Valorant's Act 3 has arrived with patch 12.08, bringing a major new limited-time ranked mode, map rotations, cosmetic bundles, and a host of bug fixes. The headline feature is Skirmish: Ascension, a fast-paced, skill-focused competitive mode that strips back the full economy and ability complexity for pure duel-focused gameplay.

Skirmish: Ascension – Mode Details

Skirmish: Ascension is available in separate 1v1 and 2v2 queues, each with its own matchmaking and ranked ladder. Players choose from a curated roster of 14 agents, each equipped with a single ability from their kit – representative examples include Jett (Tailwind), Chamber (Rendezvous), and Phoenix (Curve Ball), with the remaining 11 following a similar pattern. There is no economy; instead, weapons escalate through fixed stages: Rounds 1–4 use pistols (Bandit and Sheriff), Rounds 5–8 use low-tier rifles (Guardian and Bulldog), and from Round 9 onward only Vandal and Phantom are available. Matches are first to win 10 rounds.

FTW Ranked Ladder and Rewards

A dedicated FTW ranked ladder tracks performance separately for 1v1 and 2v2, segmented by server, region, and platform. Rank tiers progress from Iron (700), Bronze (1100), Silver (1500), Gold (1800), Platinum (2100), Diamond (2400), Ascendant (2700), to Immortal (maximum) and Radiant (top 100). Players earn rewards based on matches completed and highest rank achieved: the Combat Ready player card for three matches, the Trade Me player card for 15 matches, and ranked titles – Skirmish Competitor (Gold–Platinum), Skirmish Expert (Diamond–Immortal), or Skirmish Legend (Radiant).

Store and Cosmetics

The Kuronami 2.0 bundle is live at 9,500 VP, containing skins for the Melee Kunai/Katana, Phantom, Operator, Ghost, and Guardian. The Act 3 Battlepass has also launched, headlined by the Keys to Elysium Vandal, Insidious Phantom, and Boss Bear Spray, alongside additional rewards.

Map Pool Changes

Ascent has been added to both Competitive and Deathmatch queues, while Bind has been removed from those queues. The previous limited-time mode, Knockout, has departed.

Agent and General Fixes

Patch 12.08 includes a batch of agent bug fixes, some carried over from 12.07 and others new. Among the most notable: a fix for Viper's Toxic Screen SFX repeatedly activating when Veto enters with Evolution active; a fix ensuring players resurrected by Sage inside Viper's decay abilities now properly gain Decay; and a fix for Tejo's Armageddon occasionally targeting the spawn point instead of the intended location. Other fixes address Miks' Bassquake minimap blink, Veto's Chokehold detecting enemies through rotating doors on Lotus, KAY/O's ability VFX timing, Neon's surface SFX, Gekko's Dizzy targeting, Yoru's visibility during Dimensional Drift, and several more. General fixes include audio slider movement in settings and an exit-client issue when a replay was paused.

Esports Stage V26A3

Stage V26A3 begins with matches on May 6. The Contender and Invite divisions run six weeks of matches each Saturday from May 9 to June 13. Playoffs now span multiple days: the first round takes place on June 20, with advancing teams returning on June 21 for subsequent rounds. Players should verify round start times in the client for their zone.

Known Issues

Two known issues remain in Skirmish: Ascension – the overtime timer can become stuck at 00:50, and agent abilities do not appear on the Combat Report in the round following their use against enemies.

What is Valorant and Valorant Points?

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