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Valorant patch notes 10.00: New agent Tejo, map pool change, FLEX cosmetics

Complete Valorant 10.00 patch analysis with new agent Tejo, map rotations, and competitive updates

  • 8c77a5 Published on 2026-04-05
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Complete Valorant 10.00 patch analysis with new agent Tejo, map rotations, and competitive updates

Patch Overview & Key Highlights

Valorant’s milestone 10.00 update introduces groundbreaking changes that reshape the competitive landscape. The spotlight shines on Tejo, an innovative Initiator hailing from Colombia, bringing fresh tactical possibilities to team compositions. Alongside the new agent debut, strategic map pool adjustments and the revolutionary FLEX cosmetic system provide players with both gameplay enhancements and personalization options.

This comprehensive update addresses long-standing community requests while introducing quality-of-life improvements that streamline the competitive experience. From automatic remake voting to refined explosion mechanics, patch 10.00 represents Riot’s commitment to evolving Valorant based on player feedback and competitive integrity.

Strategic Tip: Prepare for Tejo’s arrival by practicing lineups on the returning Fracture and Lotus maps, as his abilities create new attack and defense opportunities on these specific layouts.

New Agent: Tejo – The Colombian Initiator

Tejo emerges as a versatile Initiator designed to control space and gather intelligence. His staggered global rollout begins January 8th at 9:00 AM PT, allowing players worldwide to gradually integrate his unique toolkit into their strategies. Tejo’s abilities emphasize area denial and information gathering, making him particularly effective on maps with tight choke points and multiple angles.

  • EQUIP a sticky grenade. FIRE to launch. The grenade sticks to the first surface it hits and explodes, Concussing any targets caught in the blast. ALT FIRE to launch the grenade with a single bounce instead.
  • EQUIP a stealth drone. FIRE to throw the drone forward, assuming direct control of its movement. FIRE again to trigger a pulse that Suppresses and Reveals enemies hit.
  • EQUIP an AR targeting system. FIRE to select up to two target locations on the map. ALT FIRE to launch missiles that autonomously navigate to target locations, detonating on arrival.
  • CONSOLE ONLY: EQUIP an AR targeting system. ALT FIRE to select up to two target locations on the map. FIRE to launch missiles that autonomously navigate to target locations, detonating on arrival.
  • EQUIP a tactical strike targeting map. FIRE to select the origin point of the strike. FIRE again to set the end point and launch the attack, unleashing a wave of explosions along the strike path. ALT FIRE during map targeting to cancel the origin point.
  • CONSOLE ONLY: EQUIP a tactical strike targeting map. ALT FIRE to select the origin point of the strike. FIRE to set the end point and launch the attack, unleashing a wave of explosions along the strike path. ALT FIRE during map targeting to cancel the origin point.

    • Advanced Strategy: Use Tejo’s sticky grenade to deny defuse attempts or clear corners, while his stealth drone provides crucial information for executing site takes. The guided missiles excel at flushing out defenders from entrenched positions, creating opportunities for your duelists to secure frags.

    Common Mistake: Avoid using Tejo’s tactical strike without proper team coordination. The lengthy activation time leaves you vulnerable to pushes, so ensure your team can cover angles while you set up the strike path.

    Agent Balance Changes

    Significant improvements to explosion mechanics create more consistent damage application across multiple agents. Raze, Sova, and Gekko now share standardized explosion behavior, eliminating frustrating inconsistencies that previously affected competitive outcomes.

  • Gameplay logic around ability effects themed as explosions has been updated
  • Raze, Sova, and Gekko’s explosions should behave more consistently in how they deal damage.
  • Most notably, this should affect instances where Raze’s Showstopper (X) fails to deal damage in situations where it clips into level geometry.

    • Brimstone receives a quality-of-life enhancement that improves his fluidity in combat situations. The Stim Beacon equip time adjustment from Normal to Fast allows for quicker deployment during intense firefights, making the ability more practical in clutch scenarios.

  • Full equips are rare and usually reserved for abilities with higher counterplay needs. This is a light quality of life change for Brimstone.
  • Equip time after casting adjusted from Normal >>> Fast

    • Optimization Tip: With the improved explosion consistency, practice Raze’s Showstopper against various map geometries to understand the new damage radius. The fixed clipping issues mean you can now confidently use ultimate abilities near walls and obstacles.

    Map Pool Rotation & Competitive Updates

    The competitive map pool undergoes a strategic reshuffle with Fracture and Lotus returning to active duty while Ascent and Sunset exit rotation. This change introduces fresh strategic dynamics and requires teams to adapt their agent compositions and execute strategies.

  • Fracture and Lotus are back IN the COMPETITIVE and DEATHMATCH queues.
  • Ascent and Sunset are OUT of the COMPETITIVE and DEATHMATCH queues.

