Sheep Esports – VALORANT: Everything about Patch 11.08, including weapons, agents, and map changes


Major patch preview

Riot Games began unveiling, this Sunday, October 12, the major content coming in patch 11.08, scheduled for release on Wednesday, October 15. Described as a true turning point for VALORANT, this update marks the start of a deep re-evaluation of core gameplay mechanics, agents, and maps, while laying the foundation for the 2026 gameplay. According to Riot, the goal is clear: to refocus the gameplay around space control, gunplay precision, and the tactical value behind every single decision.

Sheep Esports obtained the full presentation video, in which the developers detail the main pillars of the update. Among the key highlights are a rework of rifle and SMG behavior, the standardization of concuss and nearsight effects, a global rebalance of Controllers and Initiators, and several map adjustments on Pearl and Abyss. These changes come alongside longer cooldowns and shorter disorientation durations, designed to give more weight to team coordination and to the management of combat timing and opportunity windows.

According to the presentation video obtained by Sheep Esports, patch 11.08 is intended to “increase the skill ceiling” and ensure that VALORANT “never feels fully solved” for players.

VALORANT Patch notes 11.08

Some of these informations, particularly the changes to agents, comes from leaks on X.

Weapons

Rifles (Vandal, Phantom, Bulldog)

  • Horizontal recoil patterns adjusted: slower directional switches, higher consistency.
  • “Protected bullets” increased for spray stability:
    • Vandal: 4 → 6
    • Phantom: 6 → 8

SMGs (Spectre, Stinger)

  • Stinger: Loses accuracy more quickly under sustained fire.
  • Spectre: Reduced spread and faster recovery to first-shot accuracy.
  • Protected bullet logic standardized with rifles.

Systemic Gameplay Changes

Nearsight

  • Visibility range increased from 5m → 7m across all relevant abilities (Omen, Reyna, Fade).
  • Developers aim to further differentiate nearsight effects from flashes, creating clearer counterplay.

Concuss

  • Most non-ultimate stuns now last 2.5 seconds uniformly.
  • Includes Breach’s Fault Line, Astra’s Nova Pulse, and similar abilities.
  • Designed to strengthen muscle memory and consistency between agents.

Combat Stims

  • Standardized across Brimstone, Reyna (Empress), and KAY/O (Overdrive).
  • Slightly tuned down in effectiveness following strong results since Patch 9.05.
  • Now provide consistent movement and fire-rate bonuses regardless of source.

Rechargeable Abilities

  • Many abilities now share a 60-second cooldown after use or destruction.
  • Affects agents such as Sova, Fade, Breach, KAY/O, Astra, and Gekko.
  • Reinforces more strategic pacing and intentional utility use between fights.

Agents — Initiators

  • Signature ability cooldowns: 40s → 60s (Sova Recon Bolt, Fade Haunt, KAY/O Zero Point, Breach Fault Line).
  • Flash duration standardization: 2.25 seconds (Breach, KAY/O, Skye).
  • Breach:
    • Faster Fault Line wind-up.
    • Reduced Ultimate coverage and concuss duration.
    • Lower Ultimate point requirement.
  • Fade:
    • Ultimate duration and area reduced.
    • Haunt eye remains active for a shorter time.
  • Gekko:
    • Longer cooldown after reclaiming Wingman or Thrash.
    • Wingman and Thrash have reduced HP for clearer counterplay.
  • Objective: Make initiators’ setup tools precise, time-sensitive, and easier to read or counter.

Agents — Controllers

  • Controllers receive major updates to bring their utility in line with the rest of the roster.
  • Nearsight counterplay improved.
  • Concuss and stim standardizations applied globally.
  • Rechargeable cooldowns increased across Astra and Omen.
  • Nova Pulse (stun) and Gravity Well (pull) cooldowns increased to 60 seconds.
  • Gravity Well’s “Fragile” debuff duration shortened.
  • Smoke cooldown increased but below 60s.
  • Paranoia nearsight radius reduced; travel speed increased.
  • Designed to require more deliberate positioning for optimal casts.
  • Decay on enemies walking through smokes or walls reduced (less instant HP loss).
  • Stim Beacon adjusted to align with new systemic tuning.

Agents — Sentinels

  • Cooldown for destroyed utility: 45s → 60s.
  • Health of breakable gadgets reduced.
  • Debuff durations standardized with new concuss and near-sight timings.
  • Sage’s Barrier Orb HP reduced from 800 -> 600

Agents — Duelists

  • Yoru:
    • Fakeout and Flash duration: 2s → 1.6s.
    • Off-screen flashes now behave like Initiator flashes.
    • Can no longer deploy Fakeout or Flash during ultimate (Dimensional Drift).
  • Neon:
    • Sprint duration increased; fuel regeneration slowed.
    • Relay Bolt concuss duration reduced: 3.5s → 2.5s.

Maps

Abyss

Abyss B site - Credit: Riot Games

Abyss B site – Credit: Riot Games

Pearl

Pearl B site - Credit: Riot Games

Pearl B site – Credit: Riot Games

Header Photo Credit: Riot Games

– Corentin Phalip –

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