Riot has revealed some of the social changes that will soon come to the multiplayer shooter Valorant, and they’re the sort of changes that fans have been asking for for a while now. These upcoming tweaks will target patches 2.04 and 2.05, and will focus on punishing AFKers and other undesirable player behavior.
The meat of the changes will target AFK players and “AFK-type behavior.” As a 5-on-5 shooter, losing a single teammate can make or break a Valorant match, and it’s clear that Riot is trying to do something about it. Patch 2.04 will implement a new system that will improve detection of AFKers, and the penalty structure for that behavior has been completely overhauled.
Essentially, the new system will track your behavior holistically, meaning that players who drop due to intermittent internet issues won’t get much of a penalty at all. However, those players who go AFK in the middle of games will be hit with increasingly stringent punishments, including queue restrictions, ranked rating reductions, or even an outright ban.
Chat-based offenses are getting a similar overhaul in patch 2.04, with a revamped penalty structure detailed in the blog post. However, the post also notes that players who threaten violence or harass other players will be banned on a zero tolerance basis. Additionally, a feedback system for player reports is planned for patch 2.05.
A recent Valorant patch made substantial changes to rifle movement accuracy, meaning that running and gunning with a rifle is a lot less effective than before. In other Riot news, the company’s CEO was recently accused of creating a hostile work environment in a lawsuit.
GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.
