Valorant's 12.00 update has landed, and it is not a quiet start to 2026. Riot Games opened the new year with a patch that adds a new sidearm, reshapes several Agents, brings Breeze back with its biggest map rework yet, and introduces a limited-time mode that sounds designed for pure chaos. Players who were still settling into the post-Harbor rework meta now have a fresh set of numbers to learn.
The headline addition is the Bandit, a new pistol that sits right between the Ghost and the Sheriff. At 600 credits, it gives players another option in light rounds, especially those who want to lean on Agent abilities without abandoning gunplay. Riot describes it as a precision sidearm with one-tap headshot potential, which is a serious promise for a 600-credit weapon.
| Bandit stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Class | Sidearm |
| Price | 600 credits |
| Magazine | 8 bullets |
| Reserve | 24 bullets |
| Reload | 1.5s |
| Equip | 0.75s |
| Wall penetration | Medium |
| Attachments | None |
That price point matters. The Ghost has long been the default eco pistol, while the Sheriff is the premium gamble. The Bandit tries to carve out a middle lane, and its one-shot headshot threat could make it a favorite for players who trust their first bullet.
Agent changes: Breach, Harbor, Sage, Tejo, and Vyse
Riot's Agent pass is aimed at names that have been underperforming. Breach gets some power back in high-level play, with Flashpoint projectile speed rising 20 percent from 2000 to 2400. Fault Line also gets a width increase. The goal is to reward precision and coordination, which has always been Breach's identity.
Harbor's new abilities are being tuned after a quieter-than-hoped debut. Storm Surge no longer needs line of sight to nearsight and slow players, its windup drops from 0.8s to 0.6s, and its slow duration jumps from 0.6s to 2s. Reckoning's slow duration also moves to 2s. Those are big windows of advantage for enemies caught in his aggressive utility.
Sage receives a targeting update for Healing Orb. The change makes healing more accurate to Agent models, and players can now heal targeted allies if the mid and lower sections of their models are blocked by geometry. It is a quality-of-life fix that should make Sage feel less fussy in tight spots.
Tejo gets a mixed adjustment. Special Delivery's Concuss duration falls from 4s to 2.5s, but the explosion now deals damage. Stealth Drone changes from a Snapshot reveal to a full Reveal, while its pulse radius drops from 30m to 16m. Riot wants Tejo's supporting tools to create clearer calls for Guided Salvos without making the drone a giant information net.
Vyse gets a small but meaningful buff to Steel Garden. Its radius rises from 26m to 28m, and its width rises from 7.5m to 8m. After recent changes left her slightly underperforming, the extra area should make site takes and defensive holds more reliable. Brimstone was named in the headline Agent changes, though the detailed numbers in the public notes center on the other names.
Breeze returns with a major rework
Breeze is back, and Riot calls it the biggest map rework yet. The changes reduce angle complexity, tighten open spaces, and improve rotation times for defenders. The sun is still shining, but plenty of old setups likely will not survive the update.
There is also a learning aid for Competitive. For the first two weeks, Breeze RR losses are reduced by 50 percent, while wins still award 100 percent. That gives players room to learn the new layout without being punished as harshly.
Haven and Corrode also see changes. Haven's Mid Window gains a breakable element to prevent early-round kills through wall penetration. Corrode gets adjustments on A Site and B Site. In the map pool, Breeze enters Competitive and Deathmatch, while Sunset leaves both queues.
All Random One Site brings controlled chaos
The new limited-time mode is called All Random One Site. It is a fast 5v5 format where every player gets a random Agent each round, with no duplicates per team. Each round activates one bomb site while barriers block unused areas, and the active site randomizes.
Abilities come fully charged at no cost, loadouts are chosen each round with no economy, and Ultimate Orbs are scattered around the map. Players start each round at 0 percent ultimate charge, Orbs grant 50 percent, and kills also grant 50 percent. The result is a mode that throws economy discipline out the window and leans into constant ability fights.
Security, behavior, and quality-of-life updates
Starting in 12.00, accounts detected for sharing in the EU and all Ascendant+ players must enable Riot Mobile multi-factor authentication to access Competitive queue. Other modes remain unaffected. Riot also introduces the Community Pact, an annual recommitment to player behavior expectations, and updates report categories to match those principles. Chat and inappropriate-name penalties are getting firmer and faster for frequent or severe offenses.
The patch also includes a refreshed home screen, lobby and queue select screens, a revamped social panel, Premier Stage V26A1 starting January 14, and a long list of bug fixes. Deadlock's Barrier Mesh invisibility issue under packet loss is addressed, and KAY/O's missing death sound while downed in NULL/cmd is fixed. For players who enjoy tight gunplay, strange new modes, and a Breeze that feels different under their feet, 12.00 gives plenty to test.