    • The newly relaunched Esports Hub for VCT 2025 provides comprehensive tools for following the competitive scene. Fans can now track match schedules, roster changes, and tournament brackets with enhanced precision, creating a more engaging viewing experience.

  • The Esports Hub is back for VCT25!
  • Check out our new overview page that provides a concise snapshot of where we are on the year long VCT journey!
  • See where everyone landed after roster-mania and get familiar with our four new guest teams!
  • Dive into the brackets for the International League Kickoff starting on January 11!

    • Map Strategy Insight: Fracture’s return favors agents with strong split-site control like Astra and Viper, while Lotus’s tight corridors benefit from sentinels like Killjoy and Cypher. Adjust your agent picks accordingly to maximize effectiveness on the returning maps.

    Starting with patch 10.00, maps will rotate every Act. We’ll provide updates about which maps are rotating on a per-Act basis, announcing the next Act’s map pool shortly after the current Act starts.

    FLEX Cosmetics & Quality of Life

    The FLEX cosmetic system revolutionizes player expression with customizable agent animations and emotes. Accessed through the Collections menu, this feature allows for personalized gameplay moments beyond traditional weapon skins and player cards.

  • You can now access the FLEX cosmetic customization menu in Collections. Everyone will have a default FLEX, STAT-COM, added to their inventory. You can equip a FLEX by assigning them to your Spray Wheel, which from now on will be referred to as the Expressions Wheel.

    • Automatic remake voting streamlines the process for handling AFK players during critical first rounds. The new system requires only a majority vote from remaining players rather than unanimous consent, reducing frustration in unbalanced matches.

    Automatic Remake Voting

  • When a player AFKs in the first round, a remake vote now automatically starts and requires only a majority vote of the remaining players to pass.
  • Example: Previously if one player was AFK, this vote required all four players to vote yes. Now it only requires three out of the remaining four players to vote yes to be successful.

    • Custom game enthusiasts gain new practice tools with the “show map pings in world” cheat, enabling precise lineup practice and strategy development. This feature reverts ping behavior to pre-9.11 functionality for training purposes.

  • A “show map pings in world” cheat has been added to Custom game modes to support labbing lineups and practice.
  • When enabled, this cheat reverts the map pinging behavior to pre-patch 9.11 behavior.

    • Pro Tip: Use the Expressions Wheel strategically during buy rounds to communicate with teammates non-verbally. The STAT-COM default FLEX provides clear visual cues that can enhance team coordination without voice comms.

    Bug Fixes & Technical Improvements

    Comprehensive bug fixes address longstanding issues affecting gameplay clarity and consistency. Agent-specific problems have been resolved, including Phoenix’s Not Dead Yet activation timing and Skye’s Guiding Light flash duration scaling.

  • Fixed a bug causing some abilities to display as the wrong team color for observers.
  • Fixed an issue where Not Dead Yet could fail to cast when pressed in the last few frames of the activation window
  • Fixed a bug where Guiding Light’s flash duration was not scaling properly
  • Fixed a bug where Guiding Light’s hit confirm sound and VO would not play when hitting Yoru’s Fakeout Clone
  • Fixed an issue where shooting through Cypher’s Cyber Cage or Viper’s Poison Cloud could cheat wall penetration if they were placed too close to level geometry
  • Fixed an issue where Blaze referenced a Harbor projectile asset for a few frames
  • Fixed an issue where Blaze’s visual effects could be slightly offset

    • Weapon and visual improvements enhance the overall gameplay experience. Brimstone’s Sky Smoke performance has been optimized, while ADS weapon behavior and hit-confirm sounds with Regen Shields now function as intended.

  • Improved the performance around Brimstone’s Sky Smoke dissipation effect
  • Fixed an issue where specific flashbang projectile visuals would stick around for Observers
  • Fixed an issue where players taking damage with Regen Shields would play hit-confirm sounds regardless of player visibility
  • Fixed a bug where if you were in Aim Down Sights (ADS), weapons would occasionally exit and re-enter ADS without any input.

    • Known Issue: When in a custom game with cheats enabled, if the player changes Agents after using the Restart Game cheat, the Expressions Wheel may appear blank. The development team is investigating this for future patches.

  • When in a custom game with cheats enabled, if the player changes Agents after using the Restart Game cheat, the Expressions Wheel (where you find Sprays and Flex choices) may appear blank. We’re looking to fix this in coming patches.

    • Performance Note: The fixed Sky Smoke dissipation effect significantly improves frame rate stability on lower-end systems during execute-heavy rounds, providing a smoother competitive experience.

    No reproduction without permission：Game Guides Online » Valorant patch notes 10.00: New agent Tejo, map pool change, FLEX cosmetics Complete Valorant 10.00 patch analysis with new agent Tejo, map rotations, and competitive updates

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