VALORANT patch 4.04 is here. It’s been a while since we’ve received such a bulky patch from Riot Games. With 19 pages of patch notes, we’ve decided to divide the details into two parts. This part is focused on all agent changes coming with patch 4.04. The update concerns the following VALORANT agents:

• Astra (nerf)
• Omen (buff)
• Viper (nerf)
• Brimstone (buff)
• Yoru (rework)

That’s a hefty list. So let’s get into it.

Make sure to also check out all the changes to Icebox coming with patch 4.04!

General Agent Updates

• Improved the system used to place abilities at targeted ground locations. This update
  should make it easier to find valid placement locations in tight spaces. These are the
  abilities affected:
  ○ Omen’s Shrouded Step
  ○ Viper’s pit
  ○ Chamber’s Trademark and Rendez-vous
  ○ Every Killjoy ability
  ○ Yoru’s Gatecrash
  ○ Sage’s Barrier Orb

The above improvements should make it easier to target the mentioned abilities. This will especially make Omen players happy as the Shrouded Step was at times difficult to target exactly where intended.

Controllers

With a heavy Astra slash Viper meta, Omen and Brimstone have been somewhat sidelined in recent months. The likes of G2 and Acend tend to pick Omen on Split, while we’ve seen some teams go ahead and take Brimstone on Bind or Fracture. Yet, that would be it for the two OG agents of VALORANT. This patch should bring the four agents more in line with each other’s capabilities and make teams reconsider including Omen or Brimstone in some compositions.

Astra

Stars

• Max Stars reduced 5 >>> 4
• Cooldown on retrieving a Star increased 14 >>> 25
• Astra can now pick up placed Stars during the Buy Phase to refund their charge immediately.
• Max distance of Star Placement increased 10000 >>> 30000 to allow her to place Stars across the furthest corners of maps.

Gravity Well

• Cooldown Increased 25 >>> 45
• Gravity Well Size Decreased 525 >>> 475
• Gravity Well no longer affects anyone fully underneat the Gravity Well.

Nova Pulse

• Cooldown Increased 25 >>> 45
• Nova Pulse no longer affects anyone fully underneath the Nova Pulse.

Nebula

• Cooldown Increased 14 >>> 25
• Nebula cooldowns are now sequential instead of simultaneous
• Nebula size increased 410 >>> 475

Astral Form

• While in Astral form, pings are no longer blocked by level geometry that Astra cannot see
• Astra’s targeting ring in Astral form is reduced to one ring that reflects the now unified size of all her utility
• Astra’s targeting ring no longer randomly disappears when aiming across some map
• locations
• Increased the speed of the overlay that covers Astra’s screen when transitioning in and out of Astral form
• Fixed an issue where Stars were placed slightly above the location Astra was targeting.

Omen

Dark Cover

• Cooldown decreased 40s >>> 30s
• Cost increased 100 >>> 150
• Projectile Speed increased 2800 >>> 6400

Shrouded Step

• Cost decreased 150 >>> 100
• Pre teleport delay decreased 1s >>> 0.7s

Paranoia

• Added forward spawn offset, so players adjacent to Omen are not hit

Viper

Fuel

• Fuel drain increased 50% when Toxic Screen and Poison Cloud are both active.
• Viper’s fuel bar now turns red when she does not have enough fuel to activate her abilities.

Toxic Screen

• Cooldown after deactivating increased 6 >>> 8
• Cooldown timer now starts when her smoke starts dissipating instead of when the deactivation telegraph plays.
• Deactivation delay decreased 1 >>> .8
• Toxic Screen now has yellow lights that indicate when it is on cooldown
• Removed delay on Toxic Screen disabling when Viper is suppressed.
• Added a unique VO line that plays when her smoke is disabled by suppress.

Poison Cloud

• Cooldown after deactivating increased 6 >>> 8.
• Cooldown timer now starts when her smoke starts dissipating instead of when the
• deactivation telegraph plays.
• Deactivation delay decreased 1 >>> .8
• Poison Orb now has a yellow light to indicate when it is on cooldown.
• Removed delay on Poison Orb disabling when Viper is suppressed.
• Added a unique VO line that plays when her smoke is disbaled by suppress.

Snake Bite

• Duration decreased 6.5 >>> 5.5

Brimstone

Sky Smoke

• Deploy time decreased 2 >>> 1 second
• Deploy radius increased 5000 >>> 5500
• Smoke height increased to match other Controllers

Stim Beacon

• Now also applies a 15% speed boost in addition to RapidFire.

Yoru Rework

While hyped as VALORANT’s “coolest” agent ever since teased, Yoru has been struggling to find himself a spot among the Jetts, Reynas, and Razes of VALORANT’s duelist world. His rather unobvious abilities tha require more planning than just dashing on site, have made Yoru sit out the action on the reserves bench.

Fakeout

• Charges reduced from 2 >>> 1
• Decoy HP: 150
• Decoy is now a full running version of Yoru and can only be sent running forward
• Right -click to place a stationary marker for the decoy
  • Reactivate similarly to footsteps to create the decoy that runs forward
• Upon taking damage from an enemy gun, the decoy winds up, turns towards the enemy that shot it, and explodes after a short delay.
  • Enemies within the cone are flashed

Gatecrash

• Charges increased from 1 >>> 2
• Cost: 200 Credits
• Cooldown charge refresh removed, switched back to 2-kill reset
• Gatecrash can be faked by pressing F, while hovering over the beacon
  • Fake teleport will play audio and portal visuals as if Yoru is attempting to teleport.
• Time it takes for teleport beacon has decreased 1.5 >>> 0.5 seconds
• Teleport beacon’s in-game audio while traveling reduced 22.5m>>>12.5m
• Teleport beacon’s speed has been increased 675 >>> 800
• Upon activating a fake teleport, the beacon creates a small decal on the floor for 3 seconds to indicate location of the fake teleport

Dimensional Drift

• Duration increased 8 >>> 10 seconds
• Yoru is not revealed to enemies
• Unequip delay time increased 0.6 >>> 1.2 seconds
• Yoru is now able to cast all utility out of his ultimate
• Yoru’s footsteps can now be heard within 15m of Yoru’s location
• Cast delay added upon casting Dimensional Drift, preventing the invulnerability frame on cast

Yoru’s rework should entice players to give the Japanese agent another shot. He now received the ability to fake his teleports (Gatecrash). Yoru’s ultimate (Dimensional Drift) now lasts for a total of 10 seconds, also allowing for casting all abilities while in the Dimensional Drift. The Fakeout ability now deploys a full running Yoru. The new Yoru has a lot to offer, but can this bring him in line with other duelists?

Apart from agent changes, patch 4.04 brought a huge rework to Icebox, make sure to check it out!

*Note: all information for patch notes 4.04 has been provided by Riot Games. For the full official patch notes, head on over to Riot Games’ VALORANT site.

Stay tuned to Run It Back for more VALORANT coverage, such as breaking news, event recaps, and player interviews!