VALORANT Patch 13.02 is now live with a focused balance adjustment for Phoenix, three additional maps for Retake mode and a substantial collection of bug fixes. Riot Games has also delayed the planned All Random One Site: Replication mode, with no new release date confirmed. The update was officially published on July 28, 2026.
Phoenix Ultimate Now Costs Seven Points
Phoenix receives the only direct Agent balance change in Patch 13.02. Riot has increased the cost of Run It Back from six Ultimate points to seven.
The developer says it remains satisfied with Phoenix’s overall balance. The adjustment specifically addresses how frequently he could activate his Ultimate compared with other Agents.
Run It Back allows Phoenix to take aggressive fights, gather information and potentially secure eliminations without permanently losing his life if the ability expires or he is killed. At six points, players could charge it relatively quickly through kills, Spike plants and Ultimate Orbs.
The updated cost means Phoenix users will generally need one additional point before activating it. That should reduce how often teams can use Run It Back during a half, particularly when Phoenix is not consistently collecting Orbs or earning multiple kills.
Key Phoenix changes:
- Run It Back cost increased from six to seven points
- No changes to Phoenix’s basic abilities, healing or weapon interactions
The change is a frequency nerf rather than a redesign of Phoenix’s role or playstyle.
The Agent can still function as an aggressive entry option, but teams may need to be more selective about when they build strategies around his Ultimate.
Retake Mode Adds Three More Maps
Riot is expanding the Retake map pool with Split, Corrode and Lotus. Retake mode places players into condensed post-plant situations, allowing teams to practise site defence, utility usage and coordinated retakes without playing a full standard match.
| Patch 13.02 feature | Change |
|---|---|
| Phoenix | Run It Back increased to seven points |
| Retake mode | Split, Corrode and Lotus added |
| AROS: Replication | Delayed to a future update |
| Agent fixes | Multiple ability and animation bugs resolved |
| Platform fixes | Separate PC and console issues addressed |
Adding more maps should make the mode more useful as a warm-up and practice tool. Players can now experience a wider variety of site layouts, rotation routes and post-plant positions.
The update does not indicate that any existing Retake maps have been removed.
AROS: Replication Has Been Delayed
All Random One Site: Replication was originally expected to arrive with Patch 13.02. Riot has now confirmed that the mode will not launch as part of this update.
The developer says it is still targeting a future release but has not announced a revised date. Riot also did not provide a detailed technical explanation for the delay.
Confirmed information about the delay:
- AROS: Replication is not included in Patch 13.02
- Riot still intends to release the mode in the future
- No replacement launch date has been confirmed
Any specific claim about why the mode was delayed would therefore be unconfirmed. The decision may indicate that additional development or testing is required, but Riot has not publicly stated the exact reason.
Deadlock and Omen Interaction Caused Extreme Damage
The most unusual bug addressed in the update involved Deadlock’s Annihilation and Omen’s From the Shadows.
According to Riot’s official notes, Annihilation could incorrectly capture Omen while he was using his Ultimate. The interaction then caused 900,100 points of unintended damage. The issue has now been fixed.
Patch 13.02 also resolves several other Agent problems. Cypher could rarely disconnect while casting Neural Theft, while Gekko’s Wingman could unexpectedly die during a Spike plant or defuse when the game was running at a very low frame rate.
Chamber’s Rendezvous could fail to return him to his anchor. Waylay could clip into the walls of Icebox’s B Tube by combining Lightspeed and Refract. Jett’s Tailwind and Updraft could also suffer an unintended delay after Cloudburst.
Additional fixes affect Omen, KAY/O, Miks, Reyna, Raze and Vyse. Most of these changes address missing effects, incorrect animations, unreliable ability behaviour or unintended geometry interactions.
Summit Receives an Ability Interaction Fix
Riot has corrected an issue on Summit where Agent utility could be crushed by a door even when the door was already closed.
The update is relatively small, but fixes involving doors and utility can matter in competitive matches. Players rely on predictable ability placement when controlling narrow routes or defending key areas.
A utility item disappearing because of an inconsistent environmental interaction can change the result of a round without giving either team a fair opportunity to respond.
PC and Console Get Separate Fixes
Patch 13.02 contains several platform-specific changes.
On PC, Riot fixed incorrect values appearing in the Packets Received and Packets Sent Rate graphs at extremely high frame rates. This was described as a cosmetic issue rather than a direct networking or performance problem.
Console fixes include missing haptic feedback for Chamber’s Tour de Force and missing aim assistance for Yoru’s Fakeout. Riot also corrected a Waylay interaction that could grant unintended dash speed and distance when players equipped the Spike or a Flex item immediately after using Lightspeed.
Another console issue could cause the Settings menu to close instead of displaying Agent information in modes without abilities.
Assessment
VALORANT Patch 13.02 is not a major Meta reset, but it addresses several areas that could affect everyday matches. Phoenix’s Ultimate nerf should reduce repeated Run It Back activations without removing the ability’s strategic value.
The Retake expansion gives players more variety and makes the mode a broader practice option. By contrast, the delayed Replication variant removes one of the update’s expected content additions, with players now waiting for Riot to provide a new timeline.
The bug fixes are arguably the most important part of the patch. Several corrected issues could cause deaths, disconnects, failed abilities or unfair movement. Removing those interactions improves consistency even if the changes do not immediately transform Agent pick rates or professional strategies.
