VALORANT Patch 13.06 Is Live: Warden Rifle, Agent Mastery and Gauntlet: Glitched Explained
VALORANT Patch 13.06 is now live, and Riot Games has packed it with changes that affect nearly every kind of player. Released September 22, 2026, the update introduces a new 2,900-credit rifle, a full Agent Mastery progression system, the experimental Gauntlet: Glitched limited-time mode, a replacement for Average Combat Score, the ability to warm up in the Range while matchmaking, and a redesigned Home and Lobby experience.
Riot called 13.06 its biggest patch of the year and suggested it may be one of the game’s largest updates in years. Here is what actually changed and what players should know before their next queue.
The Warden joins the Vandal and Phantom at 2,900 credits
The headline weapon addition is the Warden, a new automatic rifle priced at 2,900 credits—the same tier as the Vandal and Phantom. Riot describes it as a distinct long-range option rather than a direct replacement for either existing rifle.
The Warden carries an 18-round magazine, a 2x scope and medium wall penetration. It deals 50 body damage, 200 headshot damage and 42 leg damage at all ranges, with a fire rate of 6.5 rounds per second. That combination gives it a very different risk-reward profile from VALORANT’s established rifles: fewer rounds and a slower rate of fire, but extremely high per-shot damage and no long-range damage falloff.
Because the weapon has only just entered live play, claims that it will replace the Vandal, Phantom or Guardian are premature. Its real competitive impact will become clearer as players test it across different maps, economy situations and team compositions.
Gauntlet: Glitched turns VALORANT into an eight-duo tournament
The new limited-time mode Gauntlet: Glitched puts 16 players into eight two-person teams. Each round is a 2v2 matchup, and losing costs team health. Reach zero health and the duo is eliminated; eliminated teams can leave immediately and queue again.
The unusual part is ability drafting. Players build kits using abilities from different Agents and upgrade those abilities as the match progresses. Level 2 abilities also have a rare chance to “glitch,” producing deliberately exaggerated effects. Riot’s examples include manually detonating Raze’s Boom Bot and creating an oversized version of Gekko’s Wingman.
Matches rotate through four purpose-built arenas assembled from recognizable VALORANT environments. Weapons change as the tournament advances, while later losses inflict more team-health damage. Retake, the previous limited-time mode, leaves the rotation with this patch.
Agent Mastery starts everyone from zero
Agent Mastery adds dedicated progression to every Agent. Playing an Agent earns Mastery Points, with wins and strong performances granting bonus progress. Each Agent has both an Act Level, which resets each Act, and a Lifetime Level that persists permanently.
There are 10 main Act Levels. Levels 4, 7 and 10 unlock Portrait Accents, while players who reach Level 10 can continue overleveling for the remainder of the Act. Lifetime progression opens Agent-specific Reward Tracks, where Kingdom Credits can be spent on rewards and components for the new customizable Agent ID.
One detail matters for longtime players: previous Agent playtime does not retroactively count. Riot is starting every player at zero Mastery progress so the system begins from the same point for everyone.
Average Combat Score is out; Performance Score is in
Patch 13.06 replaces Average Combat Score with Performance Score in Competitive, Unrated, Swiftplay and Premier. The new 0–500 score is intended to measure contributions beyond raw kills and damage. MVP and scoreboard position in those modes are now determined by Performance Score.
Riot has also added Accolades for notable performances and Rank Legacy, which tracks how often a player has achieved ranks across their Competitive career. Accolades begin tracking with 13.06, so historical matches will not populate those records.
You can finally enter the Range while waiting in queue
Players can now enter the Practice Range after matchmaking begins—or start matchmaking from inside the Range. Riot notes that the option may not appear when a queue is expected to be short. Premier, Deathmatch and other modes without an Agent Select phase do not currently support the feature.
For players who routinely spend several minutes waiting for Competitive matches, this is a practical quality-of-life change: warm-up time no longer has to end the moment matchmaking starts.
A redesigned Home, Lobby and post-match experience
Riot has merged Home and Lobby into a single hub. Events, Missions, the active map pool, Leaderboards, limited-time features and party information can now be surfaced from the same area. Global navigation has also been reorganized, and the End of Game screen now consolidates performance, rewards, match details, Mastery progress and other highlights.
Riot says another Mode Select interface update is planned for Patch 13.08.
Console expands to Australia and New Zealand
Patch 13.06 also marks the official launch of VALORANT Console on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S in Australia and New Zealand. Console players on Xbox and PlayStation can play together, while Riot continues to keep PC and console matchmaking separate for competitive integrity. Account progression is shared across PC and console.
What comes next for Competitive
Riot has already named several follow-up changes: Map Rating is planned for Patch 13.08, while Competitive Flex and Radiant-experience updates are planned for Patch 14.00. Those features are future plans rather than part of 13.06, so their details may still evolve before release.
Patch 13.06 is available now. Players who want every numerical specification, bug fix and known issue can read the official VALORANT Patch 13.06 notes from Riot Games.
Images: official Riot Games/VALORANT promotional imagery associated with Patch 13.06.