Valorant observer tool changes

Valorant patch 1.12 is smaller than most patches, but brings a decent amount of updates for in-game observers.

Observers are a vital part of Valorant esports. The observation function allows these individuals to flawlessly catch all of the action during a Valorant competitive match up. Recently, Riot Games implemented some heavy duty changes to allow observers more freedom. This recent patch builds on that, and it will make the job of the observer that much easier, and that much more important.

Patch 1.12 is a little lighter as we worked on fixing up bugs introduced by 1.11. This patch brings updates to Observer mode, the social panel, and those bug fixes we mentioned. Read all about it: https://t.co/ZDpgZVxkOU pic.twitter.com/eRwLLIwxyg

— VALORANT (@PlayVALORANT) November 10, 2020

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Valorant observer tool changes

Directly from the Valorant patch notes:

Observer

• Observers no longer hear ping audio
• Improved sightline visibility in well-lit areas
• Added Game State Modification cheat to allow moderators to adjust various aspects of the game (player stats, money, etc.) in a tournament setting
• Rolled back fixed team colors change from 1.11
• - This was causing some confusion as people have started to associate red with attack, and green with defense
• - There were a couple bugs causing certain UI elements to display in the wrong color
• - We plan to bring this feature back in the future, when we finish adding support for custom team colors.

All of these simple quality of life changes are a big deal for Valorant observers. First Strike qualifiers are taking place all over the world, bringing many eyes to Valorant. The ability to observe the games and deliver a solid viewing experience is a necessity.

The biggest items to come out of the patch notes are the removal of ping audios and Game State Modification. Valorant players often ping locations to relay information to a teammate. This could be where an enemy was spotted, where the spike is to set up an Ult, or to simply mark a position for strategy's sake. Now, those watching Valorant via an observer will not be bombarded with the ping audio.

Patch 1.12 is a little lighter as we worked on fixing up bugs introduced by 1.11. This patch brings updates to Observer mode, the social panel, and those bug fixes we mentioned. Read all about it: https://t.co/0I8u8zhCUq pic.twitter.com/pru45Dkt1I

— VALORANT // India & South Asia (@playvalorantsa) November 10, 2020

Game State Modification is another huge piece of the observer updates. Video games, including esports titles, are not always 100% reliable. Games can crash, lobbies can dissolve, and Valorant is not immune to that. If a game must be started over, this new cheat for observers can easily put the game back to the state it was in before the restart.