VALORANT‘s recent patch schedule update, which is going to mean a delay in the release of new content like agents and maps by a day, has caused quite a stir in the Riot Games shooter’s community this week.
The way new content is delivered will change with VALORANT Patch 9.0 (expected June 25), according to a recent developer update. While changes and bugfixes still arrive on Tuesdays, players won’t be able to jump into new maps or play new agents until the following Wednesday. This delay also applies to rank refreshes.
The news hasn’t been met with cheers from the VALORANT community, with many quickly expressing their frustrations across social media. One post on X (formerly Twitter) humorously summed up the sentiment by replying, “Just drop everything on Wednesday bro.” Other reactions lean towards frustration, with some suggesting Riot has become too lazy to release its new content the day of so they “do it the day after” now.
While the initial reactions leaned fairly negative, some VALORANT players have seen a potential silver lining. One gamer suggested the delay would improve patch quality and should be welcomed with open arms by anyone wanting to avoid issues. The changes could easily allow Riot devs to make a more controlled introduction of new features, giving them 24 hours to observe feedback and address any critical issues.
While this does offer one possible explanation for the schedule reshuffle, it’s still just speculation as Riot has yet to officially confirm why they’ve changed the systems.
The online discussion regarding this major patch schedule shift is far from over today too, with the VALORANT community’s reaction likely to evolve depending on Riot’s next responses and the impact the tweaks have on gameplay experiences.
