Valorant Patch Notes 11.05 Key Updates

VALORANT patch 11.05 arrives as the final update before Champions, setting the stage for one of the most important events of the competitive year. The update focuses on refining gameplay clarity, introducing adjustments for Harbor’s visual effects, and implementing system changes aimed at improving the overall player experience.

Alongside these refinements, the patch introduces stricter measures against disruptive behavior such as AFK abuse and queue dodging. It also launches the Pick’Ems feature, giving fans a way to engage more directly with the tournament.

VALORANT patch 11.05 notes: Harbor ability clarity changes

Harbor’s toolkit has been adjusted in patch 11.05 with a focus on visual readability rather than balance. These refinements aim to make his abilities easier for both teammates and opponents to interpret during gameplay.

Key updates include:

• Reckoning
  • Ground marker redesigned for clearer impact range.
  • Yellow trail effect positioned closer to affected players, improving visibility of concuss zones.
  • Water splash effect reduced in size to limit unnecessary screen clutter.
• Cove
  • Shield durability now displays more distinctly.
  • Animated water visuals shift to represent different health states more accurately.

Champions Pick’Em Challenges

The Champions 2025 Pick’Em event begins on September 4, coinciding with the release of the Champions bundle. Players can test their knowledge by predicting which teams will advance through the Group Stage and Playoffs. Correct placements provide additional points, rewarding both accuracy and foresight.

A new feature allows participants to align with a creator-led faction, but only one can be chosen. Each faction provides a distinct in-game reward. Points earned by individuals directly add to their faction leader’s total, creating a shared score system.

AFK and queue dodging penalties

Players who repeatedly go AFK or dodge matches now face stricter consequences. The penalty system has been adjusted so that the initial deduction begins at 6 RR instead of the earlier lower value, and it scales upward with continued violations.

This change targets those who regularly disrupt games, while players who actively participate will not be unfairly punished.

Penalty progression example:

VALORANT patch notes 11.05: Bug fixes

Core System Adjustments

Developers refined the underlying detection system for abilities such as Prowlers, Wingman, and Dizzy. These tools now track enemies within their vision more consistently.

They also introduced new audio cleanup logic. This prevents stray or lingering sound effects from carrying into the next round, ensuring smoother transitions between plays.

Character-Specific Fixes

A wide range of agents received targeted corrections to address both gameplay and spectator issues:

• Astra
  • Corrected a bug where bullet tracers ignored Cosmic Divide.
  • Note: This adjustment temporarily reintroduces a small sound hitch when crossing the wall.
• Chamber
  • Fixed an error where the Trademark icon failed to change color when targeted.
• Clove
  • Restored the missing enemy sound on Pick-Me-Up activation.
• Deadlock
  • Improved placement consistency for Sound Sensor and Cypher’s Trapwire.
  • Resolved spectator audio cleanup issues tied to Annihilation.
  • Fixed unintended audio effects when Annihilation interacted with Yoru’s Fakeout clone.
• Gekko
  • Stopped the “Spike Down” call from triggering if Wingman was destroyed immediately after planting.
• Jett
  • Corrected an issue where Tailwind audio spilled into the following round.
• Sova
  • Fixed missing “being watched” sound feedback from Owl Drone when line-of-sight existed at spawn.
• Vyse
  • Fixed Steel Garden audio triggering twice when observers switched targets.
  • Removed lingering minimap circles from Razorvine after Vyse’s death.
• Waylay
  • Adjusted Saturate so it no longer affects opponents who leave its radius.
• Yoru
  • Fixed Gatecrash icon not shifting color when aimed at.
  • Resolved an invisibility bug where Yoru and Reyna could reappear at their starting location once stealth ended.

PC-Specific Fixes

• Addressed a display issue on the Awards tab where long player names were cut off or shown incorrectly in certain languages.

Console-Specific Fixes

Competitive Updates

• Leaderboards now show Immortal+ ranked rating thresholds to better reflect high-level progression.

General Console Fixes

• New Player Tips have been temporarily disabled due to displaying for shorter durations than intended. The feature will return once the timing issue is resolved.

Quick Reference Table