Valorant Patch 2.03: Full Patch Notes, Buffs, Nerfs, New Escalation Mode and More

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Valorant Patch 2.03: Full Patch Notes, Buffs, Nerfs, New Escalation Mode and More

Abhimannu Das
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  • Valorant Patch 2.03 brought a number of changes to agents and two of the game's most powerful weapons in the meta.
  • Reyna received a significant nerf to her kit while also making her more viable for coordinated play.
  • Stinger and Frenzy received nerfs to their run and gun accuracy after months of complaints from players.

Valorant patch 2.03 dropped yesterday and brought with it a complete shakeup of the meta with Viper being buffed, a new game mode, and more. Riot Games finally buffed Yoru with a set of balance changes in Valorant’s Patch 2.03 that will ideally make him a better pick in the Duelist category. Reyna’s Devour and Dismiss nerf is the biggest talking point of this patch, with several players being upset about the change. Reyna was trending on Twitter earlier today due to the nerfs, but some players see the changes as an overall buff to her viability in coordinated teams. Here is the complete breakdown of Valorant’s Patch 2.03. 

Valorant Patch 2.03: Escalation Mode

Escalation Mode was revealed recently by Riot Games. It is a fast-paced 10-minute game mode that is similar to Call of Duty’s Gun Game. The game follows a team deathmatch setting with a scoring system and 12 stages. Every time a player gets to the next stage, their loadout is randomized by the game. Teams that clear Escalation level 12 or lead in points after 10 minutes are awarded the win. 

Valorant Patch 2.03: Agent Changes

Reyna

Reyna received a significant rework that hurts her viability as a pub stomper but makes her better at team play.  

  • Maximum Devour and Dismiss charges reduced from 4 to 2. 
  • Slain enemies that Reyna has damaged in the last 3 seconds now drop Soul Orbs, even if Reyna does not land the killing shot. 
  • Cost of Devour and Dismiss increased from 100 to 200. 

Yoru

Yoru received multiple quality of life changes to make him more viable as a Duelist.  

  • Gatecrash accurately displays the range at which the tether is visible to enemies on the minimap. 
  • The range of Gatecrash’s audio queue is now shown on the mini-map. 
  • Yoru’s minimap is now visible during Dimensional Drift. 
  • Enemies within Dimensional Drift’s visibility are shown to allies on the minimap. 
  • Dimensional Drift cannot body block enemies anymore. 

Brimstone 

  • Improved audio queue for Brimstone’s incendiary.

Phoenix

  • Improved audio queue for Phoenix’s fire zone.

Valorant Patch 2.03: Weapon Changes

Marshal

  • Reduced movement speed (90%) when zoomed in. 
  • Price decrease from 1100 to 1000.
  • Zoom magnification from 2.5x to 3.5x.

Stinger 

  • Price increased from 1000 to 1100. 
  • Full auto fire rate reduced.
  • Full auto fire rate reaches max spread at 4 shots instead of 6. 
  • Adjusted recoil curve for full auto. Recoil is more aggressive after the 3rd bullet. 
  • Burst fire error increased after the initial burst. 
  • Improved recovery time for burst mode (0.45s to 0.4s).

Frenzy

  • Price increased from 400 to 500.

Valorant Patch 2.03: Competitive Updates

AFKing in competitive games for a prolonged period will now result in a penalty of 8 MMR along with the usual loss penalties if applicable. Riot will not ban players for missing some rounds as players can have connectivity or other issues. But extended inactivity will be punished from this patch. 

Valorant Patch 2.03: Miscellaneous Updates 

Sprays will now be destroyed on round start. 

RELATED:  Reyna Mains Are Upset With Nerfs to Her Kit in Valorant Patch 2.03


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Abhimannu is a PC esports writer at AFK Gaming. With over seven years of experience in esports journalism, he has worked on a myriad of games and their ecosystems including Valorant, Overwatch and Apex Legends.

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