The first international VALORANT event of the season approaches, and you can already lock in your predictions. Patch 12.03 adds Masters Santiago Pick’Ems, giving you a way to engage directly with the tournament before matches begin.
The update also delivers targeted balance changes, including modest buffs to Gekko, alongside a few additional adjustments. You step into the new season with fresh competitive stakes and small but meaningful gameplay updates shaping the meta.
Agent updates
Patch 12.03 focuses exclusively on Gekko, as you will see targeted adjustments designed to raise his impact compared to other Initiators. The update standardizes how his kit behaves and gives you more control when retrieving his creatures.
You now have a longer window to collect his Globules, increasing the reclaim timer from 15 seconds to 20 seconds. This change gives you more flexibility when repositioning or retaking space.
Mosh Pit also gains a key improvement. You can now reclaim it after use, aligning it with the rest of his ability set and opening more opportunities during extended rounds.
Outside of gameplay balance, Viper receives additional voice lines, including new interactions with Omen and Vyse.
General and competitive updates
You will notice more accurate sound behavior during matches. Audio now shifts based on whether doors across the map stand open, shut, or destroyed, which changes how you track movement through key areas.
When reviewing matches, you can enable a setting that skips over eliminated players while spectating in replays.
In Competitive play:
- APAC Ascendant and above players must activate Riot Mobile MFA
- Accounts flagged for sharing must also enable MFA
Other ranks and regions remain unaffected.
Masters Santiago Pick'Ems
You can submit your predictions for Masters Santiago starting February 19 through the VALORANT client or the web portal. During the Swiss Stage, you must select the four teams you believe will advance to playoffs.
To gain additional points, you also need to predict which squad will secure a clean 2–0 record in the Swiss format. Accurate picks improve your placement on the global leaderboard.
Participation rewards and placement prizes include:
| Requirement | Reward |
|---|---|
| Submit picks | “Cachando Todo” Title |
| Top 50% finish | ¡Rico, Po! Buddy |
| Top 20% finish | Masters Pick’Ems ¡Rico, Po! Buddy |
| Perfect bracket | Perfect Title |
You can review updated VCT player statistics directly in the Esports Hub under each team’s page. Use that data to refine your selections and compare performances before you lock in your bracket.
VALORANT patch notes 12.03: New game mode
Patch 12.03 adds Skirmish 2v2 as a limited-time queue that strips gameplay down to pure gun skill. You compete on smaller maps without abilities, so every round depends on positioning, aim, and coordination.
You can enter solo or queue with a partner in a dedicated 2v2 matchmaking playlist. Matches follow a first-to-10-rounds format, keeping games fast and focused.
Each round gives you access to the full weapon pool with no economy system. You skip agent select entirely and load straight into the action, which speeds up back-to-back matches.
Key details include:
- Abilities disabled
- Randomly selected map each match
- Map pool: Skirmish A, Skirmish B, Skirmish C
- No buy phase economy management
All Random One Site also receives adjustments. You see added weapons in select stages, improvements to several underused guns, and a fix for an issue that let Vyse deploy unlimited Razorvines during the Buy Phase.
Current Known Problems
Riot is addressing several active issues that affect the Battlepass and in-game store interface.
Battlepass
- Pressing ESC does not return you to the previous screen. Instead, the Battlepass interface briefly disappears and reappears. A fix is planned for patch 12.04.
- Your mouse scroll wheel does not move between tiers on the Battlepass or Event Pass. Riot plans to correct this in a future update.
Store
- The Accessories Store background fails to display properly. Riot expects to restore it in patch 12.04.
- The Reaver Bandit incorrectly appears as a limited-edition item. It is not limited, and the listing will be corrected in patch 12.04.
PC Platform Changes
On PC, you will notice layout and button visual updates across the Event Pass and Battlepass.
You can now move through tiers using either your mouse controls or the arrow keys, giving you more flexibility when navigating the interface.
