VALORANT Patch 7.09: Agent and Weapon Changes

Cypher’s Trapwire Gets a Major Buff

Cypher’s signature ability, Trapwire, has received a significant buff in the latest VALORANT patch. The delay before an enemy caught in the wire is concussed has been reduced from three seconds to 1.5 seconds. Additionally, the slow effect caused by being tagged by a trip wire now lasts for two seconds instead of 0.75 seconds. Another exciting change is that Trapwire is no longer single-use and will re-arm itself after catching an enemy.

Skye and Fade’s Abilities Adjusted

To complement the changes to Cypher’s Trapwire, Skye’s Trailblazer and Fade’s Prowler creatures have been updated. Skye’s dog can now go under Trapwires placed at mid-height without triggering or destroying them. Similarly, Fade’s Prowlers can pass under Trapwires placed at head height and above wires placed at foot height. These adjustments aim to enhance the utility of both agents’ abilities.

Raze Receives Utility Nerfs

Raze has been nerfed in this patch, focusing on her utility. The explosion radius and damage radius of her Paint Shell grenade have been reduced. The primary blast now has a range of 5.5 meters and deals a minimum of one HP of damage, while the secondary blast has a radius of 5.25 meters and also deals a minimum of one HP of damage. The Paint Shells will also do less damage to pieces of utility. Additionally, Raze’s Blast Packs now require 1.5 seconds to arm and will not deal damage until fully armed.

Judge Shotgun Adjustments

The Judge shotgun, known as the best shotgun in the game, has been adjusted to align with VALORANT’s gameplay identity. The maximum magazine size has been reduced from seven bullets to five. Furthermore, the weapon will be less effective when moving, with increased bullet spread while jumping and running. The jumping spread has been increased from 1.25 to 2.25, and the running spread from 0.1 to 0.75.

Premier Mode Changes

Patch 7.09 introduces several changes to VALORANT’s Premier mode. Timeouts, practice queues (scrimmages), and matchmaking improvements have been implemented. The points required to qualify for playoffs have been reduced to 600, and there will now be an uneven number of teams in each Premier zone to support regional infrastructure. A new Team Creation Window has been introduced to facilitate player recruitment. Premier teams will also have an evolving crest that reflects their performance throughout each stage.