Valorant 5.03 PBE Patch Notes: Release Date, Nerfs, and More

Originally due for release in July, Riot Games’ Valorant patch 5.03 has been postponed to allow its developers additional time to upgrade the game’s engine to Unreal Engine 4.26. The upcoming patch, now expected to arrive August 9, will introduce further character balancing, UI changes, and bug fixes. Here’s what we can look forward to in Valorant patch 5.03.

Chamber Nerfs

According to the Public Beta Environment, the hardest hitting set of nerfs will scope in on Chamber, the sharpshooting sentinel with seemingly endless tricks up his sleeves. Despite a previous nerf in patch 4.09, Chamber remains a dominating force amongst Valorant’s agents as displayed in the most recent VCT Masters in Copenhagen. Riot Games hopes to “reduce the overall power of his kit while still keeping him competitive with the rest of the roster”. Here’s what to expect:

Rendezvous (E)

• Base cooldown increased from 20s to 30s
• Recall cooldown increased from 20s to 30s
• Cooldown set to 45s when a Rendezvous anchor is destroyed
• Radius between anchors decreased from 21m to 15m

Trademark (C)

• Slow duration decreased from 9.5s to 6s

Headhunter (Q)

• Bullet cost increased from 100 credits to 150 credits

Tour De Force (X)

• Ultimate points required increased from 7 to 8
• Slow duration decreased from 9.5s to 6s

Time will tell if Chamber remains as deadly as before or if players finally praise Riot Games’ balancing team with a “merci beaucoup”.

Related: All Skins Available in the Valorant ‘Run It Back’ Bundle

Ability Regional Damage Breakup

Jett and Neon can also expect minor changes to how their abilities affect different regions of their opponent’s bodies as Riot aims to diversify damage output. Similar to how weapon damage output is calculated, certain agent’s abilities will deal increased headshot damage and reduced leg shot damage, rewarding precision over ability spam. Changes we can expect include:

Neon – Overdrive (X)

• Damage per shot reduced from 22 to 18
• Killzone increased from 15m to 20m
• Leg shot multiplier reduced from 1.0 to 0.85
• Headshot multiplier increased from 1 to 3

Jett – Bladestorm (X)

• Leg shot multiplier reduced from 1.0 to 0.85

Chamber – Tour De Force (X)

• Leg shot multiplier reduced from 1.0 to 0.85

A set of welcome changes that should make dealing with Neon’s ultimate ability a bit more manageable. As always, the efficacy of these changes on the wider player base remains unknown until the patch is officially released.

UI Improvements

Aside from character balancing, some areas of Valorant’s UI are expected to be changed for a more flashy and sleek presentation. According to a ValorLeaks video, a new Agents screen is in the works, displaying uniquely-colored backgrounds and stylish artwork for each of Valorant’s characters.

Continuing to grow and evolve as one of the most popular competitive first-person shooters on the market, Valorant shows no signs of slowing down. With a new patch drawing near, there’s no better time to join the fray. Valorant is free to play and available exclusively on PC.