Valorant Patch 13.05: Bans for Stream Sniping Tools

Riot shipped Valorant patch 13.05 on September 1. Ashley Tsao, who writes the patch notes, called it "small-ish, mostly bug fixes" and warned that the next one, 13.06, will be beefy. Two lines in it matter more than half the big updates: the studio started handing out bans for stream sniping and instalock tools, and in three weeks it reworks Agent Gear, so anything you fail to unlock before September 22 will have to be farmed a different way.

Bans for stream sniping and instalock tools

The harshest part of the patch sits quietly in the player behavior section. Riot says it plainly: penalties for using stream sniping and instalock tools are already rolling out. A first offence brings a temporary game ban, and repeated use escalates it to permanent.

These are third-party programs: the ones feeding a streamer's own game data back to an opponent, and the ones that grab an Agent in the first fraction of a second of select. The second kind has been a sore point in solo queue for years, turning agent select into a click-speed lottery instead of a conversation.

Riot does not explain how it detects them, which is standard practice for anti-cheat. What matters is simpler: a tool that felt like a harmless convenience yesterday now costs you the account.

Agent Gear changes on September 22

Riot gave advance warning: patch 13.06 on September 22 reworks the Agent Gear system. What is confirmed:

• everything you already unlocked stays yours;
• Kingdom Credits keep working as the progression currency;
• but every piece of gear gets tied to how much you actually play that Agent.

The studio's own advice: if you are currently grinding gear on Agents you never touch, these are the last weeks it works that way. After 13.06 you will have to play them.

Pick'Ems for Champions Shanghai

The Group Stage Pick'Ems for Champions in Shanghai open on September 10, both in client and on the web. Same format as before: predict advancing teams, earn extra points for calling the exact placement, get rewards just for taking part. Picks close when groups start on September 24.

Smokes no longer block flashes while fading

The headline bug fix will land with anyone who plays controllers or against them. Smokes kept blocking flashes and other line-of-sight abilities while dissipating: the wall was visually almost gone, yet still worked mechanically. Riot retimed dissipation for Astra, Brimstone, Clove, Miks and Omen.

Omen got a separate fix too. His Dark Cover could obscure a player's vision after the smoke had already faded.

Also worth knowing:

• Chamber: performance drops the first time Headhunter was equipped, aimed or fired in a round;
• KAY/O: NULL/cmd dropped client framerate with every pulse;
• Cypher: Cyber Cage wrongly blocked flashes and detection, and a Trapwire debuff could stick on a new target forever;
• Waylay: three fixes, including Hinder applying to intangible Agents;
• Ultimate voiceover could keep playing from an enemy's perspective after the caster died.

If your framerate still dips after these fixes, the patch is not the culprit and your settings are. We covered that in the guide on how to boost FPS in Valorant.

Small changes you will actually notice

The Range finally lets you choose how many bots spawn: 10, 5 or 1, with five as the new default. The option lives in the Range settings.

Sound sprays got quieter. Riot cut the distance at which they are audible "to ensure teams can communicate effectively", and noted this will be the standard for every future audio spray.

One housekeeping fix: the close button that stopped working after buying Valorant Points.

What comes next

Riot promised outright that 13.06 will be beefy. Only the Agent Gear rework is confirmed so far, but September 22 is worth watching: the patch lands right between the Champions group stage opener and the playoffs.

New to the ranked ladder or still learning the roster? We have a full guide to Valorant ranks and a pick of Agents for beginners. Pro setups live in our pro settings database.

Frequently Asked Questions

What gets you banned in Valorant now?

As of patch 13.05 Riot penalises the use of stream sniping and instalock tools. A first offence brings a temporary game ban, and repeated use escalates it to a permanent one.

When does Agent Gear change?

On September 22, with patch 13.06. Every piece of gear gets tied to how much you play that specific Agent. Anything already unlocked stays yours and Kingdom Credits keep working.

What is the deadline for Champions Pick'Ems?

The Group Stage opens on September 10 and picks close when groups start on September 24. You earn rewards just for taking part.

What changed with smokes?

Smokes no longer block flashes and other line-of-sight abilities while dissipating. Riot retimed dissipation for Astra, Brimstone, Clove, Miks and Omen.

Sources

• VALORANT Patch Notes 13.05, official Riot Games patch notes, September 1, 2026