A new weapon known as the Bandit, a new game mode, player MMR system upgrades, and other new features for Season 2026 // Act 1 were all announced by VALORANT along with a number of developer updates.
Check out the new dev diary for VALORANT newest content HERE
VALORANT Season 2026 // Act 1 Key Features:
Bandit (new gun)
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A gaming gap between the Ghost and Sheriff is filled by the Bandit. You can feel a little more powerful on those really light purchases because it can do one-shot headshot kills on foes wearing light armor when the Ghost starts to fall off.
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The Bandit will alter your perspective on being frugal, and the developers intended to give you all new opportunities to show off your marksmanship on pistol and eco rounds.
Breeze Rework + Haven & Corrode Updates
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The devs updated Breeze to allow for more Controller diversity and made angles easier to isolate.
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The devs also worked on a lot of the big open spaces in the map and closed them in a little bit so they don’t feel like you’re wandering into no-man’s land if you take a fight there.
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So Breeze is back and in the Competitive map rotation. And since the changes are so substantial, we’re reducing RR losses by 50% for the first two weeks.
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But along with the Breeze rework, we’re also making some updates to a couple of key spots on Haven and Corrode to keep wall penetration a bit more predictable.
AR1S (new game mode)
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Introducing AR1S, which stands for All Random, One Site—an all new, limited-time, lightning-fast, arcade spike mode.
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AR1S is a 5v5 mode where you spawn as a random Agent every round with TDM-style abilities, tiered Buy phases, contested Map Orbs, and condensed maps by forcing you to fight on only one site each round.
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With smaller maps and more ultimates, AR1S creates unpredictable moments and some ability combinations rarely seen in standard play.
MMR System Updates
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For 2026, the devs are adjusting how your hidden MMR is calculated. The changes they are making should more accurately reflect individual skill. For most of you, your ranks should stay the same, but some of you might experience some shifts in rank.
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Ultimately, they think these changes will help bring more consistency match-to-match, so that it feels like more matches are balanced and each player belongs in your lobby.
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The main focus for 2026 is improving competitive match quality across the board. The devs just want you to boot up VALORANT and get into a good, competitive game. And we’re confident that the systems we’re tuning on the back end will help get us there.
Player Behavior
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In 2026, the devs are putting a sharper focus on disruptive behavior. When you log into the game, you’ll notice there’s a new Community Pact that we’re asking all players to accept, each year, in order to keep playing.
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This might not sound like much at first, but it’s important that our expectations are clear with all of you on where we stand on certain behaviors so that we can hold each other accountable. And the last time you likely saw and agreed to our community standards was on your first day playing VALORANT.
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Under the hood, the devs have improved our policies and principles around smurfing, comms abuse, and other frustrating areas so that our systems and processes can continue to improve as well.
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The devs are recalibrating how we think about comms abuse for text and voice chat. More specifically, we’re updating our systems to more reliably issue firmer penalties for severe offenses.
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They are rolling out Behavior Standing so that everyone can hold themselves accountable and see when and how their own behavior has been affecting others. You’ll be able to see what penalties you are at risk of, what penalties you currently have, and what penalties future disruption will get you.
Ayakashi Collection
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Emerging from the shadows of Japanese mythology, Ayakashi offers a dark, modern twist on ancient folklore.
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Each weapon burns with cursed flame, a reflection of the restless spirits bound within. The Kitsune mask motif marks the seal between worlds, both beautiful and dangerous. For the first time, wield dual short katanas, forged in the underworld and striking in perfect, deadly harmony.
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Weapons included in the collection are the Phantom, Ghost and Kogitsune (dual short katana melee).
For more information, visit the official website.
Related: VALORANT Welcomes Brand New Non-Binary Controller, CLOVE
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