VALORANT Patch 11.02: The Unreal Engine 5 Upgrade Is Here
Today, VALORANT celebrates a major technical milestone: the official upgrade to Unreal Engine 5.3. While longtime players might not notice drastic changes at first glance, this foundational update paves the way for a new era of innovation and smoother gameplay in the years ahead.
A New Engine for a New Era
After years on Unreal Engine 4.27, VALORANT has now migrated to Unreal Engine 5.3. This switch is a future-proofing move by Riot Games, enabling the developers to take advantage of enhanced graphics, more flexible content creation, and streamlined patching systems down the line.
Players won’t see major visual changes just yet. Riot’s intention is clear: to boost performance and stability, especially on lower-end PCs, rather than pushing for higher graphical fidelity. However, subtle improvements in FPS and load times can be expected, and long-term, Unreal Engine 5 opens the door for even more ambitious updates and features.
This update comes with a notably large download, as the engine files are replaced entirely. Riot Games recommends ensuring at least 30GB of free disk space to accommodate this one-time transition. Once installed, the size of VALORANT on the drive will be roughly cut in half, though future patches will return to normal download sizes.
In celebration of the technical leap, players can check their gun buddy collection and equip the exclusive “Hot New Engine” gun buddy, a gift from Riot to all the players to mark this milestone.
Updated System Requirements (PC)
With the move to Unreal Engine 5, VALORANT has also updated its minimum and recommended PC specs. Here’s a concise summary of the requirements:
- Windows: 10 (Build 19041+) or 11 64-bit
- SSE 4.2 or AVX Support
- RAM // 4GB
- VRAM // 1GB
- On Windows 11, TPM 2.0 and UEFI Secure Boot are required.
| Minimum (30 FPS) | Recommended (60 FPS) | High-End (144+ FPS) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel i3-540, AMD Athlon 200GE | Intel i3-4150, AMD Ryzen 3 1200 | Intel i5-9400F 2.90GHz, AMD Ryzen 5 2600X |
| GPU | Intel HD 4000, AMD Radeon R5 220 | NVIDIA Geforce GT 730, AMD Radeon R7 240 | NVIDIA GTX 1050 Ti, AMD Radeon R7 370, Intel Arc A310 |
Notable Bug Fixes
Accompanying the new engine are also a few bug fixes. Here’s a quick snapshot of what’s addressed in Patch 11.02:
- General: Fixed misaligned armor icons in the HUD and Agent ability panel misalignments (PC-only).
- Agents:
- Astra: Fixed incorrect Gravity Well audio cues.
- Gekko: Fixed sound and hit indicator issues with Dizzy and Thrash.
- Killjoy: Iso’s Undercut no longer disables Turret unless Killjoy is hit; Alarmbot pathing on Corrode fixed.
- Yoru: Fixed visual glitch with Gatecrash.
- Cypher: Spycam dart shows correct VFX.
- Phoenix: Blaze minimap indicator now disappears accurately123.
- Maps:
- Corrode: Multiple fixes for agents abusing geometry or ability bugs.
- Pearl: Raze’s Showstopper now damages properly on A Link Box.
- Split: Fixed Sage’s Barrier Orb placement exploit.
The Road Ahead
VALORANT’s engine upgrade unlocks countless opportunities for future content, faster patches, and even greater competitive integrity. For now, players can enjoy a more optimized, stable game, and look forward to the possibilities that Unreal Engine 5.3 will enable in the months and years to come.
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Feature Image Source: Riot Games
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