PC in a later patch. 

A revamped Radio Command wheel we all needed

Patch 8.11 adds “more relevant call-outs, a higher variety of pings and Agent VO, and brand new Wheels” to VALORANT’s ping system to make communicating without mics easier and more enjoyable. Here’s a summary of changes to look forward to: 

  • New Strategy Wheels during the Buy Phase
  • Unique Strategy Wheels for Attackers and Defenders
  • New Commands Wheel on the Megamap
  • Updated options on existing Command Wheels
  • Updated VO on existing Commands Menu (PC only)
  • Streamlined Wheels to feature our most important command options

New Player Tips

Exclusive to the console version, the New Player Tip system aims to “display useful in-game information based on the actions you take during the match,” providing “critical information for gameplay fundamentals, potential focuses for skill improvements, and suggestions for advanced strategies.”

Feel free to use those tips to level up your VALORANT gameplay.

Updates to the Esports Hub, Premier mode, and more

Besides the major changes listed above, Patch 8.11 adds visual tweaks to the Esports Hub, the Store, and the Premier mode, and it improves performance on two-core machines. It also fixes a major exploit that allowed players to attempt repeated remakes without facing consequences by increasing “the intervention severity for AFKs resulting in a remade match.”

Your friend list will now display console VALORANT players separately under “Other games.” Also, by default, console players connected to a team voice channel can interact with the entire team instead of just party members.

All bug fixes included in VALORANT Patch 8.11

No patch is complete without bug fixes, so here’s everything that will no longer “bug” you:

  • Agent bug fixes
    • Fixed an exploit where players could stand on Killjoy’s Turret (E) when it was wedged into a corner. Players in this situation will now have inaccurate gunfire similar to if they were jumping.
    • Fixed issues where Clove could play the incorrect animation or slide along the ground during a skin finisher if they were the last player alive and had their ultimate available.
    • Fixed an issue where players inside Clove’s smoke-forming location were at a disadvantage compared to players on the outside of the smoke.
    • Fixed an issue where Clove’s Pick-Me-Up (C) could not proc on training range bots.
    • Fixed an issue where Clove’s Not Dead Yet (X) allowed smoke assists to fulfil their condition to survive.
  • Gameplay Systems
    • Fixed an issue with Brimstone Incendiary (Q) VFX not appearing unless the player is observing the direction it is coming from.
    • Fixed some issues with Combat Report Player Info not populating properly with information on death.
    • Fixed bullet tracers still being visible after being turned off in settings when the player fires at certain angles away from the map
    • Fixed issues where agent abilities that attach to walls can be shot through impenetrable surfaces.
    • Fixed tooltips not updating after rebinding while an agent ability is equipped.
    • Fixed Arabic language format errors when using Gekko Wingman (Q) or picking up a Weapon.
    • Fixed longer crosshair profile names extending the Delete/Duplicate Profile popup in settings.
  • Premier
    • Fixed a bug where the green arrow indicator for the Choose Side selection in map pick and bans didn’t show up.

You can check out the full patch notes for 8.11 here.

Author
Image of Tyler Esguerra
Tyler Esguerra
Lead League of Legends writer for Dot Esports. Forever an LCS supporter, AD carry main, with more than five years in the industry. Sometimes I like clicking heads in Call of Duty or VALORANT. Creator of the Critical Strike Podcast.
Author
Image of Sharmila Ganguly
Sharmila Ganguly
Freelance Writer at Dot Esports. An enthusiastic gamer who bumped into the intricacies of video game journalism in 2021 and has been hustling ever since. Obsessed with first-person shooter titles, especially VALORANT. Contact: sharmila@dotesports.com