Dexerto/Riot Games

Valorant’s 12.03 patch notes are here, and there are some changes to Gekko, as well as a further rollout of MFA. So, let’s get into everything in this update.

The backend of 2026 was a pretty big one for Valorant, with Riot Games making some agent-wide updates, finally reworking Harbor, and allowing players to gift VP to their friends as well. This wave of big changes also saw a crackdown on smurfs with increased MFA updates.

Riot hasn’t slowed down either, with the start of 2026 bringing another Harbor revamp, and a brand-new pistol in the form of the Bandit.

Those changes have continued too, with the 12.03 update dropping on February 17. The new patch brings a tweak to Gekko, Skirmish as a 2v2 mode, as well a wider rollout of multi-factor authentication.

That’s right, the big change in this update is the tweak to Gekko, with Riot trying to give the agent a “slight power buff” now.

This comes in the form of his Mosh Pit now being reclaimable, but the trade-off is that his Globules will take 20 seconds to recall now, not 15 seconds as previous.

“These changes aim to unify the ruleset for how all of Gekko’s abilities work, give him more flexibility in reclaiming his Globules,” Riot added.

As noted, Skirmish is now queueable as a limited-time 2v2 mode. “Compact maps, no abilities—gunplay only,” Riot said, allowing you to hone your shooting skills in tight spaces.

Valorant 12.02 patch notes bring another Harbor buff & Reyna nerf

Valorant 12.00 patch notes add new Bandit pistol, agent reworks, and Breeze overhaul

Valorant 11.10 patch notes finally bring Harbor rework & new ability

If you’re an Ascendant+ player in APAC, you will now have to use multi-factor authentication to get into competitive queues. This brings it in-line with EU, NA, LATAM, BR, and KR players.

The full patch notes for the 12.03 update can be found below.

Valorant 12.03 patch notes

ALL PLATFORMS

AGENT UPDATES

Added new voice lines for Viper, including conversation lines with Omen and Vyse

Gekko

Since patch 11.08, we’ve heard the feedback that Gekko has felt substantially weaker in comparison to other Initiators with less of an opportunity to play around his Reclaim. These changes aim to unify the ruleset for how all of Gekko’s abilities work, give him more flexibility in reclaiming his Globules, and provide a slight power buff overall.
Globules: Reclaim timer increased 15s >> 20s
Mosh Pit: Is now reclaimable

GENERAL UPDATES

Audio occlusion now responds to map doorways being opened, closed, or destroyed.
When watching Replays, you now have a setting to skip spectating dead players.

COMPETITIVE UPDATES

In APAC, accounts flagged for sharing and all Ascendant+ players must enable Riot Mobile multi-factor authentication (MFA) to access Competitive queue. Other modes remain unaffected.

ESPORTS FEATURES

Masters Santiago Pick’Ems

Pick’Ems return in style for Masters Santiago! Starting February 19 (PT), you can make your picks for the Swiss Stage in-client and on the web.
For the Swiss Stage, you’ll be tasked with trying to predict who will advance from the 8-Team Swiss Groups. For extra bonus points, try to predict a team who will make it out flawlessly with a 2-0 record.
Earn an exclusive title just for playing, but win additional prizes depending on how you fare against other players.

VCT Player Stats

Player stats are now available on the Esports Hub Teams page. Take a look and see how you compare.

MODES UPDATES

NEW LIMITED TIME MODE

Skirmish: 2v2 — Skirmish comes to matchmaking as a 2v2 queue for a limited time. Compact maps, no abilities—gunplay only. Grab a partner and put your mechanics to the test.

Mode Details

2v2 Matchmaking Queue
Solo queue or bring a partner
First to 10 rounds wins

Gameplay

Abilities disabled
Full weapon selection each round (no economy)
No agent select–hop in and go next fast

Available Maps

Skirmish A, Skirmish B, Skirmish C
Map randomly selected each match

ALL RANDOM ONE SITE

Loadouts

We’ve taken a pass on Stages and Loadouts. All Random One Site is chaotic by design, but your loadout should still give you some agency. We’ve added weapons to a few stages and buffed some of the more niche options—hop in and see what’s new.

BUG FIXES

Modes
All Random One Site
Fixed an issue where Vyse could continuously place infinite Razorvines during Buy phase.

KNOWN ISSUES

Battlepass

Hitting ESC will cause the Battlepass elements to disappear/reappear instead of taking you back a page. This will be resolved in patch 12.04.
Scroll wheel currently will not work when navigating between the tiers on the battlepass or event pass. This will be fixed soon.

Store

The background for the accessories store is currently missing. This will be resolved in patch 12.04.
The Reaver Bandit is showing up incorrectly as a limited edition item. This is not limited edition and will be resolved in patch 12.04.

PC ONLY

PROGRESSION UPDATES

Refreshed Event Pass & Battlepass
Updated layout and button visuals. You can navigate through tiers using mouse or arrow keys.

Valorant 12.03 patch notes brings Gekko buff and fresh game mode

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