Riot Games has released patch 12.00 for Valorant, kicking off season 2026 act 1 with significant changes including a reworked Breeze map, a new Bandit weapon, and the All Random One Site game mode. These updates aim to enhance competitive play, improve match quality, and address player behavior. Additional agent tweaks and UI improvements round out the patch.
Valorant patch 12.00, launching season 2026 act 1, brings a host of updates to refresh the tactical shooter. The standout addition is the Bandit, a new pistol positioned between the Ghost and Sheriff. It enables one-shot headshot kills on enemies with light armor, empowering players during eco rounds. As developers note, "The Bandit fills a gameplay niche between the Ghost and Sheriff... so you can feel a bit more empowered on those super light buys."
Map changes are prominent, with Breeze returning to the competitive pool after its removal in June 2024. The rework reduces angle complexity, allows more controller diversity, and tightens open spaces to avoid no-man's-land fights. To ease the transition, rank rating losses on Breeze are halved for the first two weeks. Haven and Corrode receive tweaks to make wall penetration more predictable, countering excessive wall spam trends. The updated map pool now includes Breeze, Corrode, Split, Abyss, Pearl, and Haven, with Sunset exiting rotation.
A new limited-time mode, All Random One Site (AR1S or AROS), introduces chaos in a 5v5 format. Players spawn with a random agent each round—no duplicates per team—and fight over a single randomized site on condensed maps like Abyss, Ascent, Breeze, Corrode, Pearl, Icebox, Sunset, and Split. Abilities recharge freely, ultimate orbs provide charge, and loadouts escalate without an economy. This replaces the Snowball Fight mode, promising unpredictable ability combos.
Behind the scenes, matchmaking improves with adjusted hidden MMR calculations for better skill reflection and lobby balance. Most players' ranks remain unchanged, though some may shift. Player behavior sees a sharper focus: a yearly Community Pact outlines expectations, with firmer penalties for comms abuse and smurfing. A new Behavior Standing feature shows penalty risks and history.
Agent updates include buffs for Breach, Harbor, Tejo, and Vyse, alongside visual clarity for Brimstone and targeting fixes for Sage. Replays now support more modes, and UI refreshes enhance navigation. EU players at Ascendant rank or higher must enable Riot MFA for competitive queues.
