Valorant Patch Notes 12.00: Full Patch Notes & Major Changes

The year 2026 kicks off with Patch 12.00, a substantial update that focuses on the deep-seated competitive and gameplay issues instead of superficial content. The features that characterize Valorant Patch Notes 12.00 are the support of replays, a redesigned Breeze, balancing of agent utilities, and more severe enforcement of good behavior.
Below is a breakdown of what changed.

Valorant Patch Notes 12.00: Replays Added to Custom Matches & Competitive Updates

Replay recording is now available in Custom Swiftplay and Standard games. Party leaders can enable recording from the custom lobby. For teams running scrims, this allows review of post-plant positioning errors, utility timing on site hits, and retake pathing issues. While ranked matches are not included yet, custom replay access already fixes an analysis gap highlighted by Valorant Patch Notes 12.00. Reviewing these replays can also help players fine-tune their aim and movement, making it a perfect opportunity to experiment with their VALORANT Best Sensitivity Settings for better precision and control in matches.

Hidden MMR Adjustments

The hidden MMR calculations went through a rework to minimize mismatches in terms of skill between the players. This has a major impact on the lobbies where the players face each other or play with each other who are performing significantly higher or lower than the expected skill level over and over again.
MFA made obligatory for the Players of High Ranks in EU
Riot Mobile MFA is a must for the Ascendant and higher-ranked players in EU to get into the Competitive game. Account sharing cases will also be covered here. Other game modes remain open under Valorant Patch Notes 12.00.

Agent Updates

Breach

Breach is back to being the most reliable agent for coordinated pushes:

• Flashpoint, on the other hand, is making a faster travel to the site thus cutting the reaction time during the site hits
• Fault Line is getting even wider nowadays, making it easier to clear the death trap areas like Ascent A Main

Brimstone

• Tactical map clarity alterations have made it easier for Sky Smoke and Orbital Strike placement for quick executes particularly on multilayered maps.

Harbor

Harbor's offensive nature is now a weapon against bad positioning:

• Storm Surge proclaims nearsight through walls making corner clears more secure.
• Longer slows give time for follow up actions to be done during site take.
• Reckoning keeps enemies in the open areas for a longer time.

Sage

• Healing now prioritizes agent hitboxes, allowing heals through partial cover like boxes or railings. This fix missed heals during mid fight peeks.

Tejo

Utility now supports round to round pressure:

• Special Delivery deals damage allowing it to break defensive utility
• Stealth Drone fully reveals enemies improving Guided Salvo timing
• Reduced pulse radius forces deliberate scouting

Vyse

• Steel Garden covers more space making site holds harder to brute force without utility clearing.

Breeze Rework & Wall Penetration Changes

Breeze is back with redesigns that lower vistas for shooting across the map, narrow the middle and speed up rotations of defenders. The patch Valorant Patch Notes 12.00 has indeed changed the dynamics of the common tycoons, setups, and early angels of punishing players downstairs.

Losses of RR on Breeze during the first two weeks are halved, whereas wins still give the whole RR.

• Haven has changed the situation of Mid Window, which now is broke and thus no early round wallbang kill from spawn setups will be possible.
• Corrode has seen a change in the wall material on A and B sites so as to prevent low-risk penetration holds. With mechanical consistency becoming more important after these changes, fine-tuning aim fundamentals using resources like the VALORANT Best Sensitivity Settings Guide for Competitive Play can provide a measurable edge.

Map Pool Rotation, New Limited Time Mode, & More

• Breeze has been added as a map in Competitive and Deathmatch.
• Sunset has been taken out as map in Competitive and Deathmatch

An All Random One Site mode that is designed to create constant pressure alternates a random agent every round and restricts the action to just one bomb site. Players get any weapons they want since there is no economy, abilities recharge while the round is ongoing, and both Ultimate Orbs and kills provide charge. When players get killed, they leave behind orbs that can change the tide of battle right in the same round.
Snowball Fight is off the list of modes due to the introduction of the Valorant Patch Notes 12.00.

Player Behavior System Updates

Behavior Standing

Penalty risk and active restrictions are now visible in the Social Panel.

Riot Games Community Pact

Players must reaffirm conduct expectations yearly. Reporting categories now match enforcement actions.
Voice and text abuse escalates penalties faster. Accounts banned for inappropriate Riot IDs cannot rename until restrictions end.

New Weapon: Bandit Sidearm, PC Client UI Changes & Bug Fixes

The Bandit is a hybrid between Ghost and Sheriff. It is priced at 600 credits, has a magazine capacity of 8 rounds, medium wall penetration ability, and can perform one-tap headshots.
It rewards the player for aiming skill with less risk than if they did a full eco buy.

• New Home Screen layout.
• Queue Select screen.
• Cleaner Custom Lobby structure.
• Updated Social Panel with friend request tools.

Fixes include:

• The patch fixes ability animation breaks, wall penetration exploits, audio inconsistencies, observer UI bugs, and issues with the display of Premier and Competitive.

In contrast to prior seasonal patches that introduced new characters or mechanics revolving around abilities, Valorant Patch Notes 12.00 reroute the spotlight onto the systems that were already under heavy strain. With these updates, players can better learn rotations and callouts across All Valorant Maps in 2026, which helps stabilize ranked play and improves overall map awareness.