Valorant Patch 5.12 Notes: New Swiftplay Mode, Agent Changes & More – Dexerto

Titas Khan

❘ Posted: 2022-12-06T14:00:00

❘ Updated: 2022-12-06T12:14:37

Valorant’s last patch of the year has arrived with update 5.12 and there are a lot of changes as well as a brand new game mode to try. Keep reading to learn all about Valorant’s latest update of 2022.

Valorant Act 3 Episode 5 was mostly about balancing Agents with various buffs and nerfs. To keep up with the trend, Update 5.12 introduced changes for almost every Operator in the game. Additionally, Riot also introduced a brand new game mode that will be available until the end of this episode.

Since Riot has confirmed that Update 5.12 is the last patch of 2022 as well as Episode 5, it remains to be seen how the changes will affect the game’s meta before Episode 6. That said, let’s dive in and check it all out the changes coming with the new update.

Valorant 5.12 Patch Notes

With 15 Agents affected by Update 5.12, it’s safe to say that this is one of the biggest sub-patches in Valorant history. Additionally, the Specter has also received a notable nerf to balance its in-game performance.

Apart from that, Riot has also introduced several new damage interaction changes that will now cause several abilities to behave differently than other abilities. On top of all that, Riot is also releasing a new beta game mode featuring much faster matches with a nine-round structure.

That said, here’s the full list of changes coming to Valorant’s 5.12 update from the official patch notes.

Agent Updates

Breach

• Rolling Thunder (X)
  • Ultimate points increased from 7 >>> 8

Bedroom

• Headhunter (Q)
  • Updated stability curve
    • Spread increased after 2nd bullet, when spamming. This is explicitly intended to reduce low precision body shot spam as an effective ranged combat measure.
• Appointment (E)
  • The chamber now places a single anchor that can be teleported within its range
    • Radius increased from 7.5m >>> 13m
  • Removed teleport activation height restriction
    • You can teleport to the Anchor while on a different verticality as long as you are within its radius.
  • Increased weapon equip time after teleporting 0.4s >>> 0.7s
    • Headhunter is not affected by this change
  • Destroying the Rendezvous Teleport Anchor now disables it for the rest of the turn, instead of being placed on a cooldown.
  • The chamber no longer incurs an additional cooldown when recalling its anchor after teleporting.
  • Health decreased 80 >>> 50
• Trademark (C)
  • Trap is now limited range
    • The trademark will deactivate when the chamber moves out of range and reactivate once it is inside.
  • Can now be recalled mid-run without line of sight
  • The destruction remains permanent
  • Initial arming time increased from 2s >>> 4s
  • Health increased 1 >>> 20
• Tower of Strength (X)
  • Rate of fire decreased by 57.5%
• Slow
  • This applies to both trademarks and feats of force
    • Duration reduced 6s >>> 4s

Zero

• Trap wire (C)
  • Health increased 1 >>> 20

Vanish

• Prowler (C)
  • Health reduced from 100 >>> 60

port

• High tide (E)
  • Duration increased from 12s >>> 15s
• Waterfall (C)
  • Duration increased from 5s >>> 7s

KAI/O

• ZERO/POINT (E)
  • Health increased 1 >>> 20
• NULL/cmd (C)
  • Ultimate points increased from 7 >>> 8

spoiler

• Lock (X)
  • Health increased by 150 >>> 200
• Nanoswarm (C)
  • Health increased 1 >>> 20

Presage

• Paranoia (Q)
  • Cost decreased 300 >>> 250

Phoenix

• Blaze (C)
  • Cost decreased 200 >>> 150

To shave

• Robotboom (C)
  • Health reduced from 100 >>> 60
• Explosive Pack (A)
  • Health increased 1 >>> 20

Wise

• Barrier Orb (C)
  • Fortification delay increased from 3.0s >>> 3.3s
• Healing Orb (E)
  • Total amount of self-heal decreased from 60 HP >>> 30 HP
  • Total allied healing amount increased from 60 HP >>> 100 HP

