Valorant has seen significant changes in its recent updates, with Patch 7.05 and Patch 7.06 bringing a mix of agent changes, competitive stacking changes, and bug fixes.
While Patch 7.05 introduced a major update for Astra, Patch 7.06 focused on in-game optimization and added new voice lines for Sage. Here’s an overview of both updates.
Patch 7.05 Highlights (Astra’s buffs)
In Valorant’s Patch 7.05, Astra, the cosmic controller, underwent a transformative change. Her Astral Form (X) received an enhancement that allowed her to hear everything happening around her physical body while in Astral form.
This adjustment empowered Astra to gather valuable information about enemy movements and abilities, improving her overall effectiveness while holding a site.
Astra’s Cosmic Evolution and Sage’s New Voice : Valorant Patch Notes Breakdown
Additionally, competitive play received some changes in response to rank boosting, a persistent issue in the game. Ascendant players and higher ranks were restricted to inviting only Platinum and higher-ranked players to their competitive parties.
This measure was implemented to prevent rank boosting, especially when bots were involved. Riot Games committed to actively monitoring and banning accounts involved in such behavior.
Sunset, the latest map introduced in Patch 7.04, officially joined the competitive map rotation in Patch 7.05. Players could now experience matches on a wider selection of maps, including Ascent, Bind, Breeze, Haven, Lotus, Split, and Sunset.
Bug fixes were also a part of this update, addressing issues like audio glitches, agent abilities, and player behavior. Riot Games paid attention to improving the overall in-game experience.
Patch 7.06 Highlights (Sage’s Voice Lines and Optimization)
In contrast to the changes in Patch 7.05, Patch 7.06 was a relatively minor update. Riot Games focused on enhancing in-game optimization to reduce load times. This optimization primarily targeted the loading of accessories such as gun buddies and weapon skins.
Sage, the radiant healer, received some attention as well. New voice lines were added, allowing for fresh interactions with other agents on the roster. The development team also made back-end updates to address issues with combat reports, ensuring that all information displayed was accurate.
Competitive updates continued to be a priority in Patch 7.06. Riot Games took measures to combat rank boosting, restricting Ascendant players and higher ranks to invite only Platinum and higher-ranked players to their competitive parties.
The change is to actively monitor and ban accounts engaged in suspicious behavior remained unchanged.
Lastly, the patch included bug fixes related to gameplay systems, addressing issues like broken recons, UI glitches, and vision cone flickering.
These two Valorant patches, 7.05 and 7.06, catered to different aspects of the game. While Patch 7.05 focused on enhancing Astra’s capabilities and addressing competitive issues, Patch 7.06 focussed on improving the overall game experience and adding depth to Sage’s interactions.
