VALORANT - Patch 11.0 Preview: New Map Corrode, Act IV, and Major Updates

According to Riot's schedule, Patch 11.0 is set to launch on 25 June 2025, marking the beginning of Episode 2025 Act 4. This update marks the start of VALORANT’s fifth anniversary act, introducing the new competitive map Corrode, agent balance adjustments, system overhauls and Act 4 cosmetics. The confirmed changes are listed below, based on Riot’s announcements and patch notes.

Several agents received buffs or nerfs in Patch 11.00. Waylay's abilities have been strengthened: her Refract now travels faster (minimum time 0.35 seconds, maximum time 2 seconds) and has quicker recovery times; her Lightspeed unequip time has been reduced to 0.6 seconds; and Saturate has a larger radius (12 metres versus 10 metres) and detonates more quickly. Reyna’s Leer is weaker – its HP has been lowered from 100 to 80 – and now provides clearer hit confirmation when fired. Both Neon and Phoenix have longer flash wind-ups to allow more counterplay: Neon’s Relay Bolt wind-up time has increased to 1.0 seconds, and Phoenix’s Curveball wind-up time has increased to 0.6 seconds.

Clarity updates also affect many agents: Breach’s Aftershock visuals are shorter and take up less space, while Sova’s Recon Bolt sound is louder and easier to track. His Owl Drone now also warns enemies with a subtle audio loop when it spots them. Clove’s Pick-Me-Up now indicates when her speed boost is active. Killjoy’s Lockdown now detains much faster (0.5s → 0.15s) and has updated visuals. Cypher’s Spycam dart indicator is clearer. Omen no longer makes extra noise in his Dark Cover, and Brimstone’s Sky Smoke now plays cast audio for nearby allies.

Clarity updates also affect many agents: Breach’s Aftershock visuals are shorter and take up less space, while Sova’s Recon Bolt sound is louder and easier to track. His Owl Drone now warns enemies with a subtle audio loop when it spots them. Clove’s Pick-Me-Up now indicates when her speed boost is active. Killjoy’s Lockdown now detains much faster (0.5s → 0.15s) and has updated visuals. Cypher’s Spycam dart indicator is clearer. Omen no longer makes extra noise in his Dark Cover, and Brimstone’s Sky Smoke now plays cast audio for nearby allies.

Several system and mode changes will be introduced with Patch 11.00. For the first five days after launch, there will be a Corrode-only Swiftplay queue to help players learn the new map. During this period, Escalation mode will be temporarily disabled. Separately, Icebox will be re-enabled in Deathmatch and Escalation following fixes for spawn issues.

Competitive play sees the start of Act 4 with a full rank reset. Riot notes that players should “see less of a drop in rank” after the mid-season placements, and the highest starting rank has been raised to Ascendant 3. A new Ranked Gun Buddy cosmetic has also been released.

Additional general updates improve clarity: suppression debuff effects are now more visible on opponents, and a new UI animation now shows when a player picks up the Spike.