The latest Valorant patch notes have surprised players with a reversal of the ranked restrictions introduced in the previous update. Riot Games decided to remove the limitations on who Ascendant-level players and above could party with after receiving feedback from the community.
In the previous update, Riot implemented restrictions in an attempt to combat botting and boosting in the high-level ranked queue. The restrictions only allowed Platinum and above players to five stack with top squads. However, this decision sparked complaints from lower-level players who wanted to play with their friends, and concerns arose about increased smurfing at lower ELOs.
In response to the feedback, Riot has decided to remove the restrictions temporarily. The developers acknowledge that boosting is a risk to competitive integrity and are working on a long-term solution that will address the issue without impacting players’ ability to play with friends in a five stack.
The latest patch, 7.07, also includes some other updates. Haven, one of the maps in Valorant, has received visual effects improvements to make it easier to see through the destructible door panels at Mid Doors/Garage. Additionally, performance updates have been made, including enabling multithreaded rendering for discrete Intel GPUs and lowering the required CPU core count.
Bug fixes were also addressed in this patch. The surround sound bug that allowed the game to output surround sound under certain conditions has been fixed. Valorant supports stereo and mono sound output, and for headphones, players can use the HRTF setting to simulate surround sound.
Agent-specific fixes were made for Cypher and Gekko. Cypher’s Neural Theft (X) ability now completes even if Cypher dies after casting, and an issue where players could remain blinded if spectating a flash through Cypher’s Spycam (E) as the round ended has been resolved. Gekko’s Dizzy’s (E) enemy detection range is now correctly reduced while inside Viper’s Pit (X) ability.
Lastly, Premier mode received bug fixes related to the Overtime vote and timer bar.
With the changes to ranked matchmaking, players looking to climb the Valorant ranks and reach Radiant may find it useful to check out the best crosshair options. It’s important to stay sharp and keep improving to succeed in Valorant’s competitive scene.