Summer is officially in full swing, and over at Riot Games, a new intern named Emily was handed the keys to the community updates. Her reward? Announcing VALORANT Patch 13.02, a smaller update that manages to pack a surprisingly funny punch across agent nerfs, delayed game modes, and absurd bug fixes.
While the patch is light on massive meta overhauls, it takes aim at one of the most spam-heavy ultimates in competitive play while sweeping up a hilarious list of unintended glitches.
The Phoenix Free Trial Era Is Officially Over
If you have been playing ranked lately, you have probably noticed Phoenix players flinging themselves into site every single round like disposable crash test dummies. At six ultimate points, Run It Back was basically a renewable resource. Players were getting their ultimate, dying for free information, grabbing an orb, and doing it all over again three rounds later.
Riot is officially bumping Phoenix’s ultimate cost from 6 to 7 points to bring him back in line with the rest of the roster. It is a subtle change, but it means Phoenix mains will actually have to think twice before treating their lives like an endless arcade credit.
Retakes Gain Ground While Replication Gets Benched
On the game modes front, there is a mix of good and bad news. The popular Retake mode is expanding its territory, adding Split, Corrode, and Lotus to the map rotation. Having more map variety in quick-burst practice modes is always a win, especially for players who want to practice retaking heavily defended sites without committing to a full forty-minute match.
On the flip side, the community will have to wait a little longer for All Random One Site: Replication. Riot announced the chaotic mode is delayed, choosing to polish it up behind the scenes rather than shipping it in a rough state.
Deadlock Was Accidental Anime Boss Levels of Broken
The real comedy in Patch 13.02 lies in the bug-fix section. Every patch brings a few bizarre physics interactions, but Deadlock takes the prize this week.
According to the notes, a bug existed where Deadlock’s Annihilation ultimate could snatch Omen out of his From the Shadows ultimate and deal a staggering 900,100 damage. That is not a typo. Omen was not just getting eliminated; he was getting erased from the game’s code entirely.
Other notable fixes include:
- Wingman Union Protections: Gekko’s little buddy Wingman will no longer spontaneously die while planting the Spike just because your computer is running at low frame rates
- Waylay’s Wall Hack: Waylay can no longer clip straight through the B Tube walls on Icebox using Lightspeed and Refract
- Cypher’s Rage Quit Bug: Cypher will no longer randomly disconnect from the game entirely while trying to cast Neural Theft
All in all, Patch 13.02 fixes the exact right mix of competitive balance and game-breaking nonsense. Go enjoy the new Retake maps, and rest easy knowing Omen is safe from taking nearly a million damage in a single round.
