Valorant is about to get some big changes as Riot Games marks the five-year milestone of the game’s launch. The upcoming 11.00 update and beyond include a switch to Unreal Engine 5, new map incentives in competitive play, and special anniversary rewards. It’s a notable moment for fans who’ve been with the game since the early days.
Valorant switches to Unreal Engine 5 in July
The most talked-about change will be the move to Unreal Engine 5, scheduled for patch 11.02 at the end of July. Riot says this update will be a large download because of the engine swap, so players should be ready for that. Despite the big technical shift, the gameplay and visuals won’t change drastically right away — your familiar lineups and game feel will remain intact.
There will be some improvements though: better framerate performance and faster patch downloads going forward. Plus, everyone who logs in during the 11.02 patch will get a special gun buddy to celebrate the occasion. That’s a nice little touch to mark the occasion, don’t you think?
Fifth anniversary celebration with free event pass
Alongside the engine update, Riot is launching the 5 Years // Beta Remastered Capsule as part of the celebrations. This capsule includes a classic knife, a reactive buddy, and an animated player card, all calling back to the early days of Valorant. A free event pass is tied to the fifth anniversary, offering players a chance to revisit some of the game’s memorable moments.
5 years ago, it all started in beta
the Beta Remastered Capsule is now in your shop pic.twitter.com/stCtSOLDHC
— VALORANT (@VALORANT) May 29, 2025
Other Valorant changes coming in patch 11.00 and beyond
Riot is also introducing a new map in competitive mode with an interesting incentive: for the first two weeks after patch 11.00, players who lose on the new map will see their rank rating (RR) losses reduced by 50%. Winning still grants the full RR, so it’s a nice way to urge players to learn the map without too much risk. I wonder if this will speed up how quickly the map becomes a fan favorite.
Combatting smurf accounts is another focus. Riot plans to require multi-factor authentication (MFA), like app or SMS verification, especially for suspicious cases. They’re considering extending this to all competitive accounts, which might help keep matchmaking fairer.
One feature players have been waiting for is finally arriving: replays will launch with patch 11.06 in September. That’s quite a wait, but it’ll be worth it for those who love reviewing their games or studying opponents.
Finally, more agent buffs and nerfs will be evaluated after the Valorant Champions event ends in October, so balancing will continue to evolve.
What do you think about these changes? Are you excited for the Unreal Engine 5 upgrade or the new anniversary content? Let me know in the comments below — I’m curious how everyone feels about this next chapter for Valorant.
