VALORANT Patch 10.01 notes: New Rank shield, Tejo bug fixes, and more

With VALORANT Patch 10.1 set to go live soon, we’ve got your back if you’re looking for a list of all upcoming agent, map, and gameplay changes to prepare yourself.

Being the first update since the new V25 Act One dropped in early January, Patch 10.1 understandably isn’t a big one. That said, it includes a crucial new addition to our ranked experience alongside several bug fixes to maintain and improve a balanced meta in the tac shooter. The patch is scheduled for release on Jan. 21. You can download it right after Riot Games completes server maintenance.

Below, we’ve highlighted the biggest changes in VALORANT Patch 10.1 and included the full patch notes for your reference. 

All changes in VALORANT Patch 10.1

New Rank Shields to offer a second (and third) chance

As promised with the announcement of V25 Act One, Riot has added Rank Shields to VALORANT’s Competitive mode. If you’re in the first tier of any rank except Radiant, you now get two Rank Shields to exhaust before you get demoted to a lower rank. These shields activate when you’re at zero RR, so you’ll only be sent to a lower rank if you lose three matches.

For example, if you’re in Diamond One at zero RR and lose a match, a Rank Shield will automatically activate to stop your demotion to Platinum. If you lose another match, the second and only remaining shield will activate to offer the same benefit. Now, if you lose a third match, you’ll be demoted to Platinum Three since you no longer have shields to protect.

You don’t get Rank Shields for any rank tier other than the first. You automatically get two when you promote or demote to tier one of any rank except Radiant. Also, they don’t recharge upon winning a match at zero RR. So, if you’ve used one shield to stop a demotion and then won a match to reach a higher RR, you only have one remaining in your bank for when you return to zero RR.

Rank Shields will definitely improve our ranked experience by making those heated “rank down” games a bit less stressful. Another interesting benefit of this feature is its potential to discourage throwing, one of the most annoying types of disruptive player behavior. We often run into players who intentionally throw their games to demote to a lower rank just to continue their smurfing practices. With Rank Shields in the picture, deranking has become slightly more tedious, so throwers will have a harder time while sincere players reap its benefit.

Tejo gets a heap of bug fixes

Tejo was released in VALORANT with V25 Act One on Jan. 8. As is expected with a new agent release, players discovered several bugs related to his kit in the last couple of weeks. Thankfully, Riot has addressed the most glaring Tejo issues with Patch 10.1. Here’s a list: 

• Fixed an issue where players who exited then re-entered Tejo’s Armageddon blast zone do not count as Displaced in the Combat Report.
• Fixed an issue where Tejo’s Guided Salvo projectile would get stuck inside the wall when cast toward a path blocked by Sage’s Barrier Orb.
• Fixed an issue where Tejo’s Stealth Drone affected by Nearsight could see Enemy Players’ model outline at certain distances.
• Improved an issue where Tejo’s Guided Salvo smoke trail VFX could clip through thin walls and structures once cast.
• Fixed an issue where Tejo’s Stealth Drone is slowed outside the AOE of Sage’s Slow Orb.
• Fixed an issue where Tejo’s Guided Salvo missile visuals are set to draw as a Cylinder instead of Sphere, showing an incorrect damage zone.
• Fixed an issue where Tejo’s Artillery Missile loses functionality and appears as stuck if he casts it while being outside of the map.
• Fixed an issue where Tejo’’s Guided Salvo damages players on elevation without showing a warning indicator.

Besides Tejo, the Bind map also received a minor bug fix. 

• Fixed an issue where invisible collision would sometimes impede agent utility inside one of the teleporter rooms.

Other bug fixes (PC and console)

Besides global Tejo bug fixes, Riot has addressed some crucial platform-specific bugs with this update. VALORANT PC has received a number of bug patch-ups related to its Premier mode, while the console version welcomed a small UI fix. 

Premier mode bug fixes (PC only)

• Fixed an issue where there were inconsistent font sizes on the Change Zone and the Delete Team pop-up screens in Premier.
• Fixed an issue where Premier matches in match history did not show a mode tooltip when you hovered over them.
• Fixed an issue where the ineligibility warning tooltip in the lobby was very hard to trigger.

Competitive Systems bug fix (Console only)

• Fixed a bug where the queue timer overlaps with a portion of the Leaderboard page.