When does Valorant patch 5.01 drop this week? Phoenix and Yoru buffs, KAY/O changes, and more

After the release of the patch 5.0 update last month, it is almost time for another patch to drop in Valorant. The previous update kicked off a new chapter in the game called 'Dimension.' The developers also introduced a new underwater-themed map 'Pearl,' a new rank 'Ascendant,' a new skin called 'Prelude to Chaos,' and a new Battlepass full of skins, cosmetics, player cards & gun buddies.

While the lasty update focused on new content, the new update is expected to focus more on balancing Agents this time around. The update is expected to drop in the coming week

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Everything to know about the upcoming Valorant patch 5.01 update

Every two weeks, the developers push out a new update with some exciting changes to the game. However, Riot Games is dropping the new update with a delay of a week to allow the developers some time off this summer.

The upcoming Valorant patch 5.01 update will go live in the game on July 13, 2022. Here are the expected timings for the arrival of the new update in all regions:

• 2.00 PM PDT
• 5.00 PM ET
• 10.00 PM BST
• 2.30 AM IST (next day, July 14)
• 7.00 AM JST (next day, July 14)

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Expected changes in the Valorant patch 5.01 update:

After the commencement of Valorant Episode 4, the developers promised that they will be working on balancing Agents in the game. The idea behind this was to make every Agent in the game a bit more competitive and viable.

However, in the latest patch 5.0 update, Agent balancing wasn't the primary focus. After gathering some data over the past month, the developers will now implement some changes to character balance.

As per certain leaks, the developers are planning to implement changes to Phoenix, Yoru and KAY/O in the upcoming update. Both Phoenix and Yoru will likely receive buffs in the upcoming update, while KAY/O looks to be getting balance changes that aren't exactly buffs or nerfs.

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1) Potential Phoenix buffs

Curveball:

• Maximum duration of the flash extended from 1.1s to 1.5s
• Flash windup has decreased from 0.7s to 0.5s

Blaze (wall):

• If he stops bending the wall early, he will pull out his gun faster

Run It Back (ult):

• He will now spawn back with the amount of shield he originally started with

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2) Potential Yoru buffs

Dimensional Drift (ult):

• Time to un-equip decreased from 1.2s to 0.8s
• Duration of his ultimate increased from 10s to 12s

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3) Potential KAY/O changes

FRAG/ment:

• Removed line of sight requirement to deal damage
• Range of zone decreased from 10m to 8m

NULL/cmd (ult):

• Allies are the only ones that can hear the full audio when KAY/O is revived. Enemies will hear a short audio cue.

Players will also potentially receive some new voicelines in the upcoming update along with a new weapon skin bundle. Fans will have to wait a few more days to get the complete breakdown of the Valorant 5.01 update.