VALORANT’s latest update, Patch 8.04, introduces a series of changes to the Premier mode, enhancing the competitive experience for players.
Premier Mode Updates
The new update eliminates the need for enrollment in the Premier mode. Players can now create a team and start playing at any time. The provisional rank is displayed immediately upon team creation and adjusts with roster changes. It gets locked after the first match is played. Teams can also change their Zone anytime before they play their first match of the Stage.
Weekly Matches
The update introduces rematch protection for weekly matches, ensuring teams won’t face the same opponent twice in a Stage, unless queue times are long. There is also a limit on the number of matches per week. Players can only play two matches per week, preventing them from switching teams mid-week as a free agent.
Esports Features
As the Kickoff concludes and teams secure their place at Masters Madrid, the Global Events tab of the Hub will unlock, allowing players to explore participating teams, schedules, and the new format. Players can check out the Swiss Bracket page for Groups and watch teams qualify for the Playoffs.
Bug Fixes
The update also addresses several bugs. Known cases where KAY/O’s ZERO/point (E) would sometimes report inaccurate information have been fixed. A bug where bullets could pass through the corners of Sage’s Barrier Orb © has also been rectified.
Wrap-Up
VALORANT Patch 8.04 brings a new stage in Premier, which naturally comes alongside a handful of updates. Quality-of-life changes have been added, including rematch protection and the limit to how many games you can play a week. This is to restrict rotating between teams as a free agent. The update is set to streamline the competitive grind with better training, more efficient Premier systems, and updated brackets to follow the pros. Stay tuned for more updates and keep grinding!
