Valorant Patch 13.04: Abyss Is Back

Patch 13.04 landed on 18 August 2026 and turned out to be a map-and-schedule update rather than a balance pass: Abyss returns to Competitive and Deathmatch, Breeze leaves the rotation, and the new Premier stage runs five weeks instead of seven. Not a single weapon or agent number moved, only bug fixes. Here is what it changes for ranked and Premier players.

Maps: Abyss in, Breeze out

The headline is the map rotation. Abyss is available again in Competitive and Deathmatch, while Breeze has been rotated out. For ranked that means one thing: if you have not touched Abyss since its last run, relearn it early — the edges without walls, the drops into the void and the long sightlines are less forgiving than the usual pool.

You can check your crosshair and sens on Abyss without launching the game: our Valorant aim trainer has it among the map backgrounds, along with the rest of the pool.

Premier: stage V26A5 is shorter

Premier stage V26A5 started with the patch on 18 August and lasts five weeks instead of the usual seven. The playoff threshold stays numeric: teams with 450 or more Premier Score qualify for the playoffs on 19–20 September. A shorter stage means fewer matches to collect points, so skipping match days costs more than usual this season.

What got fixed

• Cypher — the Spycam icon on the minimap was flipped the wrong way;
• Viper — the Snake Bite equip animation displayed incorrectly from the enemy's point of view;
• Deadlock — GravNet VFX did not disappear after a player disconnected and reconnected;
• Clove — rapidly switching between Meddle and Ruse could cause a freeze or disconnect; fixed;
• cosmetics — the transform animation on the Kuronami 2.0 and Nocturnum melee skins now plays correctly on inspect.

What is not in the patch

There are no weapon, economy or rank changes in 13.04. The last agent tweak came in Patch 13.02 on 28 July: Phoenix's ultimate went from 6 to 7 points, and Split, Corrode and Lotus were added to Retake. If you were waiting for a post-summer rebalance, it is not here yet — and pro player settings need no revisiting: sensitivity, crosshairs and gear are untouched by this patch.

What to do as a player

1. Play a few Deathmatch rounds on Abyss before taking it into ranked.
2. If you play Premier, plan the five weeks: nobody lowered the 450-point threshold, there is simply less time.
3. Coming from CS2? Convert your sens properly first, then learn the new map — changing two things at once is a bad idea.

Frequently asked questions

Is Abyss back in ranked?

Yes. With Patch 13.04 of 18 August 2026, Abyss is available again in Competitive and Deathmatch, while Breeze has been rotated out.

How long is Premier stage V26A5?

Five weeks instead of the usual seven: it started on 18 August, the playoff threshold is 450 Premier Score, and the playoffs run on 19–20 September.

Does Patch 13.04 change balance?

No. Weapons, economy and ranks are untouched — only the map rotation, Premier and bug fixes for Cypher, Viper, Deadlock and Clove.

Source

Riot's official notes: VALORANT Patch Notes 13.04. All patches of the vertical live in our Valorant patches section.