As you all may know, the second ACT of VALORANT is approaching its end, and the VALORANT ACT 3 is only just beginning. Here in this article, we’ll be covering all the changes and updates implemented and what to expect.
Ranked & Queue Changes
First and foremost, lets cover what Riot has changed with regards to ranked and competitive queues. First of all, any players that have completed their ACT Rank, will be receiving an ACT Rank Badge based on their performance during ACT 2. Now with regards to queue changes, you can now select your most preferred server/s, to increase the chance of playing on the server you want.
A huge change to ranked is that the rank disparity when queueing, has now been changed to 3 tiers instead of 6. This means that if you’re currently ranked Platinum 3, you can play with players 3 ranks above or below you (Gold 3 / Diamond 3).
Another big change to ranked (targeted at high level players) is that Immortal+ ranked players will have their matches impacted only by wins and losses, instead of performance.
Deathmatch
- Increased player count from 10 to 14 players
- Updated spawning algorithm to encourage safer spawns
- Removed periodic location pulse, which means that you can only receive a pulse right when you respawn
- Increased match length by increasing max kill reach from 30 to 40. Time limit also increased to 9 mins from 6
- Kill Reloads: On every kill, players get an automatic, immediate full reload of their active weapon (Ares & Odin get 30 bullets back)
- XP gain increased from 500 to 900 XP
- Honestly, 500 XP felt a little low for Deathmatch. We’re bumping this up to 900 to account for the increased match length with some extra on top.
Battlepass
Now onto more fun stuff other than the competitive changes, the ACT 3 Battlepass. This time round, Riot have opted to add skin variants to some of the skins which are included in this Battlepass. Here are some datamined images of the Battlepass skins.
New Map – Icebox
Finally, we have a new map in VALORANT, Icebox. This new map gives more of an icy feeling and is very different from the other maps we currently have in the map pool. Here below is a tutorial by Rain from Dignitas, showcasing the main areas of the map.
New Agent – Skye
Lastly, we have Skye, the newest agent coming soon to VALORANT in ACT 3. We have already gone over her abilities in a previous article so make sure you check that out! Riot have stated due to them prioritizing the map release, they are delaying the agent’s release by 2 weeks.
Skye, being similar to Sova in terms of info gathering, will definitely find her place in the current agent pool. With her flashes, healing and overall utility, she’s definitely a force to be reckoned with and will certainly be a very impactful agent.
This ACT is going to be the biggest update to VALORANT by far, and we could not be more excited! Make sure you keep yourself updated on www.esportsguide.com for more VALORANT and esports news!
