Valorant patch 4.03 notes: Brimstone buffs, deathmatch spawn changes, weapon updates

Valorant patch 4.03 is upon us, and with it comes a slew of changes to Brimstone’s ult, spawn location, and timers in Deathmatch, as well as some new weapon features. 

Despite Riot Games starting Valorant Episode 4 off with a bang, subsequent patches have been relatively thin and entirely gameplay-focused.

Patch 4.03 follows a similar pattern, focusing on improving several aspects of the Deathmatch mode, as well as giving American Controller, Brimstone, a few QoL buffs to his iconic ultimate.

So, here’s a rundown of everything that’s coming in Valorant Patch 4.03.

Deathmatch changes

While Deathmatch still remains a more specialist mode than the likes of Spike Rush and the normal and Ranked playlists, Riot have given it some TLC.

• Read More: Can you play Valorant on console?

Death timers have been reduced from 3s to 2.5s, while new systems will ensure that you spawn further away from where you were killed. They’ll also check that you don’t spawn in “dangerous” positions that’ll likely wind up with you getting one-tapped immediately.

Additionally, improvements have been implemented so that you’ll respawn facing enemies, instead of getting shot in the back.

Valorant Patch 4.03 notes

Below are Valorant Patch 4.03 notes, courtesy of Riot Games:

AGENT UPDATES

Brimstone

• Brimstone’s ultimate now properly blocks gameplay visibility while active

• You’ll no longer see enemies on the minimap through the ultimate.

• Abilities that require line of sight (flashes, Sova recon pulses) will no longer apply through the ultimate.

MODES UPDATES

Deathmatch

• Removed and in some cases relocated “dangerous” spawn locations

• Improved spawn logic and spawn placement to increase the likelihood that you will be facing each other players in an encounter

• Spawning logic will now favor respawn locations farther away from where you are defeated

• Fixed an issue where the Warm-Up Phase was not using spawn logic properly

• Respawn Time Reduced: 3s >>> 1.5s

SOCIAL UPDATES

• Updated AFK detection in game to deter players from exploiting game modes to farm EXP

PERFORMANCE UPDATES

Global Invalidation

• Global Invalidation provides up to 15% improvement to baseline performance for CPU-bound players

• CPU-bound players are generally mid-to-high spec machines.

• These numbers are based on data gathered from PBE over two weekends (Jan. 22–23, and Feb. 5–6).

• Although we expect a large portion of the player base to benefit from these gains, your machine’s performance may vary.

COSMETIC UPDATES

GAME SYSTEMS UPDATES

• Added option to return to strongest weapon
• You can now return to the strongest weapon when pressing the “Equip Last Used Item” key or when auto-equipping a weapon.

• To toggle ON, go to Settings >> Controls >> Equipment under “Prioritize Strongest Weapon.

ESPORTS FEATURES

• Projectile follow is now fixed for observer followers

• Added observer settings toggle to turn Agent portrait on/off

BUGS

Agents

• Fixed a bug where Chamber’s Headhunter and Tour de Force could float away

• Fixed an exploit where, using specific line-ups, it was possible to see inside Viper’s ultimate without being affected by the nearsighted debuff

• Fixed a bug where Viper’s ultimate would sometimes fail to expand through doorways

Social

• Fixed a bug where pressing enter in pre-game wouldn’t focus chat

• Fixed a bug where right clicking a player portrait would not bring up a context menu

Performance

• Fixed a bug where performance stats would be hidden while spectating the Spike

KNOWN ISSUES

Esports Features

• There is a brief flash when swapping into free-cam mode as an observer follower