VALORANT Patch 10.04 Notes – New Duelist Waylay, Balance Changes, Map Pool Rotation

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In simple terms, VALORANT Patch 10.04 has been released, and since it coincides with a fresh Act, we’re dealing with a significant update. This latest patch introduces an exciting, potentially game-altering new duelist agent, significant modifications to existing agents, and notable adjustments to the map selection.

Let’s dive into the full list of updates now live as of VALORANT Patch 10.04.

Welcome to the Waylay Era

The latest character in the duelist class is called Waylay, a light-bending duelist from Thailand who seems destined to excel. As the experts predicted, she has the potential to take over from Jett or become equally troublesome. Her abilities are tailored to disrupt, hinder, and catch opponents off guard.

Here are each of the abilities for Waylay, the newest VALORANT duelist:

  • Refract: Create a light beacon on the floor. Reactivate to return to the beacon, traveling as an invulnerable mote of pure light. This is like a stationary Yoru Gatecrash, but it affords the opportunity to gather info before returning to the starting point.
  • Light Speed: It’s a Jett double dash. Waylay’s Light Speed can be used to jump over walls or push deep into a site during an execute. There are going to be so many highlight plays from this one.
  • Saturate: Throw a cluster of light that explodes when it hits the ground, applying the Hinder effect to nearby players. Hinder slows enemy fire rate, recoil recovery, equip time, reload speed, movement speed, and jump speed.
  • Convergent Paths: Waylay’s ultimate ability. Project a beam of light forward, which after a delay, applies Waylay with a speed boost and applies Hinder to enemies caught in the beam.

VALORANT 10.04 Balance Changes

This update focuses on adjusting the equilibrium for Clove, Tejo, Iso, and Deadlock, and in the following part, we delve into the significant alterations applied to these four characters.

Clove

Instead of waiting 1.3 seconds after impact with the ground, Clove’s Decay-applying throwable now detonates 0.75 seconds later. The cool-down period for their Ruse smokes has been extended from 30 seconds to 40 seconds. The duration of health buff provided by Pick Me Up has increased from eight seconds to ten, but the move speed boost has decreased from eight seconds to three.

Deadlock

In this updated version, Deadlock’s unique skill, GravNet, begins without any cost at the onset of each round and boasts a 40-second rechargeable cool down. The area covered by GravNet has been slightly reduced from 16 meters to 13 meters. Meanwhile, the price for Barrier Mesh has increased to 400 credits.

Iso

In the current setup, Iso can use his Undercut ability just once, but it now inflicts both Suppression and Vulnerability. The adjustment to Double Tap means that Iso’s shield break will slow him down more. Additionally, whenever Iso wins a duel during his Kill Contract ultimate, he will continuously have the Double Tap effect active.

Tejo

In simpler terms, when Tejo uses his Guided Salvo missiles, they inflict 65 units of damage. However, if the target is not a controlled character (like Killjoy’s Lockdown), the damage dealt will be reduced by half. This adjustment has been made to ensure that Tejo’s Guided Salvo does not completely obliterate objects not under player control.

VALORANT 10.04 Map Changes

Starting from now, the VALORANT map rotation is undergoing a transformation due to the introduction of a new act. Specifically, maps like Ascent and Icebox will be reintroduced in both Competitive and Deathmatch modes, while Abyss and Bind will temporarily exit these queues. An important modification has been made to Ascent: the problematic B Main wall, which players frequently exploited using the Odin, has been fortified. Riot Games stated that this area was causing unbalanced gameplay and unpleasant experiences for players.

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2025-03-04 17:52