After a relatively quiet period of updates since the launch of Episode 4, Valorant’s latest update, Patch 4.04, is a doozy. Today’s patch notes reveal a buff for Brimstone and Omen, while Astra and Viper have been nerfed, which should bring more balance to the game’s pool of controller Agents. Elsewhere, the much-anticipated Yoru rework is finally here, and Icebox, a map that has been loathed for sometime for its one-dimensional design, has undergone a big overhaul.
Here is the full list of patch notes:
Agent Changes
General
● Improved the system used to place abilities at targeted ground locations. This update should make it easier to find valid placement locations in tight spaces. These are the abilities affected:
- Omen’s Shrouded Step
- Viper’s pit
- Chamber’s Trademark and Rendez-vous
- Every Killjoy ability
- Yoru’s Gatecrash
- Sage’s Barrier Orb
Omen
Dark Cover
- Cooldown decreased 40s >>> 30s
- Cost increased 100 >>> 150
- Projectile Speed increased 2800 >>> 6400
Shrouded Step
- Cost decreased 150 >>> 100
- Pre teleport delay decreased 1s >>> 0.7s
Paranoia
- Added forward spawn offset, so players adjacent to Omen are not hit
Brimstone
Sky Smoke
- Deploy time decreased 2 >>> 1 second
- Deploy radius increased 5000 >>> 5500
- Smoke height increased to match other Controllers
- Stim Beacon Now also applies a 15% speed boost in addition to RapidFire.
Astra
Stars
- Max Stars reduced 5 >>> 4
- Cooldown on retrieving a Star increased 14 >>> 25
- Astra can now pick up placed Stars during the Buy Phase to refund their charge immediately
- Max distance of Star Placement increased 10000 >>> 30000 to allow her to place Stars across the furthest corners of maps.
Gravity Well
- Cooldown Increased 25 >>> 45
- Gravity Well Size Decreased 525 >>> 475
- Gravity Well no longer affects anyone fully underneath the Gravity Well.
Nova Pulse
- Cooldown Increased 25 >>> 45
- Nova Pulse no longer affects anyone fully underneath the Nova Pulse.
Nebula
- Cooldown Increased 14 >>> 25
- Nebula cooldowns are now sequential instead of simultaneous
- Nebula size increased 410 >>> 475
Astral Form
- While in Astral form, pings are no longer blocked by level geometry that Astra cannot see
- Astra’s targeting ring in Astral form is reduced to one ring that reflects the now unified size of all her utility
- Astra’s targeting ring no longer randomly disappears when aiming across some map locations
- Increased the speed of the overlay that covers Astra’s screen when transitioning in and out of Astral form
- Fixed an issue where Stars were placed slightly above the location Astra was targeting.
Viper
Fuel
- Fuel drain increased 50% when Toxic Screen and Poison Cloud are both active.
- Viper’s fuel bar now turns red when she does not have enough fuel to activate her abilities.
Toxic Screen
- Cooldown after deactivating increased 6 >>> 8
- Cooldown timer now starts when her smoke starts dissipating instead of when the deactivation telegraph plays.
- Deactivation delay decreased 1 >>> .8
- Toxic Screen now has yellow lights that indicate when it is on cooldown
- Removed delay on Toxic Screen disabling when Viper is suppressed.
- Added a unique VO line that plays when her smoke is disabled by suppress.
Poison Cloud
- Cooldown after deactivating increased 6 >>> 8.
- Cooldown timer now starts when her smoke starts dissipating instead of when the deactivation telegraph plays.
- Deactivation delay decreased 1 >>> .8
- Poison Orb now has a yellow light to indicate when it is on cooldown.
- Removed delay on Poison Orb disabling when Viper is suppressed.
- Added a unique VO line that plays when her smoke is disbaled by suppress.
Snake Bite
- Duration decreased 6.5 >>> 5.5
Yoru
Fakeout
- Charges reduced from 2 >>> 1
- Decoy HP: 150
- Decoy is now a full running version of Yoru and can only be sent running forward
- Right -click to place a stationary marker for the decoy
- Reactivate similarly to footsteps to create the decoy that runs forward
- Upon taking damage from an enemy gun, the decoy winds up, turns towards the enemy mthat shot it, and explodes after a short delay.
- Enemies within the cone are flashed
Gatecrash
- Charges increased from 1 >>> 2
- Cost: 200 Credits
- Cooldown charge refresh removed, switched back to 2-kill reset
- Gatecrash can be faked by pressing F, while hovering over the beacon
- Fake teleport will play audio and portal visuals as if Yoru is attempting to teleport.
- Time it takes for teleport beacon has decreased 1.5 >>> 0.5 seconds
- Teleport beacon’s in-game audio while traveling reduced 22.5m>>>12.5m
- Teleport beacon’s speed has been increased 675 >>> 800
- Upon activating a fake teleport, the beacon creates a small decal on the floor for 30 seconds to indicate location of the fake teleport
Dimensional Drift
- Duration increased 8 >>> 10 seconds
- Yoru is not revealed to enemies
- Unequip delay time increased 0.6 >>> 1.2 seconds
- Yoru is now able to cast all utility out of his ultimate
- Yoru’s footsteps can now be heard within 15m of Yoru’s location
- Cast delay added upon casting Dimensional Drift, preventing the invulnerability frame on cast
Map Updates
Ascent
● B orb can now be taken from the lower box (previously, you had to double jump up to the box to get it)