Playrent.gg-VALORANT Patch 13.05: Biggest News Ahead of the 13.06 Update

Chunzliu

	VALORANT Patch 13.05 has arrived with a relatively small set of gameplay changes, but Riot Games is using the update to prepare players for several much bigger changes coming later this month. While Patch 13.05 is primarily focused on bug fixes and system improvements, it also introduces important updates surrounding Champions Shanghai, player behavior, Valorant accounts for sale and the future of Agent progression. With Patch 13.06 already scheduled for September 22, VALORANT players have plenty to watch heading into the next major update. Riot has also confirmed that Champions Shanghai Pick’Ems will return soon, giving the competitive community another reason to stay engaged with the game. VALORANT Patch 13.05 Is a Smaller Update Riot Games describes Patch 13.05 as a relatively small update, with most of its changes dedicated to bug fixes and quality-of-life improvements. However, the patch contains several changes that could have a noticeable impact on competitive players. One of the most interesting adjustments involves Sound Sprays. Riot has changed their audio attenuation so that players should only hear Sound Sprays when they are close enough to the source. The goal is to prevent cosmetic audio from interfering with important team communication. This change will also become the standard for future audio sprays, making it part of Riot's broader effort to keep cosmetic effects from creating unnecessary distractions during competitive matches. Champions Shanghai Pick’Ems Are Coming The biggest community-facing feature in Patch 13.05 is the return of Pick’Ems for VALORANT Champions Shanghai. Starting on September 10, players will be able to make their predictions through the VALORANT client and the official web experience. Fans can predict which teams will advance from the Group Stage and earn points for their selections. Players can earn additional points by correctly predicting the exact placement of teams. Riot is also offering rewards simply for participating, giving casual fans another incentive to submit their predictions. However, players will need to act quickly. Pick’Ems predictions must be submitted before the Group Stage begins on September 24. For VALORANT esports fans, this creates another layer of engagement around Champions Shanghai. Rather than simply watching the tournament, players can follow the event while competing with friends and the wider community to see who can make the most accurate predictions. Riot Targets Stream Sniping and Instalock Tools Another major development in Patch 13.05 concerns player behavior. Riot has started rolling out penalties against players detected using stream-sniping tools and instalock tools. According to the developer, players caught using these tools can receive temporary game bans, with repeated offenses potentially escalating to permanent bans. Stream sniping has long been a frustrating issue for competitive streamers. A player who watches a live broadcast can potentially gain information about an opponent's location, strategy, rotations, or utility usage that would not normally be available inside the match. Instalock tools create a different problem by attempting to automate or manipulate Agent selection before other players can choose their preferred characters. Riot's decision to explicitly target these tools signals a stronger focus on protecting competitive integrity. For ranked players, the message is straightforward: third-party tools that provide an unfair advantage are increasingly likely to result in serious account penalties. Agent Gear Is Getting a Major Overhaul Perhaps the most important long-term change teased in Patch 13.05 is the upcoming Agent Gear progression rework. Riot confirmed that Patch 13.06, scheduled for September 22, will change how Agent Gear is unlocked. Players will still be able to use Kingdom Credits for future gear, and previously unlocked items will remain in their collections. The biggest difference is that future Agent Gear progression will become directly connected to how much players actually play the associated Agent. This means players who have been collecting Agent Gear for characters they rarely use may want to finish those unlocks before Patch 13.06 arrives. For example, if you have been slowly progressing through an Agent's gear track without regularly playing that character, now could be the best opportunity to complete the remaining unlocks before the new progression system takes effect. The change could also make Agent progression feel more connected to actual gameplay. Instead of treating Agent Gear primarily as a general progression track, Riot is moving toward a system that rewards players for spending time with individual Agents. More Agent and Ability Fixes Patch 13.05 also contains a large number of technical fixes affecting Agents and abilities. Riot addressed an issue where Ultimate voice lines could continue playing from an enemy perspective after the casting Agent had been eliminated. Several line-of-sight problems involving smokes and flashes were also corrected. The update specifically improves smoke behavior for Agents including Astra, Brimstone, Clove, Miks, and Omen. Previously, certain smokes could continue blocking flashes and other vision-dependent abilities during their dissipation animation. Chamber, Cypher, Deadlock, Fade, KAY/O, Omen, Sage, and Waylay also received individual bug fixes. These changes may not completely reshape the VALORANT meta, but they should make ability interactions more consistent and reduce frustrating situations in competitive matches. Range Practice Gets a Small but Useful Upgrade PC players also receive a minor improvement to the Range. The practice mode now lets players choose whether 10, 5, or 1 bot should spawn. Riot has changed the default setting to five bots, although players can adjust the number through the Range settings. For players working on aim, crosshair placement, recoil control, or movement mechanics, this provides a little more flexibility when warming up before ranked games. What Comes Next for VALORANT? Patch 13.05 may not be one of the biggest balance updates of the year, but it is an important setup patch for what comes next. The immediate focus is on Champions Shanghai, with Pick’Ems beginning September 10 and the Group Stage scheduled to start September 24. At the same time, Riot is increasing enforcement against stream sniping and instalock tools while preparing a substantial Agent Gear progression overhaul. The real gameplay changes could arrive with Patch 13.06 on September 22. Riot has already described the next update as a much larger patch, meaning VALORANT players should expect more substantial changes than those found in 13.05. For now, competitive players should take advantage of the current Agent Gear system, Valorant accounts,submit their Champions Shanghai predictions when Pick’Ems opens, and make sure they understand Riot's increasingly strict stance on third-party tools. With the next major patch approaching and Champions Shanghai around the corner, September is shaping up to be another busy month for VALORANT.