Next major Valorant update will not feature a new character or map

Valorant
(Image credit: Riot Games)

Riot Games has announced its plans for the next major update, or Act, of Valorant. Surprisingly, it will feature no new playable characters/Agents or maps.

Instead, the main focus will be on balancing the game, both in terms of characters and maps, improving the the ranking experience, and further promoting good behavior.

"Sometimes you need to just take a minute" explains executive producer Anna Donlon in the video below. "You need to take a look around and make sure things are the way they should be."

Some changes are or have already been implemented. The character Yoru, for example, has been reworked and his abilities improved as detailed in a blog post from last month.

Far from a Disruption

Episode 4 Act 2 won't be completely bereft of content, however. Donlon confirms that new skins will still be added to Valorant, alongside the first every community battle pass.

She adds that a new character will be included in Act 3, whenever that happens. Acts tend to last three to four months, so Act 1 is expected to end either March or April. This means Act 3 probably won't begin until summertime.

Donlon also teases a new in-game, team-based tournament system, which is expected to arrive later in the year.

Valorant is Riot Games' own take on the hero shooter genre and is currently free-to-play on PC, with plans to release it on mobile phones as well.

Episode 4 Act 1 only kicked off very recently, bringing with it Neon, a speedy Agent with electricity powers.

Michael Beckwith

Michael is a freelance writer with bylines at the Metro, TechRaptor, and Game Rant. A Computer Games Design and Creative Writing graduate, he's been passionate about video games since the Game Boy Color, particularly Nintendo games, with Xenoblade Chronicles being his favorite game ever. Despite everything, he's still a Sonic the Hedgehog fan.

Read more
Marvel Rivals Season 1
Friendship ended with Overwatch 2 as Marvel Rivals developer promises a new hero every six weeks
Pulchra Fellini in Zenless Zone Zero.
Zenless Zone Zero Version 1.6 will finally let you play as a furry gunslinger
Marvel Rivals Season 1
Marvel Rivals will receive hero balance adjustments in the first half of Season 1 to ensure a 'richer, more engaging, and diverse gaming experience for all'
Genshin Impact Version 5.3 key art.
Genshin Impact Version 5.3 drops next week – here's everything you need to know about its new playable characters and events
Marvel Rivals Luna Snow Mirae 2099 skin.
New Marvel Rivals update adds a stunning Luna Snow skin that I can't wait to buy
Arcane's Mel Medarda looking up at something off-screen in League of Legends' 2025 season 1 cinematic
New League of Legends video might have set up Arcane's sequel series, and now I'm even more desperate to see the hit Netflix show's first follow-up
Latest in Consoles & PC
Image of Naoe in AC Shadows
Assassin's Creed Shadows is hands-down one of the most beautiful PC ports I've ever seen
Image of AC Shadows cover art & Steam Deck
It's not perfect, but Assassin's Creed Shadows' performance is impressive - it runs smoothly on the Steam Deck and Asus ROG Ally
Steam Deck OLED in limited edition white color
With a single update SteamOS could turbocharge handheld PCs – here's how
Samus Aran leaping through space
Metroid Prime 4 tipped to be at the heart of April's Nintendo Switch 2 deep-dive
Nintendo Switch 2
Nintendo Switch 2 expected to have AI upscaling and I can't wait to finally play Tears of the Kingdom with upgraded graphics
Asus ROG Ally using Steam
I think Asus could be the perfect partner for an Xbox handheld – but I have questions
Latest in News
Disney Plus logo with popcorn
You can finally tell Disney+ to stop bugging you about that terrible Marvel show you regret starting
Girl wearing Meta Quest 3 headset interacting with a jungle playset
Latest Meta Quest 3 software beta teases a major design overhaul and VR screen sharing – and I need these updates now
Philips Hue
Philips Hue might be working on a video doorbell, and according to a new report, we just got our first look at it
Microsoft
"Another pair of eyes" - Microsoft launches all-new Security Copilot Agents to give security teams the upper hand
Hatch Restore 3 in Putty
You can finally start your day with The Office theme song, and I couldn't be more excited
Cassian Andor looking nervously over his shoulder in Andor season 2
New Andor season 2 trailer has got Star Wars fans asking the same question – and it includes an ominous call back to Rogue One's official teaser