Riot Games just released the patch notes for Valorant version 9.08 that details nerfs to Gekko, buffs to Yoru, and a new map coming to the first-person shooter.
The update marks the beginning of Episode 9 Act III and introduces previously announced changes to the Sunset map. The new map that is coming with the latest patch is a Team Deathmatch map known as Glitch.
Valorant's 9.08 Patch
There are also other changes included in the 9.08 update such as a change to the map rotation and changes to Gekko and Yoru's abilities. Riot Games apparently noticed that Gekko's core play pattern had almost no disadvantages.
The changes in the latest patch aim to address this and put pressure on the agent to reclaim his globules more quickly. They would also allow for more counterplay from enemies so they can punish Gekko if he becomes too reckless with his abilities, according to Riot Games.
The patch improves Dizzy and Wingman to increase their overall reliability and avoid having them say they affected an enemy who really was not hit.
Globules will stay in the world for 15 seconds, down from 20 seconds. The reclaim time was also increased from one second to 1.5 seconds.
On the other hand, Riot Games adjusted Dizzy's targeting algorithm to make the ability much more reliable. Its goop flash will now also blind the minimap of players who are affected by the ability.
Another major change to Gekko is that his ultimate, Thrash, has increased from seven to eight points, making it harder to have it ready throughout a match. Fortunately, Wingman's concus area was increased so it could hit more enemies, Forbes said.
Various Changes
Yoru is getting some good buffs in the form of a bug fix. Until now, the agent's Fakeout clone did not respond in a similar way as actual characters when they are hit with some of the other abilities in Valorant.
The latest patch fixes all of those abilities to make it harder for enemies to determine whether or not it is a clone or the real Yoru when an ability hits. The new map is a 5v5 team deathmatch area that features snowy trees and beach-like pathways with palm trees.
The changes to Sunset include an adjustment to the map's B site that affect B main and back-site. Some other minor things include the addition of a crate and some objects being moved around in mid courtyard, according to Esports Illustrated.
