Valorant update 9.03: New features and improvements

Valorant's new update 9.03 is here, bringing several significant changes to the gameplay, particularly focusing on ground-spreading and target-shooting abilities on the map. In addition, this Valorant update introduces the map Pearl to console players for the first time, increasing the game's accessibility and providing new opportunities for strategic play.

Valorant, a tactical first-person shooter developed by Riot Games, was officially launched on June 2, 2020, after a highly successful beta phase. The game quickly gained prominence in the competitive gaming scene due to its blend of precise gunplay and unique character abilities that attract both casual and professional players. A major factor in Valorant's continued success is its regular updates, which constantly bring new content and gameplay changes.

Valorant is organized into Episodes and Acts, with each Episode introducing significant changes such as new agents, maps, and mechanics, ensuring a dynamic and evolving experience for its player base.
In addition to significant updates, Valorant receives minor patches focused on enhancing quality of life, balance, and bug fixes. The latest, Patch 9.03, includes a number of improvements.

A significant improvement addresses interactions with overlapping objects, making actions such as connecting to ropes more reliable even when obstructed by other elements such as Cypher's Spycam darts. Adjustments have also been made to the ground-spreading abilities of Valorant's agents, such as Brimstone's Incinerary and Viper's Snakebite, to ensure their effects spread more consistently and are consistent with their visual indicators. In addition, abilities targeted on the map now have additional icons on the minimap, increasing targeting accuracy for abilities such as Brimstone's Sky Smoke and Omen's From the Shadows.

Valorant's latest patch offers PC and console-specific improvements

The patch also brings targeted improvements for both PC and console players. On PC, a bug where players needed to hold [Tab] during pre-round to enable the cursor has been fixed. Console Valorant players will find that the map Pearl has been added to the Unrated and Swift play queues, increasing their gameplay options. The update also addresses several bugs, including one where pressing the ability button while defusing a spike would equip a weapon and another where opening the ability map and shop/scoreboard simultaneously could result in a loss of input.

Additionally, the patch includes several other bug fixes across all platforms, aimed at improving overall stability and enhancing the gameplay experience. With the hero shooter genre's competitive landscape becoming increasingly challenging this year, these updates are crucial to maintaining Valorant's position and ensuring a high-quality experience for its player base.

Valorant Update 9.03 Patch Notes

•    All Platforms

General Updates

Improved how overlapping interactive objects work. You should now perform the desired action more consistently.
For example: a dart from Cypher's Spycam should no longer prevent you from connecting to a rope if you're looking directly at it.

•    Agent Updates

Ground Spread Abilities

We're improving abilities that spread on the ground such as Brimstone's Incinerary and Viper's Snakebite. Previously, the effects of these abilities were inconsistent depending on their exact location, causing very different shapes or causing damage through walls and in areas where the ability didn't visually exist. With this update, these abilities should spread more consistently and only apply damage in places that correspond to the visuals.

•    Map targeting ability improvements

You can now see additional icons and pings on maps used for ability targeting
Affected abilities: Brimstone's Sky Smoke and Orbital Strike, Clove's Rouge, and Omen's From the Shadows
Sage's Barrier Orb: The Barrier Orb's placement preview now also appears on the minimap
Performance updates: Improved the performance of Iso's Kill Contract ability.

•    Bug fixes

General

Fixed issue where opening the menu would reset your toggle crouch/toggle walk status.

Gameplay systems

Fixed bug where guns pinging the ground were not displaying the gun name in the text feed.
Fixed a rare bug that would result in the defuse timer showing as '-00.00' if the Spike was defused as the round timer hits 0.
Fixed an issue where ability icons were not visible on the minimap as an Observer.
Fixed an issue where in some scenarios, you can see an enemy but they do not appear on the minimap.
Fixed an issue where "Damage to you / You dealt" is overlapping the Combat Report widget.
Fixed font size readability issues with the Combat Report in some languages.
Fixed an issue where auto re-scoping for Outlaw, Marshal, Operator remains active while the gun undergoes a recharge.

•    Maps

Bottomless
Fixed a spot mid library where thrown abilities would not show up.