VALORANT is set to welcome its next big competitive season soon, and this time, it’s a rather eventful Episode to look forward to. From new Protocol members to Premier crawling out of a successful beta phase, the seventh Episode in the tactical shooter’s timeline has many exciting features coming your way.
If you’re looking forward to jumping into the new season’s action right upon its launch, here’s everything you need to know to mark your calendar.
VALORANT Episode Seven release date
The new Act, Episode Seven, Act One, will begin on June 27, a few hours after the ongoing Episode Six, Act Three closes its curtains.
As usual, Riot Games is expected to conduct server maintenance for a few hours after the current Act ends, with VALORANT’s servers remaining unavailable for a short time. Patch 7.0 will be deployed after the maintenance is completed—you can start experiencing all the new content after downloading the patch.
What to expect in VALORANT’s Episode Seven
Barring the disheartening hard rank reset inevitable with Episode Seven’s first Act, there’s much to be excited about.
For starters, get ready to welcome Team Deathmatch, a brand new alternate game mode hosted by none other than a vengeful Max Bot. The inspired mode will pit two teams of five players in four stages of high-octane skirmishes featuring both weapons and abilities.
Besides Team Deathmatch, expect Agent 23, a new sentinel agent, to join VALORANT Protocol in the upcoming Episode. Not much is known about the agent—except for a pictorial depiction of some of his interests. But fans do have some wild theories about this mysterious man, and the most popular one highlights his possible ties to Norwegian culture.
Related: What we know about VALORANT’s Episode Six lore so far: Project Landfall, Agent 23, and more
Coming to cosmetics, Episode Seven, Act One will introduce a brand new battle pass full of skins, sprays, player cards, Radianite points, and titles. Like always, you can also expect Riot to introduce a heavily inspired premium weapon collection at the start of the Episode.
VALORANT’s progression system is also entering a new phase: Daily Missions are receiving a rework, the original Agent Contracts are being replaced with “Agents and Gears,” and a brand new free-to-earn in-game currency, Kingdom Credits, which is a ticket to earning older battle pass accessories and unlocking agents faster.
Lastly, your ranks will be reset at the start of the season, and since it’s a new Episode, you’ll have to play five matches to unlock your competitive stance.
As tedious as it may sound, don’t worry—even if you land two ranks lower than your last Act’s achievement (which is common after an Episode), VALORANT’s fine-tuned MMR system, coupled with consistent performance, will shoot your rank up in no time.