Valorant patch 2.08 official notes introduce new map Breeze and significant audio upgrades to HRTF

Valorant patch 2.08 official notes are finally here, and the update will be bringing in a new Act to the game.

Valorant Episode 2 Act 3 will be introducing the new tropical map, Breeze, along with the new cosmetic set, Forsaken, which was designed around the theme of corruption.

Moreover, players will get to see some significant updates to the HRTF system, and audio clarity is something that the Valorant devs are focusing on this time around.

However, there won’t be any Agent updates in patch 2.08, but the update will boast a lot of changes to the competitive system.

Valorant fans looking for a detailed description of the patch can visit Riot’s official website.

However, for a brief overview, here are all the major highlights.

Valorant patch 2.08 official notes

#1. New Valorant map: Breeze

People have been looking forward to the new map, Breeze, for some time. Not only will it add more depth to the map pool, but it’s also one of the more open battlegrounds in Valorant so far.

It features lots of long sightlines, and plenty of space to spread your team out on attack and defense to try and conquer the beach paradise.

Riot is giving players a new, temporary playlist that will be a Breeze-only Unrated queue for two weeks to learn the map. After that, it’ll be enabled in Unrated and Ranked play — as well as for VCT Stage 2 Masters in May.

#2. Valorant Episode 2 Act 3 launch

The new Battlepass is launching with 50 tiers of rewards to grind towards. The Forsaken skin line – the dark side of the prestigious Sovereign one – is also being added to the shop.

No new Agent is coming with the Act launch though, a first for Valorant. Instead, they’ll be coming with Episode 3 in June 2021.

#3. HRTF audio upgrades

The Head Related Transfer Function (HRTF) audio setting is getting a much-needed update that will improve on the sound cues it picks up. When the 2.08 patch rolls around, HRTF will register weapon drop sounds when the feature is turned on. It was a highly requested addition, seeing as it’s an important sound cue to play attention to.

The Valorant developers also included a ton of bug fixes to Viper’s ability kit, as well as flash interactions with Astra and Brimstone’s smokes.

#4. Map Updates

Breeze

Breeze will launch alongside a Breeze-only Unrated queue that will remain active for two weeks
More details on this queue can be found in the Competitive Updates section below.

#5. Competitive Updates

Added a Breeze-only Unrated queue for those who want to grind our new map
Breeze will also be available in the standard queues for Deathmatch, Spike Rush, and Escalation as well as Custom games.
This queue will only be active for two weeks.
During this two week period, Breeze will not be available in the standard Unrated or Competitive queues. Following this period, the Breeze-only queue will be disabled and Breeze will then become available in the existing Unrated and Competitive queues.
Reminder! This is the last Act to work for your Episode 2 Rank Reward, awarded after the end of Act III

#6. Game System Updates

Coach slots have been added to Tournament Mode Custom Games
Coach slots Current Functionality:
Coaches can spectate Tournament Mode games and are locked to observing the team chosen in the custom game lobby.
Coaches cannot use Map Pings, Team Chat, or Voice Chat in-game.
Coaches can use All Chat and Party Chat to allow for cases where they may need to communicate with a Tournament Moderator.
Coaches can pause a match in cases where that functionality is allowed to players.

#7. Quality of Life

HRTF

We’ve heard your requests (and where they came from)! Weapon drop sounds have been added to HRTF.

Social Updates

Reporter Feedback has been added into the game
Warnings are now enabled for first-offenders who need to be reminded of the in-game code of conduct. No excuses for bad behavior now!
Wild Rift players will now appear on the social panel

#8. Bugs

Agents

Fixed Killjoy’s Turret and Alarmbot icons disappearing when disabled
Fixed Astra and Brimstone’s smokes from blocking flashes even when you are not fully inside them
Fixed Viper’s Toxic Screen going longer than intended when it passed through the teleporter on Bind
Fixed Viper’s Poison Cloud pickup distance being 200 instead of the intended 400
Improved performance of Astra’s Nebula VFX on low settings

Modes

Fixed a bug where, in Spike Rush, picking up the weapon upgrade orb with the Operator equipped would cause you to lose your Operator and receive nothing to replace it

Competitive

Fixed a bug that was causing rank icons to disappear in Match History
Fixed a bug that was causing Act Rank badges to show up on map loading screens in non-competitive modes

About the author

Armed with his Master's degree in English Literature, Abhishek Mallick ventured into journalism propelled by his simple love for video games. Over four years, Abhishek has made significant contributions to Sportskeeda Esports & Gaming as a content manager and writer and holds particular expertise and influence within the competitive gaming landscape. Inspired by gaming legends like T1 Faker, Abhishek closely follows the professional League of Legends scene, finding fascination in the strategic depth and skillful plays showcased by top players and teams.

After his first childhood favorite, the 1997 platformer Claw, Abhishek's gaming pursuits evolved to encompass titles like Monster Hunter World, where he finds thrill in the exhilarating hunt for formidable monsters. These days, Abhishek's genre of choice is JRPG, where he enjoys confronting deities in epic battles.

In his reporting endeavors, Abhishek stays up-to-date with current news and trends to ensure his articles provide readers with accurate and timely information. Beyond gaming, Abhishek dives into fiction through his love for reading.

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Edited by Nikhil Vinod