On July 29, 2025, Riot Games released Patch 11.02 for VALORANT, marking a pivotal moment for the tactical first-person shooter as it transitions from Unreal Engine 4.27 to Unreal Engine 5.3. This significant upgrade introduces subtle but impactful performance enhancements while laying a robust foundation for the game’s long-term development. Alongside the engine switch, the patch delivers new cosmetic items, a reduced installation footprint, and a series of bug fixes to enhance the player experience.
The shift to Unreal Engine 5.3 is a landmark update for VALORANT, a game that has relied on Unreal Engine 4 since its launch in 2020. According to Riot Games, the upgrade is designed to maintain the game’s signature fast-paced gameplay and iconic art style while improving backend performance. Players can expect small boosts in framerate stability and rendering efficiency, particularly on lower-end systems, without any disruption to core mechanics like gunplay or agent abilities. The transition ensures that competitive elements, such as precise lineups and tactical strategies, remain unchanged, preserving the integrity of VALORANT’s esports scene.
This update requires a one-time download of approximately 30 GB due to the reorganization of core game files. Despite the larger initial download, Riot Games has confirmed that the overall installation size of VALORANT will be reduced by half post-update, freeing up disk space for players. Future patches are also expected to download faster, thanks to Unreal Engine 5’s improved asset streaming and data management capabilities.
Coinciding with the engine upgrade, Patch 11.02 introduces the SplashX skin pack, featuring a vibrant, water-gun-inspired aesthetic that aligns with the holiday season. The bundle’s dynamic visuals and fluid design complement the technological leap of Unreal Engine 5, offering players a fresh cosmetic option to celebrate the update. The timing of the patch is notable, as it overlaps with the VCT Game Changers North America Stage 2 (July 28–September 10, 2025) and precedes major esports events like VALORANT Champions Paris 2025. Riot Games has emphasized that the engine upgrade will enhance stability during high-intensity matches, ensuring a smooth experience for both professional and casual players.
The update also builds anticipation for future features, such as the Replay System slated for Patch 11.06 in September 2025. By leveraging Unreal Engine 5’s advanced toolset, Riot Games aims to introduce dynamic lighting, enhanced physics, and other technical innovations in upcoming updates, all while maintaining VALORANT’s competitive edge.
Bug Fixes and Quality-of-Life Improvements
In addition to the engine overhaul, Patch 11.02 addresses several gameplay and audio issues to refine the player experience. Notable fixes include corrected audio cues for Astra’s Gravity Well and Gekko’s Dizzy and Thrash abilities, ensuring accurate sound indicators for both allied and enemy interactions. Killjoy’s Turret now remains active unless directly hit by Iso’s Undercut, and pathing issues for her Alarmbot on the Corrode map have been resolved. Other fixes include proper alignment of Light and Heavy Armor icons in the HUD, corrected visuals for Cypher’s Spycam dart, and a resolution for a visual bug with Yoru’s Gatecrash.
The adoption of Unreal Engine 5 positions VALORANT for a future of technical and creative advancements. While Patch 11.02 focuses on performance and stability, Riot Games has hinted at gradual visual and feature enhancements in 2025 and beyond. The engine upgrade not only optimizes the game for current players but also equips developers with tools to innovate, ensuring VALORANT remains a leader in the competitive shooter genre.
Below are the complete patch notes for VALORANT Patch 11.02, as provided by Riot Games:
VALORANT Patch 11.02 Notes
General
Updated the game engine from Unreal Engine 4.27 to Unreal Engine 5.3. This has no direct implication on how you experience the game, apart from small performance improvements, but it adds a lot of value for the development team in improving the game in the future.
This patch download size will be larger as we are updating the engine, but one of the benefits is that the VALORANT installation size will be half the size on your disk. After this patch, download sizes will get back to normal.
Updated the minimum system requirements for VALORANT, which can be found here.
Fixed a bug where Light and Heavy Armor UI elements were not aligned properly in the HUD.
PC users also get an Agent ability panel alignment fix.
Agents
Astra: Fixed a bug where the incorrect audio cue would play when getting caught in an allied (or self-casted) Gravity Well.
Gekko: Fixed a bug where other players would hear the incorrect audio cue when a nearby Gekko (allied or enemy) used Dizzy. Fixed a bug that caused Thrash’s hit indicator sound effect to not play for the enemy hit by Thrash.
Killjoy: Fixed a bug where Iso’s Undercut would suppress Turret and cause it to become inactive if hit directly without hitting Killjoy. Fixed pathing for Alarmbot on Corrode.
Yoru: Fixed a visual bug with Gatecrash.
Cypher: Fixed an issue where Spycam dart displays incorrect visuals in first-person.
Cosmetics
Added the SplashX skin pack, featuring a water-gun-inspired aesthetic.
Added the Hot New Engine and High-Tech Novelties gun buddies to player collections to celebrate the Unreal Engine 5 upgrade.
With Patch 11.02, VALORANT steps confidently into a new era, blending technical upgrades with subtle refinements to keep players engaged and ready for what’s next.
