Summary:
- Riot Games shockingly canceled Valorant Patch 11.01, which would have followed the huge Act 4 changes.
- Riot stated they delayed the patch because they are switching Valorant’s engine from Unreal Engine 4 to Unreal Engine 5.
- Patch 11.02 will implement all the planned balance changes and fixes originally scheduled for Patch 11.01.
Riot Games announced all of a sudden to the Valorant community: Patch 11.01 is canceled. After continuously pumping out updates and fixes and giving us new experiences, Riot is announcing the suspension of updates. And it’s not due to bugs or unintended adverse effects, but for something considerably larger. It’s a crazy call by Riot that seems to keep everyone interested in the next thing.
What Patch 11.00 Brought
VALORANT, Riot Games’ tactical shooter, has put a lot of effort into maintaining a regular patch schedule since its release. Each patch almost always includes gameplay tuning, bug fixes, and balance adjustments so the gaming experience remains fresh for players. In late June, the release of Patch 11.00 came with the really exciting fourth Act of VALORANT. Alongside it is a brand new map called “Corrode,” which has led to a lot of community discussion surrounding the usual changes in Patch 11.01.
Patch 11.01 was supposed to be a follow-up fine-tuning patch that should have had even more gameplay adjustments and balance adjustments based on the Act 4 changes. However, on June 14, 2025, with less than hours until the planned release, Riot Games cancelled Valorant Patch 11.01.
Riot’s Big Announcement
Instead of releasing the usual patch updates after launching Act 4 and the new map, Riot decided to push any planned changes. Riot formally announced this cancellation through lead developer Kenny “Karnifexlol” Cameron. There, he stated that they needed a delay because the studio was busy moving from Unreal Engine 4 to UE5. So, since the team is skipping Valorant Patch 11.01, they will push all changes until Patch 11.02. Specifically, they scheduled Patch 11.02 for release on July 29, 2025.
Valorant’s Leap to Unreal Engine 5
Riot Games didn’t go ahead with Valorant Patch 11.01 yet because there needs to be a transition to Unreal Engine 5 (UE5) instead of Unreal Engine 4 (UE4). This represents a technology upgrade that Riot plans to make, entailing improved performance and visual clarity while trying to keep the overall experience as a shooter the same in terms of gameplay.
Hence, this is a big transition, and there’s a lot of work to do (like restructuring engine libraries and dependencies). They want to maximize what UE5 has to offer regarding rendering capabilities (improved frame rates, CPU/GPU utilization, system performance). And, Riot aims to keep the game looking as sharp as ever and provide an outstanding tactical experience. This is all while maintaining backward compatibility and functionality for current and future hardware.
Valorant Patch 11.01’s delay also takes into account logistical issues that matter to the player base. The UE5 upgrade will take up about 30 GB of free disk space. So, with that, Riot Games recommends installing via SSD for faster loading times and performance consistency. Moreover, Riot Games said that the upgrade won’t interrupt or destroy gameplay or the competitive meta. Instead, the upgrade should help provide a more consistent frame rate and smoother in-game experiences.
Conclusion
Riot canceling Valorant Patch 11.01 is not a delay, but an indication that they’re in this for the long haul. It may seem like a bummer waiting for the updates while the grind continues. But this Update to Unreal Engine 5 will usher in all sorts of cleaner gaming for Valorant. So while we are hanging tight on Patch 11.02 to drop with each of its awesome new features and technical and graphical improvements, it’s a good time to get ready. Riot is making moves behind the scenes, and soon we will see the results!
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