Riot Games has already confirmed that VALORANT Patch 13.06 will be the biggest updats of the year. For now, players have only a limited amount of official information to work with, with Riot using Patch 13.05 to tease several changes coming in the next update.
The biggest confirmed change is a complete overhaul of the Agent Gear system. Riot has also given players a specific warning to finish certain unlocks before Patch 13.06 arrives on September 22, 2026.
When does VALORANT Patch 13.06 release?
VALORANT Patch 13.06 will release on September 22, 2026. Riot confirmed the date in the Patch 13.05 notes while explaining the upcoming changes to Agent Gear.
The timing is important because Patch 13.06 will change how players progress through Agent Gear. Riot has encouraged players who are currently working toward gear for agents they rarely play to finish those unlocks before the update.
The complete 13.06 patch notes have not yet provided the exact numbers behind the new system, so players still do not know precisely how much playtime will be required for each unlock.
Agent Gear is getting a major overhaul
The most important confirmed feature in VALORANT Patch 13.06 is the Agent Gear rework.
Currently, Agent Gear progression is largely tied to the game’s broader progression and Kingdom Credits. This allows players to work toward gear for agents without necessarily spending significant time playing those specific agents.
That is changing with Patch 13.06.
Riot has confirmed that future Agent Gear will be directly connected to how much you play the associated agent. In other words, players who want to unlock gear for a particular agent will need to actually spend time playing that agent.
This could significantly change how players approach Agent Gear. Someone who has accumulated Kingdom Credits and planned to unlock cosmetics across several agents may no longer be able to progress through those tracks in the same way after the update.
There is, however, some good news for players who have already unlocked items.
Riot confirmed that gear players have already earned will remain in their accounts. Kingdom Credits will also continue to be used for future gear.
Players should unlock gear before Patch 13.06
The most important piece of advice from Riot is aimed at players who are currently grinding Agent Gear for agents they do not normally play.
If you have partially completed gear tracks for several agents, Patch 13.06 could make those unlocks more demanding because future progression will depend on playing the relevant agent.
That means the days before September 22 could be the best opportunity to finish gear using the current system.
Players who only care about their main agents have less reason to worry. Since the new system is specifically based around playing the associated agent, playing your regular agents should naturally contribute toward their future gear progression.
What we still don’t know
Despite the announcement, Riot has not revealed every detail of the new Agent Gear system.
The biggest unanswered questions involve the exact progression requirements.
We still need to know how much playtime each gear level will require, whether different game modes provide the same progression, how Kingdom Credits will interact with the new system and whether Riot will make additional adjustments to the existing Agent Gear tracks.
These details are particularly important because “tied directly to how much you play” does not explain the exact formula. Riot has confirmed the principle, but not the numbers behind it. Current reporting also notes that the specific thresholds have not yet been published.
Patch 13.06 could contain much more
Agent Gear is currently the only major feature Riot has officially announced for Patch 13.06, but Riot’s wording suggests that this will not be a tiny update.
The Patch 13.05 notes described the previous update as relatively small and specifically said that Riot was preparing for a “pretty beefy” Patch 13.06.
That has naturally led to speculation about additional agent, weapon, map, competitive and gameplay changes.
The previous major patches provide some context for what could arrive, but they do not confirm what Riot has planned for 13.06.
Other recent changes worth knowing
Patch 13.05 also introduced several changes that will remain relevant going into Patch 13.06.
Riot began rolling out penalties for players detected using stream-sniping tools and third-party instalock tools. These penalties can begin with temporary game bans and escalate to permanent bans for repeated violations.
The update also adjusted the way Sound Sprays work. Audio from these sprays is now attenuated based on distance, meaning players should only hear them when they are nearby. Riot said this approach will become the standard for future audio sprays.
Patch 13.05 also focused heavily on bug fixes, including issues affecting several agents and interactions involving smokes, flashes and other abilities.
VALORANT Patch 13.06: what to expect
For now, the safest way to look at VALORANT Patch 13.06 is as an upcoming systems-focused update with a major Agent Gear change at its center.
The key confirmed information is straightforward:
- Patch 13.06 releases on September 22, 2026.
- New Rifle: Warden
- Agent Gear is being reworked.
- Future gear progression will be tied to playing the associated agent.
- Previously earned gear will remain unlocked.
- Riot has advised players to finish gear for agents they rarely play before the update.
Until Riot publishes the complete Patch 13.06 notes, players should be careful with leaked numbers and unconfirmed balance changes. The official information currently confirms the Agent Gear overhaul, but it does not yet confirm every change that could arrive with the patch.
With Riot describing 13.06 as a substantial update, the final patch notes could still contain several surprises. For players interested in Agent Gear, however, September 22 is already an important date.
