VALORANT patch 12.00: update adds new weapon and Breeze returns

The VALORANT patch 12.00 officially kicks off the 2026 season of the FPS developed by Riot Games. The update is now live worldwide and delivers major changes across weapons, maps, ranked matchmaking, player behavior systems and cosmetic content.

Below are the full translated patch notes, keeping the original bullet structure.

Full VALORANT patch 12.00 notes

ALL PLATFORMS

GENERAL UPDATES

• Replays:
  
  • Available for Swiftplay matches (standard and custom).
  • Party leader can enable recording in Custom Game options.

COMPETITIVE UPDATES

• Hidden MMR:
  • New calculation implemented to improve match quality and consistency.
• 2FA (Two-Factor Authentication) – Europe:
  • Mandatory for shared accounts.
  • Mandatory for Ascendant rank and above.
  • Required to access Competitive queue.

AGENT UPDATES

• Breach:
  • Aftershock: Projectile speed increased by 20% (2,000 → 2,400).
  • Fault Line: Width increased (7.5 m → 8 m).
• Brimstone:
  • Visual update on Tactical Map for Sky Smoke and Orbital Strike.
• Harbor:
  • Cove:
    • Explosion no longer requires line of sight.
    • Time to detonation reduced (0.8 s → 0.6 s).
    • Slow duration increased (0.6 s → 2 s).
  • Reckoning:
    • Slow duration increased (0.6 s → 2 s).
• Sage:
  • Healing Orb:
    • Updated targeting allows healing even when torso or legs are blocked.
• Tejo (Gekko):
  • Special Delivery:
    • Concussion duration reduced (4 s → 2.5 s).
    • Explosion damage increased (Max: 35 | Min: 20).
  • Stealth Drone:
    • Reveal is now full instead of partial.
    • Pulse radius reduced (30 m → 16 m).
• Vyse:
  • Steel Garden:
    • Radius increased (26 m → 28 m).
    • Width increased (7.5 m → 8 m).

MAP UPDATES

• Breeze:
  • Full rework to reduce angle complexity.
  • Closure of overly open spaces.
  • Competitive Event:
    • Rank Rating losses reduced by 50% for two weeks.
    • Rank Rating gains remain unchanged.
• Wall Penetration Adjustments:
  • Haven:
    • Breakable element added to Mid Windows to prevent early wallbang kills.
  • Corrode:
    • Material adjustments on Site A and Site B to reduce wallbangs.
• Map Rotation:
  • Added: Breeze (Competitive and Deathmatch).
  • Removed: Sunset.

GAME MODE UPDATES

• New Mode: Random Agent One Site (5v5)
  • Agent changes every round.
  • No duplicate agents per team.
  • One active bomb site per round.
  • Site changes randomly.
  • Abilities:
    • Full charges granted each round.
    • Recharge over time.
  • Ultimates:
    • Start at 0%.
    • Map orbs and kills grant 50%.
  • Equipment:
    • No economy system.
    • Weapons upgrade as match progresses.
  • Maps:
    • Abyss, Ascent, Breeze, Corrode, Pearl, Icebox, Sunset and Split.
• Snowball Fight:
  • Mode removed.

BEHAVIOR UPDATES

• Behavior Status:
  
  • New indicator in social panel.
  • Displays active penalties or risk warnings.
• Community Pledge:
  • Displayed on game launch.
  • Annual acceptance required.
• Penalties:
  • Faster and stricter punishments for text and voice abuse.
  • Riot ID change blocked for inappropriate-name bans.

WEAPON UPDATES

• New Weapon: Bandit
  • Category: Light weapon.
  • Position: Between Ghost and Sheriff.
  • One-shot headshot kill versus light armor.
  • Cost: 600 credits.
  • Ammo: 8 magazine | 24 reserve.
  • Reload: 1.5 s.
  • Equip time: 0.75 s.
  • Wall penetration: Medium.

BUG FIXES (GENERAL)

• Agents:
  • ADS animation fixes (Clove, Cypher, Deadlock, Fade, Gekko, Iso, Jett, KAY/O, Phoenix, Reyna, Viper).
• Specific fixes:
  • Astra: Nebula icon corrected on minimap.
  • Breach: Thunderclap height fixed.
  • Clove: Max HP bug (151) fixed.
  • Cypher: Trapwire audio repetition fixed.
  • Deadlock: Annihilation no longer passes through Breeze walls.
  • Gekko: Wingman no longer follows teleported players.
  • Sova: Knife VFX fixed.
  • Yoru: Rope animation loop fixed.
• Maps:
  • Unintended wallbang fixes on Haven and Bind.
• Competitive:
  • Incorrect V25A3 rank buddy names fixed.

PC ONLY

CLIENT UPDATES

• Interface:
  • Navigation menu moved to top.
  • New queue selection screen with descriptions and artwork.
  • Updated custom lobby layout.
  • Visual improvements to Social Panel.
  • New friends management tab.

PREMIER UPDATES

• Stage V26A1:
  • Starts January 14.
• Relegation:
  • Teams outside Top 16 in Final Division relegated.
  • Zone may change before first match.
    

BUG FIXES (PC)

• Deadlock:
  • Invisible Barrier walls caused by packet loss fixed.
• KAY/O:
  • Kill audio after knockdown fixed.

CONSOLE ONLY

BUG FIXES (CONSOLE)

• Queues:
  • Queue time displayed correctly after reconnecting.
  • Ability to cancel queue after reconnecting.
  • Text corrected to “Choose a queue”.

Fix when entering queue after party leader leaves.