Valorant patch notes: 5.06 update finally changes Pearl

The Valorant patch notes for the 5.06 update a dream come true. The FPS game‘s most controversial map Pearl is finally getting an update, and the Stinger SMG’s fire patterns will be changing to give players a bit more control.

Valorant map Pearl changes

Rejoice oh Pearl haters, the underwater utopia is finally getting some adjustments in response to player feedback. Pearl has divided fans since release, but these changes are set to make the map less complex.

Pearl was always touted as a more conventional multiplayer FPS map, with Icebox and Fracture having redefined what Valorant maps looked like. Players on both the attacking and defending side have found several issues, however, with Mid Shops being one of the main offenders.

Hopefully these changes will make things a little easier – after all, we don’t want to have it removed entirely like Split (RIP, gone but not forgotten).

Stinger changes

SMGs aren’t the easiest weapons to work with, but the Stinger certainly has earned its name. Hard to control and generally unwieldy, the weapon is largely saved for those punishing eco rounds.

In an attempt to temper the beast, Riot have adjusted both the primary and alt fire to make the gun a little more accurate.

Valorant patch notes: 5.06 update

Below are the full Valorant patch notes for the 5.06 update, courtesy of Riot Games.

WEAPON UPDATES

Stinger

• Primary Fire error adjusted from 1.6 error after 7 bullets >>> 1.3 error after 6 bullets
• Alt Fire first shot error adjusted from .5 >>> .35

MAP UPDATES

Pearl

Pearl is getting a handful of small updates that aim to reduce some complexity and make it easier to move through a few areas for both attackers and defenders

• B Main – Lowered waist-high wall on the left side of B Main so that it can no longer completely hide anyone
• Mid Shops – Clearing this area in Mid Shops is harder than we intended. By extending the platform, we’re still keeping some of the holding power for attackers, but making it easier to push this area.
• Mid Shops to Mid Plaza – This is another spot on Mid Shops that’s proven to be painful to clear when trying to move through mid. So we’ve removed one of the corners
• Mid Top – Mid currently favours attackers so we’ve pushed in a wall on Mid Top, to remove a 50-50 check. This should make it slightly easier for defenders to challenge mid
• A Art – We noticed the difficulty both sides have had moving effectively through A Art. We’re simplifying the space so there are fewer areas to check
• B Link – This box provides a good piece of cover for Attackers pushing B link, but it’s been tough to re-clear for defenders. We’re keeping a little attacker-side power, but making it easier for defenders to manage. The stack of boxes cover closer to the site will shift from the left side to the right, to simplify the number of angles approaching players need to consider, as well as close a difficult sightline to B Hall
• A Main – Removing a cut out on the wall of A Main to simplify the space, which should also make this area slightly easier for defenders to aggro into (although really, you should hold site)
• A Main to A Site – This spot was unnecessarily tough to smoke effectively. By tightening the choke by a margin, we hope to make smoking easier and give a small buff to defenders (i.e, a new utility spot). The cubby on the right will also shrink slightly to keep it from being too deep

SOCIAL UPDATES

• Disruptive Gameplay-based Behavior Indicator
• We’ve introduced a feature that will show at the end of game screen, which players have been detected for engaging in disruptive gameplay-based behavior. This has been added to the following game modes: Unrated, Competitive, Spike Rush, and Replication, with more game modes to follow in the near future.

BUG FIXES

Agents

• Fixed issue with KAY/O’s Zero/point sometimes incorrectly displaying enemies that were hit on KAY/O’s UI

Social

• Fixed a bug where Clutch Mutes would persist after the match ended
• Fixed a bug that prevented you from being able to respond to a whisper by clicking on the Riot ID of the player who sent the whisper in Chat
• Fixed a bug that caused the Social Panel to close when right-clicking into the Friend Note text field
• Fixed a bug where pending invites would not disappear after all friends have left the Party
• Fixed a bug where the incorrect system message was sent when accepting a friend request via the Match Tab in-game

With the new Pearl changes, it’s worth checking out our guide to the best Valorant crosshairs and codes to help you make the best of these changes. Also, you can check out our Valorant tier list to help get to grips with the current meta.