Valorant patch 2.09 adds a new game mode Replication, nerfs Viper

Fariha Bhatti Published 11/05/2021

Replication mode arrives in patch 2.09 and it’s basically a horror version of Valorant.

Patch 2.09 is upon us, bringing significant updates to the game. Heavily buffed Viper gets balancing touches to her kit, new game mode enters Valorant, and Breeze gets tweaked in the latest patch update.

Viper spent almost a year being the least played agent in Valorant, as other controllers overshadowed her toxic kit. After numerous random buffs to bring her into play, the developer finally hit the mark with a massive boost to her poison decay in patch 2.05. However, players weren’t happy.

Viper’s decay reduced in patch 2.09 update

New patch 2.09 will likely put an end to “Viper meta,” reducing the decay from 50 to 30. Enemies crossing Viper’s smoke will be inflicted with a temporary loss of 30 health.

“(Before the buff) enemies tended to disregard and simply push through the smoke, but with instant decay at 50, we’ve seen it swing too far in the other direction—where her possible victims avoid it at all cost,” Jeff Landa, Valorant’s comms associate, explained.

The Viper meta had transformed the ranked Valorant games where entering a site became impossible if the defender’s had a Viper on the roster. The reusable smokes would block off a large entrance for the whole round, with little counterplay for attackers.

New Valorant mode Replication is finally here

The developers have been teasing creative game forms for quite a while now. Patch 2.09 brings a whole new mode dubbed Replication for casual Valorant players. Replication trailers knocked a nightmare mode where dozens of Cypher trips blocked a narrow Breeze alley, tigers running in all directions, and Breech flashes washed the screen.

It turns out, the new model is all about “replicating agents.” In Replication mode, all players on the same team play the same agent, for example five Sages against five Jetts. Agent selection is decided in pre-match voting. So get ready for tons of flashes, cameras, and fire. The developer has added a flash guard that will ensure that you can safely enjoy Pheonix flashes without damaging your sight.

Here’s how Replication works:

Best-of-nine Spike mode
80-second rounds
Abilities, minus ultimates, are refreshed each round
Gain +1 ultimate points per round at the start of the round (except Overtime rounds)
100 xp per round played.
Additional 200 xp per round won.

Replication is a limited game mode that is available for two weeks starting today, ending on May 25.

Other updates in patch 2.09

Blocked vision of the gaps above Mid-Wood Doors and A Metal Doors on new map Breeze.
Fixed an issue where players could sandwich themselves in between Sage’s wall and the Mechanical Doors on Breeze
Multiple issues brought up by community members in new map Breeze have also been patched.
Two tactical timeouts can be called per game, per team.
Fixed 1P snow impacts that rarely occurred in gunfights
Only the current Act should show a ranked rating threshold bar from now on.

Fariha Bhatti

About Fariha Bhatti

Fariha Bhatti is a long-time gaming writer who loves competitive FPS games and slots with particularly fun themes. She got her start playing classic games developed by SNK, from legendary fighting game series The King of Fighters to challenging platform franchise Metal Slug. She now spends most of her time playing Valorant and Counter-Strike 2 while working her way through new slot releases to find her next favorite. Fariha has been published at PCGamesN, TalkEsport and ONE Esports.

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