Valorant’s 9.08 update brings changes to Gekko and Yoru, as well as a new team deathmatch map in the form of Glitch. Oh, and there’s also an adjustment on Sunset’s B site.
Whenever Riot Games releases a new Valorant update, it’s usually a cause for excitement. There are usually no boring updates in the shooting cycle, such as agent updates, map changes, new game modes, etc.
When it comes to 9.08, there’s something about every little thing. Major changes have been made to Yoru and Gekko agents. Anyone who has played a few games with Act 9 knows how good Gekko has become and that it needs some tweaking.
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But that’s not all. Both the Sky and Jet have movement adjustments, especially the Ascent, and the Sunset’s tricky B-sight also has some changes. So, let’s take a look at the contents of the patch notes.
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Changes in night and moonlight
As mentioned earlier, the big headline changes in this update concern Gekko and Yoru. Riott believes Gekko is “in good health” but wants to stop Dizzy from holding Angle for too long.
In addition to that, his small ball timing is also noteworthy. World time is reduced from 20 seconds to 15 seconds, and reuse time is increased to 1.5 seconds.
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As for Yor, Riot is allowing his fakeouts to interact with other users as intended. For example, if you’re a Cypher main, you’ll see a Fakeout clone when you use Neutral Theft.
Gekko has proven to be strong in Valorant, so changes are being made.
Sunset B site update information
Now, if you were frustrated with the way Sunset’s B site played, whether it was from a defensive or offensive standpoint, you can finally address that issue.
Riot has moved the cover of the main hallway and removed some of the exterior, adding a bit of depth to the property itself. Overall, it should provide more tactical challenges for both sides.
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Related:
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The complete patch notes for update 9.08 can be found below.
Valorant 9.08 Patch Notes – All Platforms
Agent updates
moonlight
Since I’ve mastered Gekko’s usefulness since his last buff in patch 7.12, I’ve found that his core play pattern of using allies to bring him back has few drawbacks. These changes to his small balls pressure Gekko to get them back more quickly and also allow for more counterplay to punish Gekko’s opponents if they are too reckless.
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Dizzy and Wingman each have improved overall reliability, reducing instances where you target an enemy and inflict a debuff only to find that the enemy is unaffected. These changes are intended to address inconsistent behavior rather than directly increasing Gekko’s power.
Dizzy is in a healthy place in terms of how often he successfully completes shooting counter plays, but I feel that Dizzy holds space and angles too long. Furthermore, given the overall number of disarms from Gekko’s plants and Wingman, Thrash becomes available far too often for its effect.
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We hope that these changes do not significantly impact Gecko’s position in the ecosystem and instead place him in a healthier position in the long term.
Globule Time in world reduced by 20 seconds >>> 15 seconds Recovery time increased by 1 second >>> 1.5 seconds Vertigo Active time after being thrown and formed reduced by 1.5 seconds >>> 1 second. Dizzy’s targeting algorithm has been updated to be more reliable. Dizzy’s Goop Flash now also blinds affected players’ minimap. Wingman cone concussion area angle increased from 45 degrees >>> 65 degrees. There is a unique visual when Wingman transforms into a sphere after planting a spike. Slash ultimate point increase 7 >>> 8
night
Yor’s fake clone had various abilities ineffective, making it very easy to tell him apart from the real Yor. We are reviewing in-game abilities and making sure they interact properly with Yor’s fakeout.
Blinding abilities such as Gekko’s Dizzy and Vyse’s Arc Rose will now display blinding effects on Yoru’s fakeout clones as if they were real agents. When Weiss blinds Yor’s fake-out clone, she plays a line celebrating the success of her blindness. Cypher’s Neural Theft features a Fakeout clone of Yoru. Clove’s Meddle now has a slow effect on Yoru’s Fakeout clones.
sky and jet
Jett’s Tailwind and Skye’s Trailblazer will no longer perch on Ascent windows. Instead, they break through and continue moving to the other side.
Latest information on cosmetics
Updated some scope reticles to be cleaner and less obtrusive. Here is the list of updated skins: Araxys Operator, Valiant Hero Operator, Reaver Operator, Gothic Marshal. Thanks to Derke for the feedback!
Introducing VALORANT’s latest team deathmatch map “Glitch”
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A 5v5 map that puts you in two themed arenas. This is the fifth TDM map and takes place in the “glitched” Maxbot Arena. Glitch is playable via the “Team Deathmatch” game mode queue.
Rotate the map
Pearl and Split are returned to the competition queue Icebox and Lotus are removed from the competition queue
sunset
We are updating Sunset’s B site to address defensive forces, post plants, and provide more ways to play the site. The B main pivot box was applying a lot of pressure during the post plant, so I decided to simplify the cover here. You can still play the B main during post-plant, but it should be easier to manage for retakers. These changes also removed certain Cypher trips.
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bug fix
map
Abyss The Spike now spawns correctly in B Danger if it falls off the map.
PC only changes
premier update
Welcome to stage E9A3!
At the end of this stage, the top 16 teams in the Invite remain in the Invite. All other invited teams will be demoted at the start of the next stage. These rules are listed on the Rankings tab. Relegated teams will be seeded into the zone they were first promoted to. In the next step, team owners will be able to change their zone in the (Team Settings) dropdown at any time before their team plays a match. If a team cannot be placed in a zone at the start of the next stage, the team owner will be asked to select a zone. There are no relegations for non-Invite divisions, and teams are promoted or seeded into divisions as normal at the start of the next stage. Renewing Competitor Eligibility If your team has 5 eligible players, you are guaranteed to be in the Competitor category. Eligibility for 2024 will expire at the end of stage E9A3. To qualify as a Contender in 2025, you and your team must perform qualifying action in Stage E9A3 or sometime in 2025. Eligible actions include: Playing a weekly or playoff game with a team in the Contender or Invitational divisions. Reach a peak rank of Immortal 3 or higher in a competition. Participate in the Elite 5 playoff match. Eligibility for 2025 will expire at the end of the final stage in 2025.
bug fix
premier
Fixed an issue where a competitor’s emblem would appear after playing a practice match with a new team even though they had not earned any points
