Every figure shows its source. Where a source is missing, the number is a placeholder — and it is never written as fact.

By GamGem ResearchLast updated 3 Sept 2026 · 00:00

Act 5 · Patch 13.05

What actually changes for your next round

An ability-interaction and enforcement patch. The map rotation does not move, and nothing we checked touches weapon tuning — so most drills and every buy habit carry over.

Published 1 September 2026 · checked 3 September 2026

4 rows in this patch

  • Smoke and flash interactionAbility behaviourAstra · Brimstone · Clove · Miks · Omen
    Before
    A smoke still dissipating blocked a flash passing through it.
    After
    A dissipating smoke no longer blocks the flash.

    So A flash you used to hide behind a fading smoke now arrives. Entries timed to the end of a smoke are the ones that changed, not the ones timed to its start.

    Retest In a custom game, throw the smoke, wait for it to begin fading, and flash through it. If you get flashed where you used to be safe, that habit is the one to change.

  • Smoke-covered plays that depended on the fadeLineup riskAstra · Brimstone · Clove · Miks · Omen
    Before
    Late-smoke cover was a reliable screen against a flash.
    After
    It is not.

    So Every saved setup that spends a controller smoke as cover is worth one retest — the landing spot did not move, the protection did.

    Retest Re-run your smoke setups on the map you queue most and watch what the smoke stops. The geometry is unchanged, so only the timing needs a second look.

  • Stream sniping and instalock toolsEnforcement
    Before
    Detected use drew a temporary ban.
    After
    It draws a permanent one.

    So Nothing to relearn. It is here because a reader scanning for "what changed" should be able to see that this row is not about their round.

    Retest Nothing to test.

  • Competitive map rotationMap access
    Before
    Seven maps, with Abyss in and Breeze out since 13.04.
    After
    Unchanged.

    So Do not rebuild a map plan for this patch. Anything you learned on the current seven is still the current seven.

    Retest Nothing to test.

What did not move

  • Weapon damage, recoil or price
  • Map geometry on any of the seven
  • Agent ability costs or charges
  • Round economy and loss bonus

This is a record of what we checked on 3 September 2026, not a claim about the whole note. Nothing above needs retraining — keep the drill you already have.

Worth a custom game

Everything else defaults to “no retest indicated”. Ticking is for you; nothing is stored.

Already dated ahead

  • Patch 13.0622 September 2026Agent Gear is reworked — what you unlock is tied to how much you play that agent. Nothing to change before it ships; it is here so a plan made today knows its shelf life.

Official images

  • VALORANT, from the publisher's own gallery
  • VALORANT, from the publisher's own gallery
  • VALORANT, from the publisher's own gallery

Game data and media via IGDB · igdb.com

Patch 13.05 · Act 5

Built from

  • valorant-api.com 29 agents · 116 abilities · 20 weapons · 13 maps
  • Riot patch 13.05 published 1 Sept 2026, checked 3 Sept 2026
  • Round economy two independent guides, both dated
  • Editorial ability jobs, buy reading and drill pairings — ours
  • Patch 13.05 every row above is Riot’s own note, checked 3 September 2026 — the consequence and the retest beside each one are ours