Valorant Patch 2.09 Notes are out

After Valorant Episode 2 Act 3 released, the first major update contains several significant improvements that can affect the meta both casually and professionally. Following the intangible agent that has catapulted the tier list to host buffs, the Viper nerfs push it closer with other controllers. Riot is introducing a new mode, Replication, and several other minor improvements in Valorant patch 2.09, along with these balancing changes.

Viper Nerfed

Thanks to persistent buffs from Riot to the American Controller Viper has shot up the tier list. She was a little too regulated, though. Her passive Toxin does a bit too much harm and scratches the opponents across the walls or smokes to the armourless. Riot changes it, beginning the initial decline at 30 HP rather than 50 HP. Viper and her teammates should be given a narrower timeframe to draw on their services, making things a little less frightening.

Replication Mode

Now that the balance improves, it’s time for fun, and that’s a new game mode called Replication being introduced. The mode of the game is somewhat similar to the League of Legends’ One for All, in which everyone chooses the same agent to deploy in the battle.
The fact that a million smokes drop out of the sky or five Raze paint shells cast in an angle will be interesting and messy. Find the right tactics and enjoy the excitement as Valorant Patch 2.09 is launched.

Tactical timeouts are eventually extended to custom games for tournament play alongside replication and Viper updates. It takes 60 seconds, and two of them can be called a game by each player.
A few issues were even fixed for Sova, Astra, Killjoy, Skye, and Omen. The complete patch 2.09 notes can be found below.

Valorant patch 2.09 notes

Agent Updates

Viper

Toxin (Passive)

• The instant decay inflicted when entering Viper’s smoke or crossing her wall, reduced 50 >>> 30.

Map Updates

Breeze

• The blocked vision of the gaps above Mid-Wood Doors and A Metal Doors.
• Smoothed player collision in various locations.

Game System Updates

• Added tactical timeouts to Tournament Mode Custom Games
  • 2 tactical timeouts can be called per game, per team.
  • Tactical timeouts last 60 seconds.
  • Tactical timeouts freeze all player movements for the duration of the timeout.
  • For technical pauses, the standard Pause Match Timer option is still available.
• Improved the visual synchronization of bullet tracers and impact effects for Observers.
  • This should fix most cases where it looks like a player is killed before a bullet reaches them in our esports viewing experience.
• Adjusted color of placeable utility on the minimap to match team color for Observers.
• Adjusted color of names in player loadout HUD to match team color.
• Spaced the End Game Phase and Pause Match Timer options in Custom Games to prevent misclicks.
• Improved feel on rope ascenders in high latency situations.
• Minor performance optimizations to UI in matches.

Bugs

Agents

• Added team colors for placed Agent abilities, for observers.
• Fixed issue where Astra’s Nebula was slightly offset once fully formed.
• Fixed bullet impacts on Sova’s Owl Drone wings appearing in the wrong locations.
• Fixed issues across multiple Agents with incorrect damage icons for abilities showing up in the kill feed.
• Fixed issue where Killjoy’s Nanoswarm audio would cut off if it was destroyed right after activation.
• Fixed an issue where Skye’s Seekers did not show how many enemies were affected in the combat report.
• Omen can no longer drop the Spike or weapons while casting From the Shadows.
• Fixed an issue where Killjoy’s Alarmbot would display flashed visual effects while invisible.

Game Systems

• Fixed an issue where weapons could be instantly reloaded after spamming orb pick-ups.
• Fixed an issue where the sound was lowered by 5dB.

Weapons

• Fixed 1P snow impacts that occurred rarely in gunfights.

Breeze Map

• Fixed a number of exploits around the map
• Fixed an issue where players could sandwich themselves in between Sage’s wall and the Mechanical Doors on Breeze (or Ascent).

Competitive

• Fixed a bug that was causing a player’s leaderboard rank to not show up on their Act Rank badge.
• Fixed a bug that was showing the ranked rating threshold on the leaderboard for previous Acts.
• Only the current Act should show a ranked rating threshold bar from now on.