Post-VCT Champions patches are typically the most impactful updates of a season. Staying true to that trend, Patch 11.08 is shaping up to be one of the biggest VALORANT updates yet—but rumors of some potentially unfavorable changes have sparked major concerns in the community. The devs, however, have a different story to tell.
In response to Paper Rex assistant coach mini’s concerns, Coleman Palm, Product Lead on VALORANT Gameplay, confirmed that refresh utility will not be removed. Instead, the patch will increase cooldowns on certain abilities “to encourage more thoughtful usage.” “We still want utility to shine—we just want players to use it more selectively,” Palm wrote in an X (formerly Twitter) post quoting mini. “Leaks are often inaccurate.”
Riot penguin, Game Designer for VALORANT, also had some crucial things to say. “We have many adjustments coming in patch 11.08, but the goal of those is to refocus the balance between abilities and weapons across a lot of the game,” penguin wrote in a reply to Mini’s X post.
Penguin also assured that while gunplay mastery will have more room to shine with abilities requiring more intentionality starting next patch, VALORANT will still play the same and won’t lose its “unique flavor.” “Impactful and powerful abilities will always be a part of that, especially when coordinated well amongst high skill players.”
Right before Patch 11.07b was announced, multiple rumors about the upcoming patch began surfacing, claiming initiator agents may no longer have a cooldown-based ability recharge system. Instead, they’ll run on the two-kill recharge rule like duelists. While the source itself admitted the information may not be reliable, these claims were enough to ignite major discussions, uniting the pro scene and casual players in opposition to what many fear could undermine VALORANT’s core identity.
Mini was among the many dedicated members of the VALORANT esports scene to speak up, emphasizing that the removal of refresh utility can hamper the game’s strategic identity by undermining its information cycling core. He stressed that VALORANT is already in its best state, and if the rumors about such major changes to ability usage were true, combined with Veto, it could lead to a “scary” situation.
Mini also responded to penguin’s comments about prioritizing gunplay, reminding that ranked play already rewards mechanics more than util usage, and pro play is already balanced after updates to Tejo’s kit. “I don’t know where this “utility overwhelm” narrative has come from post-Tejo meta,” he added.
VALORANT Patch 11.08 will be revealed on Oct. 13, so we’ll have to wait a few days to learn the full scope of Riot’s plans. Until then, don’t believe in rumors.
