VALORANT Patch 9.06 notes: All buffs, nerfs, and changes

Sometimes, small changes bring huge impact.

Omen and Phoenix VALORANT artwork
Image via Riot Games

VALORANT Patch 9.06 brings many small yet much-needed updates across various features, all to significantly improve your competitive and visual experience in the popular tac shooter. 

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Scheduled to go live on Sept. 24, Patch 9.06 tweaks how a few VALORANT agent abilities work and updates features related to gameplay, player behavior, social, maps, and weapons while fixing several recurring and new bugs across platforms. If you’re looking for the full patch notes, like always, we’ve got you covered.

What’s included in VALORANT Patch 9.06?

Break or not, it’s your choice. Image via Riot Games

If you were tired of the inconsistencies regarding how some agent abilities interacted with the glass window on Ascent’s A Site, Patch 9.06 aims to fix the confusion.

Phoenix’s Blaze and Neon’s Fast Lane continue to break the window if their initial cast’s center point hits the glass. That said, the walls themselves won’t interact with the glass window.

On the contrary, the window no longer breaks if a Harbor’s High Tide wall goes through it. Similarly, Chamber’s Trademark, Cypher’s Spy Cam, and Killjoy’s Lockdown no longer break the window when placed too close to it.

More sound cues to make your way out

Patch 9.06 brings another interesting change affecting two major ultimates in VALORANT: Brimstone’s Orbital Strike and Vyse’s Steel Garden. Going forward, Orbital Strike’s AoE windup/activation and Steel Garden’s AoE windup audio integration have been updated to being slightly directional toward the origin of the abilities, making it easier for players to figure out the direction they should pursue to escape the effect. 

A much-needed voting system fix

Patch 9.06 fixes a critical issue with the voting system that comes up during remake or draw conditions. Going forward, the system should no longer take AFK players into account, so you can vote out of the game without a hiccup if there’s a majority.

QoL updates to Haven for Vyse and Cypher

The patch also adds several quality of life improvements to Haven to facilitate placing Vyse’s Arc Rose and Cypher’s Trapwire on crates. Besides these, we’ve some social, player behavior, and UI updates to look forward to, as listed below:

  • Adjustments to comms abuse penalties to fairly punish all offenders and improve the comms experience in VALORANT
  • An update to the voice chat system to reduce the chances of bugged comms after you reconnect following a disconnection from the game. 
  • The in-game weapon switcher in the HUD now displays the name of the skin with for a particular gun, so you can clearly see what you’re switching to or picking up.

Changes exclusive to VALORANT on PC in Patch 9.06

New Player Tips on PC

Beginners on VALORANT can now avail the AI-driven New Player Tips system on PC, aimed at helping them improve at mechanics and game sense. The setting is defaulted on for new accounts and if you’re an old player, you can switch it on from the settings. 

Based on how you behave and play in matches, the Tip system provides “critical information for gameplay fundamentals, potential focuses for skill improvements, and suggestions for advanced strategies.” As much as it’s an excellent system for beginners, veterans can also enable it to view advanced tips.

Block a player

You can now block players as part of a new social update, preventing them from sending you requests and all kinds of communication. This is a great change as simply removing a player from your list would leave room for them to send a friend request again.

Changes exclusive to VALORANT on console

Custom cursor sensitivity

Console players can now select a custom sensitivity for the cursor when using a mega map for agents like Brimstone, Clove, and others. This new setting lets you choose an input map for mega map controls, so you can place your utilities on the map comfortably and accurately. The patch also adds new agent-specific cursor curve settings for abilities that use the mega map—Brimstone’s Sky Smoke and Orbital Strike, Clove’s Ruse, and Omen’s From the Shadows.

No aim assist for certain abilities

Some abilities that aren’t intended to target an enemy no longer have aim assist, so you might have to readjust how you use them.

The final legacy map is here

Fracture enters Unrated and Swiftplay queues on VALORANT console with Patch 9.06. With this addition, console players finally have the entire catalog of current maps available in the game.

Patch 9.06 VALORANT highlights
All crucial changes in Patch 9.06, highlighted. Image via Riot Games

All bug fixes in VALORANT Patch 9.06

The following bug fixes have been deployed across all platforms with the latest patch:

Agents

  • Fixed an issue where Deadlock’s Sonic Sensors could stay active if placed as Deadlock was killed.
  • Fixed an issue where Cypher’s Trapwire did not take damage from certain abilities.
  • Fixed an issue where Gekko’s Wingman could get stuck in a loop while attempting to chase an unreachable target.
  • Fixed an issue where Yoru’s Fakeout did not trigger Vyse’s Shear.
  • Fixed an issue where Breach was unable to cast abilities through Vyse’s Shear.
  • Fixed an issue where Sova’s Recon Bolt was destroyed by Vyse’s Shear.
  • Fixed an issue where Gekko’s Thrash and Raze’s Showstopper could hit people on the other side of Vyse’s Shear. 
  • Fixed an issue where Vyse’s Arc Rose could be placed on invalid objects.
  • Fixed various collision issues with Vyse’s Shear , that blocked bullets and people while despawning.
  • Fixed rare instances of people’s bodies being clipped inside Vyse’s Shear.
  • Fixed an issue where Vyse’s Razorvine and Shear had lingering VFX when canceling early. 

Cosmetics 

  • Fixed the third person animation for the Nocturnum Scythe so it will no longer appear higher than the Agent model when you equip your melee.

Gameplay Systems

  • Fixed an issue where the Combat Report did not display “killed” text when you kill an ally.
  • Fixed an issue where the Combat Report “killed by” text would have incorrect text alignment in Arabic.

Maps

  • Breeze: Fixed an issue with the mechanical door at A Switch where bullets were not able to go through even though the door was open.
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