VALORANT Patch 12.08 arrives with
Skirmish: Ascension, a limited-time ranked mode that promises faster matches focused on pure skill. Throughout Act 3, this mode puts gunplay in the spotlight while still keeping things tactical thanks to carefully chosen Agent abilities. Players can jump in solo or as a duo (1v1 or 2v2), battling it out in dedicated queues with a completely separate FTW leaderboard.
Here, you pick from 14 pre-selected Agents, each with just a single ability from their kit. The usual economy is out the window; weapon progression happens step by step. The first rounds (1-4) are all pistols, then rifles enter the mix (rounds 5-8), and from round 9 onward, it’s time for the classic Vandal and Phantom. You can also unlock player cards after each match and earn exclusive titles based on your best rank, from Skirmish Competitor all the way up to Skirmish Legend.
Ascent Returns, Premier is Back, and Bug Fixes Are Here
Patch 12.08 also brings a new map rotation for everyone. Ascent makes its big comeback in Competitive and Deathmatch queues, while Bind bows out. The limited-time Knockout mode is also leaving, and Riot took the chance to thank everyone who gave it a shot.
On PC, Premier returns with Stage V26A3, with matches kicking off on May 6. The Contender and Invite Divisions get six weeks of matches, happening every Saturday from May 9 to June 13, followed by playoffs on June 20 and 21. This patch also fixes several bugs affecting Agents like Viper, Sage, Tejo, Yoru, Gekko, KAY/O, Neon, and Veto. A heads-up for console players: a few known issues remain in Skirmish: Ascension, especially with overtime timers and ability tracking in the Combat Report.
ALL PLATFORMS
MAP UPDATES
- Map Pool Updates
- ASCENT is IN the Competitive and Deathmatch queues.
- BIND is OUT of the Competitive and Deathmatch queues.
MODES UPDATES
- NEW LIMITED TIME MODE
- Introducing Skirmish: Ascension, a new limited ranked experience for Skirmish.
We designed this mode as a fast, skill-forward competitive experience where gunplay stays primary, but selected abilities create more tactical decisions and replayable duels. Pick from a curated roster of Agents, each equipped with a single ability, and fight through staged weapon rounds in 1v1 or 2v2. Compete on the
FTW ranked ladder to earn rewards and prove you are better. Available for Act 3.
Agents & Abilities
- Choose from 14 Agents, each with one ability from their kit
Jett (Tailwind)
Waylay (Refract)
Chamber (Rendezvous)
Cypher (Cyber Cage)
Omen (Shrouded Step)
Phoenix (Curve Ball)
Yoru (Clone)
Iso (Contingency)
Sage (Barrier Orb)
Raze (Blast Pack)
Vyse (Arc Rose)
KAY/O (Flash/Drive)
Breach (Flashpoint)
Veto (Crosscut)
Staged Weapons
- No economy. Weapons escalate through stages as the match progresses
- Rounds 1-4: Pistols (Bandit, Sheriff)
- Rounds 5-8: Low-tier rifles (Guardian, Bulldog)
- Round 9+: Vandal and Phantom
Queues
- 1v1 and 2v2 with separate matchmaking
- Round Structure
- First to 10 rounds wins
- FTW Ranked Ladder
- Competitive leaderboard segmented by server, region, and platform
- Separate leaderboards for 1v1 and 2v2, tracked independently
- Rank Tiers
- Iron: 700
- Bronze: 1100
- Silver: 1500
- Gold: 1800
- Platinum: 2100
- Diamond: 2400
- Ascendant: 2700
- Immortal: MAX
- Radiant: Top 100
- Rewards
- Combat Ready player card: Complete 3 Skirmish: Ascension matches
- Trade Me player card: Complete 15 Skirmish: Ascension matches
- Titles awarded by highest rank achieved on either ladder
- Skirmish Competitor: Gold to Platinum
- Skirmish Expert: Diamond to Immortal
- Skirmish Legend: Radiant
LEAVING LIMITED TIME MODES Knockout is heading out. Thanks for playing!
BUG FIXES
Agent
- These were fixed in Patch 12.07 but missed the notes.
- Fixed a bug where using Miks’ Bassquake would cause the minimap cone to blink on use.
- Fixed a bug where Veto’s Chokehold could detect enemies behind rotating doors on Lotus.
- Fixed a bug where KAY/O’s ability VFX were not appearing if used right after KAY/O casts NULL/cmd.
- Fixed a bug where Neon’s High Gear slide was not playing SFX for moving across different surface types.
- Fixed a bug where Tejo’s agent select animation would sometimes cut off the smoke from the explosion.
- Fixed a bug where Gekko’s Dizzy would only target an enemy if their head was visible.
- Fixed a bug where during Dimensional Drift Yoru could not see invisible abilities like Vyse’s Shear or Cypher’s Trapwire even if he was close enough to them.
These are new fixes in Patch 12.08.
PC ONLY
PREMIER UPDATES UPDATES
Welcome to Stage V26A3! Matches start on May 6.
- Contender and Invite Division schedule changes:
There are only 6 weeks of matches this stage – the matches are still each Saturday from May 9 - June 13.
Playoffs now take place across multiple days.
The first round of playoffs takes place on June 20.
Teams that advance from the first round return on June 21 for their next matchup.
- Make sure to check the schedule in the client for round start times for your zone!
BUG FIXES
- General
- Fixed an issue in settings where audio sliders weren’t moving correctly
- Fixed an issue where trying to exit the client while a replay was paused wasn’t working
CONSOLE ONLY
KNOWN ISSUES
- Modes
- Skirmish 2v2: Ascension and Skirmish 1v1: Ascension - Timer is stuck at 00.50 sec when during Overtime phase.
- Skirmish 2v2: Ascension and Skirmish 1v1: Ascension - Agent abilities do not show up on the Combat Report in the following round after affecting enemies
