Valorant’s 5.06 patch notes are here, pointing out bad behavior. The main focus of the patch is the big changes to the pearl map we’ll be detailing, but what really piqued my curiosity was the all-new disruptive gameplay-based behavior indicator. In each game, Valorant points out players who have been flagged for engaging in disruptive behavior.
The patch notes briefly state: This is in addition to Unrated, Competitive, Spike Rush, and Replication, with more modes in the works. Riot hasn’t clarified what exactly that means, so it’s anyone’s guess what destructive behavior means in this context. Do you mean using words used in voice communication and abilities to harm teammates and attempt team kills? Maybe. But Valorant knows you’re an asshole in the video game, so he points at you and laughs as you hide in shame.
A highlight of the patch notes is the rework of Valorant’s newest map, the Underwater City of Pearl. Since the game’s initial release, the maps Riot Games has launched have had their ups and downs, but most have dipped when players shared their thoughts on the topic. As Riot once said, each map asks questions. For example, Bind asks what happens when you’re given a teleport to quickly move from one side of the map to the other, and Fracture asks if you want to cry. Oh, excuse me, I mean the attacker asks how the situation would change with two of him. But Pearl? Pearl asks how many angles he wants to check, which he triples.
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It’s no secret that Valorant is heavily influenced by CS:GO gameplay. Basically like their Gen Z cousins, Valorant has super-strong sci-fi flair, but Pearl strips away much of that flair to create a tight but complex map. While many gimmicks have been removed, it has been reworked to allow players to spend less time checking angles and more time riding sights and defending.
The 5.06 patch notes reveal many changes for both attackers and defenders. For example, anyone who’s ever played Pearl knows that pressing B-main will give you a waist-high wall at the edge of the map that you check once per game when attacking as someone on the enemy team. I know I need to. I might hide there. It’s not used often, but it actually slows down the push quite a bit if he already has a lot of places to hide on his B site. The waist-high walls are lowered, making it impossible for anyone to fully hide, making it easier to check and more dangerous to hold. It speeds up the flow of play and makes many places to hide fewer and farther away.
Other changes include no more mid shop crates and a bigger platform. This usually helps with flanks and rotations. Mid-shop to the central plaza has its tricky corners removed for the same reason.
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The removal company seems to have finally visited Art as the box has been removed and this area is now much clearer. team to check and clear areas.
And that clear also affects A Main and B Link. A lot of the boxes that were easy enough to hide behind have been removed, some vertical advantage points have been removed, and so has my favorite little cubby in the A main. Unfortunately, it was the favorite location for chamber teleports during the attack. Perhaps what affects attackers the most is that the stairs leading down from the A main to the A site are narrower, making it easier to defend. Even without smoke, the smaller the chokepoint, the easier it is to defend that point.
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There are also some minor bugfixes. These can be found in the full patch notes below. brave blog (opens in new tab) Position.
