Valorant Episode 8 Act 1 made a resounding entrance, bringing numerous changes that had fans eagerly awaiting to be introduced. From the introduction of the Outlaw to the objectives and rewards brought into the Weekly Challenges, the opening weeks of the new Episode have been nothing short of thrilling. Keeping pace with the excitement of the gaming community, Riot Games has unfurled yet another update - Valorant Patch 8.01, bringing in map changes, agent changes, and bug fixes.

Valorant Update 8.01: Map Changes

Diving straight into the heart of the matter, Valorant update 8.01 unfolds with modifications to Breeze. The new update reopens the 'Hall' in the mid-zone.

The developers stated that they are observing and gathering feedback on the previous Breeze changes. Although they were satisfied with the simplifications to A Main, Mid and B Site, they noticed that attacking can feel overly restrictive due to the changes in addition to the closure of A Hall. As a result, they decided to reopen A Hall to give attackers more options while retaining the rest of the changes to the map.

Valorant Update 8.01: Agent Changes

SKYE: 
Guiding Light (E)

• Guiding Light no longer regenerates charges during a round.
• Guiding Light now automatically activates the flash at the end of its lifetime.

With the removal of charge regeneration, players must now weigh the timing of each deployment, introducing a distinct choice between early-round reconnaissance and combat advantage. Moreover, the automatic activation of the flash at the end of Guiding Light's (E) lifespan injects intentionality into Skye's plays, requiring a more thoughtful execution of fake flashes.

Seekers (X)

• When a Seeker gets close to its target, the target player will now get a yellow directional warning indicator.

ISO:
Double Tap (E)

• Shootable orb duration increased 2 >>> 3 seconds 
• Initial buff and shield duration increased 15 >>> 20
• Shield width reduced 120 >>> 100

The extension of the shootable orb's duration from 2 to 3 seconds acts as a temporal boon, affording players a slightly larger window to navigate and respond to surrounding threats while maintaining the protective shield. Simultaneously, the augmentation of both the initial buff and shield duration, now spanning a commendable 20 seconds, grants players an expanded time frame to discern and engage in opportune battles.

Contingency (C)

• Cost Reduced 250 >>> 200

RAZE:
Blast Pack (Q)

• Audio for Raze traveling through the air with Blast Pack is now louder when she is traveling towards you

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Raze's mobility with her Blast Pack (Q) has been a notorious game-changer, allowing her to swiftly cover substantial distances and emerge as an unforeseen threat. The recent changes in audio dynamics, amplifying the volume when Raze hurtles through the air with her Blast Pack towards you, seeks to enhance situational awareness in the chaotic battlefield.