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Valorant Update - Regenerative shield, innovative abilities and more

Buffs for Guardians, Tactician fine-tuning, Phoenix in the spotlight, a brand new Reg Shield and fresh gameplay tweaks - ready for the next round?
Valo Patch EN
Sage, Phoenix and Cypher impress with their unique abilities. | © Riot Games

The highly anticipated Patch 9.10 delivers exciting changes to VALORANT and brings a breath of fresh air to the game!

With adjustments to weapons, agent abilities, and new equipment, Riot Games is shaking up the meta for the end of the year.

Here is an overview of the most important changes!

New Armor: The Regen Shield

This new armor adds to the range once again. Previously there was only the cheaper 400 credit armor with 25 units of protection and the full shield with 50 units of protection.

Now Riot Games has added the Regen Armor. By default, you should stock up on the 1000 credit shield every round to be ready for battle.

However, to save money, professional players are increasingly buying the 'small' shield for 400 credits.

Riot therefore wants to bring variety to the equipment. But the name alone reveals that this is no ordinary shield.

The rain shield costs 650 credits and has special abilities. It absorbs all incoming damage without reducing the player's health points.

As you can imagine, the rain shield is also characterised by its regeneration. After taking damage, it regenerates from a supply after a short delay.

Valo en
All changes at a glance. | © Riot Games

Agent Updates: Cypher Nerfs, Phoenix Buffs

The last major patch of the year usually focuses on the support classes. This time too, the patch mainly brings changes for the Sentinel and Smoker classes as well as some adjustments for the popular duelist Phoenix.

Let's start with the weakening of Cypher's abilities. Until now, Cypher was considered one of the best choices for acting defensively and blocking certain paths:

Cypher (Sentinel)

  • Trap Wire: The counter attack time has been increased by 0.5 seconds to give opponents more of a chance to destroy them.
  • Focus on Cypher's information gathering instead of direct kills.
  • Neural Theft (ULT): Cost increased from 6 orb points to 7 orb points.

Sage (Sentinel)

Sage has become increasingly irrelevant as an agent since the release of Valorant. Many are already calling her a Counter-Strike Agent, as she has few useful abilities and you can concentrate fully on the Aimen.

Valo en sage
After the patch, Sage will be back in the spotlight. | © Riot Games

The changes are designed to make it more relevant to the game and help stop or slow down attacks more effectively:

  • The slowing orb should now be more effective against the sprint abilities of duellists. The 50% reduction in sprint speed is an important debuff against duellists with sprint abilities.
  • Healing Orb: You heal yourself, 50 LP instead of 30 LP.
  • Resurrection (ULT): Now costs only 7 orb points.

Phoenix (Duelist)

After Patch 8.11, Phoenix will be even more powerful. He will be able to join active battles and rejoin them more quickly:

  • The flaming wall will now continue to heal even if you touch it very briefly. It can also be placed through walls.
  • Curve Ball (Flash): At the start of the round, you receive a free charge for the signature ability. If you kill two opponents, you will receive an additional charge.
  • Hot Hands: Costs 200 credits and is no longer a signature skill.

Jett, Deadlock and Omen

  • Jett: Floating is no longer possible during suppression.
  • Deadlock: The Barrier's health status has been updated for better recognition, and her ULT is guaranteed to kill even if the timer has expired.
  • Omen: Improved visual clarity in his Smoke abilities, particularly the ability to distinguish between enemy and allied Smoke.

Weapon changes

Many weapons, especially pistols and rifles, are now less accurate when moving. This change is intended to encourage players to shoot from a standing position and place more emphasis on strategic positioning and accurate shooting.

  • Phantom: The Phantom now deals more damage at longer range. Damage reduction at medium and long range has been reduced, making the assault rifle more useful at long range.
  • Pistols: The Classic and Ghost pistols have been modified so that they are less effective over medium distances, while the Frenzy is significantly more efficient in close combat. This is intended to promote the strategic use of these weapons.
  • Machine guns: Both the Ares and the Odin have been improved in their performance in order to utilise them more effectively during game rounds. These weapons now offer more tactical flexibility and unleash their full power in the right context.

The community's reaction to these weapon changes has been mixed:

Several updates have been made to the game systems to enhance gameplay clarity and balance. Ability usage data is now displayed only at the end of a round, offering a cleaner interface during gameplay.

Additionally, players will notice visual cues as smoke grenades dissolve, providing clearer feedback in high-intensity situations.

Movement abilities like Jett’s Tailwind have been adjusted, with dashes now slowed by 50% to favor defensive teleport plays and increase tactical depth. Moreover, lighting improvements on the Sunset map enhance visibility, particularly in darker areas.

What do you think about the new update? Are you confused by the new shield or excited? Let us know in the comments!

Marlo Brasseler
Marlo Brasseler