VALORANT Patch 8.09 quietly updated the headshot icon and it’s actually really bad

If you think the headshot icon looks sloppy after VALORANT’s Patch 8.09, but aren’t sure whether it’s an intended change or a bug, you aren’t alone.

As several players noted on Reddit, Patch 8.09 has made the after-kill headshot symbol more “cluttered” by shifting the red crosses down to where the skull’s nose is. The icon looks smaller than before, so Riot probably intended to free up some space—if the change was even on purpose.

The change is more apparent with the default weapon skins, so if you have been using the Reaver Vandal or any other animated skin, you probably haven’t noticed the tweak yet. Interestingly, it doesn’t look as bad on animated skins as on defaults. 

Of course, no one (including us) is a fan of the new headshot icon in VALORANT. Many players are convinced it’s a bug, considering there’s no mention of it in the patch notes and how forceful it looks. As one player described: “It looks like the entire skull got shrunk and the cross ended up misaligned.” If it was intentional, this isn’t the first time Riot has quietly deployed a UI tweak that didn’t sit well with the crowd. 

While the notes don’t talk about any general UI changes, VALORANT’s Patch 8.09 does tinker with the UI of Brimstone’s Sky Smokes to accurately reflect the increase in its radius on his bracer. It may have possibly caused a glitch, affecting the headshot symbol in the process. 

Riot has yet to acknowledge the reports, so we can’t say whether it’s an intended tweak or a bug. But looking at the community’s reaction, no matter the cause, it will likely be reversed soon.