Sleep

• Recognition bolt (E)
  • Health increased 1 >>> 20

Skye

• Pioneer (Q)
  • Cost increased from 250 >>> 300
• Repels (C)
  • Cost decreased 200 >>> 150

Viper

• Viper Pit (X)
  • Smoke Integrity Regeneration Time 5.0 >>> 25.0
  • Max Smoke Free Time decreased from 15.0 >>> 8.0
  • Ultimate points required 7 >>> 8

Yoru

• Door knock (E)
  • Health reduced from 100 >>> 60
  • Cost decreased 200 >>> 150

Game system updates

Tail Tuning Aid

• Concussion, myopia, inmate
  • Assist tail increased from 2s >>> 3s
• Output smoke
  • Rear assist increased from 1s >>> 2s
• Slow
  • Rear assist increased from 1s >>> 2s
• Deletion

Updates to damage interactions

• Abilities that deal damage will now deal universal damage to enemy objects that are susceptible to damage. Exceptions are made for Skye Trailblazer and Cypher Trapwire which only deal damage to players.

Sulfur

• Incendiary now damages:
• Orbital Strike now damages:

Phoenix

• Hothands damaged bow:
• Blaze now damages:

KAI/O

• FRAGMENT: KAY/O now has a voiceover that tells allies how many enemies are removed when the knife hits.
• ZERO POINT now damages:

spoiler

To shave

Sleep

Viper

Damage Multiplier Updates

Breach

• Aftershock now deals 250% >>> 100% damage to non-players

Sulfur

• Incendiary now deals 100% >>> 50% damage to non-players

KAI/O

• Fragment now deals 250% >>> 100% damage to non-players

spoiler

• Nanoswarm now deals 100% >>> 50% damage to non-players

Phoenix

• Hot Hands now deals 100% >>> 50% damage to non-players

To shave

• Blast Pack now deals 1200% >>> 250% damage to non-players
• Paint Shells now deal 100% >>> 250% damage to non-players
• Boom Bot now deals 100% >>> 250% damage to non-players

Viper

• Snake Bite now deals 100% >>> 50% damage to non-players

Immunity to friendly ability damage

Bedroom

Zero

Vanish

KAI/O

spoiler

To shave

Skye

Sleep

Yoru

Weapon Updates

Spectrum

• Added third damage range to Specter and updates to distances. The new distances and body hit damage are:
• For reference, the old ranges and damages were:
  • 0-20m, 26 damage.
  • 20m+, 22 damage.

Mode Updates

Swiftplay Beta

Swiftplay Beta is playable from December 6 to January 10, 2023.

• Similar to standard 5v5 Unrated mode, but condensed:
  • First in 5 laps, half in 4 laps
  • Spike Mode Victory Conditions
  • Set credit amounts granted at the start of the round
    • 2400*
      • Not including the 600c bonus for winning the pistol round
  • Transfer of weapons and credits supported
  • +600 bonus credit for winning the pistol round
  • Standard Kill bonus (+200c) and Spike Plant bonus (+300c)
  • 2 Ult points are awarded at the start of each half
  • Match time is approx. 15 minutes

Bug fixes

• Fixed an issue where Phoenix was not decomposed by Viper for a short time after dying during Run It Back while decomposed. (Thanks for the Iyerfire report)
• Fixed an issue where Cypher was unable to place Trapwires on the glass panels near the yellow crate on Icebox.
• Fixed a bug where enemy Spycams or Turrets could trigger Cypher’s Trapwires.
• Fixed a bug that prevented enemy knives from damaging Chamber’s Rendezvous Teleport Anchor.
• Fixed a bug where Boombot would explode on contact with Yoru’s Gatecrash beacons.

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So, there you have it, that’s all included in the Valorant update 5.12 patch notes. For more on the game, be sure to check out some of our other Valorant content:

What is the Night Market? | How To Get Gun Friends | All Valorant Skin Packs | Best Valiant Agents | When does Valorant come out on mobile? | Best Sentinels | Best Initiators | What is Econ Rating? | How To Get Free Loot | Best Duelists | Is Valorant on Mac? | Best Controllers