Valorant Act 3 Patch 1.10 brings new dynamic to Deathmatch mode

Valorant patch 1.10 has brought not only a new map, but also a new Agent, and even a new Act. Players all across the globe are quite happy, as Riot Games have been implementing things based on community suggestions.

Storm the snow in Icebox, keep climbing with some competitive changes, scope out some Deathmatch updates, and more. It's all in Act III.Get the info: https://t.co/yyrma8grCM pic.twitter.com/6dGqDflx4H

— VALORANT (@PlayVALORANT) October 13, 2020

The patch has also revealed several new competitive changes that are now going to affect Ranked matches. Similarly, other game modes have also been heavily tweaked. An entirely new-look Deathmatch mode has also been added to the game.

Patch stability talk: we've already found one (rare) audio bug (on all maps) but want to get Icebox testing as soon as possible SO...We're shipping this patch with ranked entirely OFF, beginning with NA/BR/LATAM in ~10 hours (downtime at 6am PT, back up around 9-10am PT) . . .

— VALORANT (@PlayVALORANT) October 13, 2020

The new map in Valorant - Icebox, is said to be a nightmare for defenders, although it won't be available for competitive play right away. Simultaneously, Skye is being rumored as a meta changing agent, that can act both as an Initiator and a Sentinel. With all these changes in mind, let us take a look at how Deathmatch is going to take shape in Valorant.

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Valorant Act 3 Patch 1.10 major changes in Deathmatch

Image Credits - Riot Games

DEATHMATCH

• Increased player count 10 >>> 14 players
• Updated spawning algorithm to encourage safer spawns
• Now that we've fixed some tech on the backend, we can support up to 14 players without compromising on our commitment to 128 tick-rate servers. With 10 players, you'd sometimes have to run 10 or 15 seconds to even find a fight, which can really kill your flow. Sometimes you'd also spawn way too close to enemies. This was because we had to artificially increase spawn density because of the low player count. Now that the player count has increased, we've re-tuned our spawning algorithm to try and give more consistently safer spawns.
• Removed periodic location pulse, and you'll now only receive a pulse right when you respawn
• Now that there are 14 players on the map, the pulse feels completely unnecessary. We're keeping a single pulse for players right when they respawn so that they can help get their bearings and find a quick fight without getting caught off guard.
• Increased match length, first to 40 kills (was 30), time limit upped to 9 minutes (was 6)
• We felt like the match length was a little too short to get into a real groove, especially now with more players, so we're bumping the duration and kill limit up a bit.
• Kill Reloads: On every kill, players get an automatic, immediate full reload of their active weapon (Ares & Odin get 30 bullets back)
• It already felt a little frustrating to have to reload in Deathmatch, and now that player count is higher, reloading feels like even more of a deathwish.
• XP gain increased from 500 to 900 XP
• Honestly, 500 XP felt a little low for Deathmatch. We're bumping this up to 900 to account for the increased match length with some extra on top.

These changes, coupled with the new format introduced in the Ranked system, will be interesting to see in Valorant. The latest queuing design will certainly help with the skill disparity in Ranked matches.

Similarly, the increase in XP for Deathmatches seems like a brilliant upgrade. With dynamics like Kill Reload, more players and safer spawn locations, Valorant is about to change significantly from Act 3.