Valorant Patch 9.02 Introduces Icebox to Consoles and More 

Riot has just rolled out patch 9.02 for Valorant, their popular FPS shooter, and it’s packed with some exciting updates. In the patch notes, Riot has announced that the much-loved map, Icebox, is finally available for console players. Additionally, PC players can now delve into the Basic Training (tutorial) and The Range, features that were previously exclusive to the console version of the game.

All Platforms 

Riot has announced a Behavioral Intervention Update for all platforms due to the rise in toxic online players. After Valorant’s patch 9.02, players who use abusive language over comms will face increased penalties. Agents like Neon, Gameplay systems like Premier Overtime and Ability HUD, and Maps like Abyss and Sunset have received some bug fixes, too.

Valorant PC Players Can Now Access Basic Training and The Range

PC players can check out Basic Training (tutorial) and The Range from the Console version of Valorant after patch 9.02. After the update, every new player must play through this tutorial, with a choice to play a bot training match. Existing players can check out these modes through the practice menu. 

In gameplay updates, the combat report has received visual improvements. In Premier Updates, playoffs in the Contender and Invite Divisions will now have best-of-3 finals. Map picks and bans will happen before the agent selects each map. The game will remove maps from the map pool for subsequent matches once they are played. Additionally, playoff qualification rules have been added to the side panel on the standings page. Lastly, on the social panel, players can see which platform their friends are playing from.

Console Players Receive Icebox and More Through Patch 9.02

In the latest update for Valorant console players, the highly anticipated Icebox map has been added to Competitive, Unrated, Swift Play, and Deathmatch queues.

An exciting new feature called ‘Toggelable Abilities’ has been introduced, allowing players greater control over specific abilities. This feature enables players to press and hold a button to activate the ‘Toggle’ mode, granting them the ability to steer skills such as Harbor’s High Tide, Phoenix’s Fire Wall, Skye’s Guiding Light, Neon’s High Gear, and Sova’s Hunter Fury by pressing and releasing the input. This new addition could significantly impact gameplay and strategy for Valorant console players.

Other than that, the “Keep Player Centered” minimap setting will now be forced on for minimap zoom levels above 1.0. Players can now open the in-match with a button and have the option to mute other players or switch voice channels. Social notifications now have a notification sound. Lastly, party information is now visible in the social channel after Valorant patch 9.02. 

Players interested in checking out the PC and Console bug fixes for Valorant patch 9.02 can check out the full patch notes here. 

In other news, TenZ has criticised Riot for using lower-end PCs for their VCT events. Also, the LoL Global Esports head has announced their departure from Riot Games. What are your views on the new additions from Valorant’s patch 9.02? Let us know in the comments. 

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