Valorant 13.06 patch launches September 22 with new Warden weapon and game mode

Valorant's 13.06 patch arrives Tuesday, September 22, with rollout continuing into Wednesday, September 23, for players in later time zones. Riot Games is delivering what it describes as one of the biggest updates the shooter has ever received, introducing the Warden weapon, a brand-new game mode, and fresh ranked rewards.

The patch represents an unusual decision by Riot to pack major content into the middle of Season 2026 Act 5 rather than waiting for a new Act or Season to begin. The timing positions the update just ahead of Champions 2026.

A significant change comes to how players unlock agent gear. The system is shifting from overall account progress to time spent on each specific agent. Players currently working toward gear unlocks should complete their progress under the existing system before the patch launches, as the new per-agent playtime model takes effect on September 22.

Servers will roll out according to Riot's standard regional schedule, with the Americas receiving access first, followed by Europe and APAC roughly a day later. While the update's scale suggests brief downtime is possible, a full maintenance window is unlikely since this is not a new Act launch. Exact launch times vary by region based on Riot's typical patch-day pattern.