Riot Games is rolling out Valorant patch 12.09, bringing Neon back into the playable roster after she was disabled on May 7, 2026. The disabling followed an exploit tied to specific Nvidia graphics settings that allowed players to see through her Fast Lane ability, undermining competitive integrity. Alongside her return, the patch delivers a significant overhaul to shotgun accuracy while moving and a slate of agent bugfixes and quality-of-life improvements.

Neon Returns with Significant Changes

Riot has used the downtime to adjust what it calls Neon's "over-tuned kit," which it believes broke intended combat pacing. The most notable change affects High Gear: jumping with the ability active will no longer grant any speed bonus while airborne. Neon’s air speed while sprinting will instead match melee speed. Fuel regeneration on kills now only occurs while her ultimate is active, though passive fuel regeneration remains. Additionally, the visual effects for her slide have been improved to more clearly communicate its direction and origin, giving opponents better counterplay opportunities.

Shotgun Mobility Nerfs

Shotgun accuracy while moving has been standardized across all models to reinforce their intended role as defensive close-range tools. Run, walk, crouch-walk, and jump accuracy values are now uniform, and crouching provides a 15% accuracy multiplier—matching rifles. The update, originally planned for patch 13.00 in late June, was moved up to 12.09 to address balance concerns sooner.

Individual shotgun tweaks include reduced Bucky pellet damage at close range (head from 40 to 34, body from 20 to 17) and increased minimum spread for both Bucky and Judge. The Shorty’s fire rate drops from 3.33 to 3.0. All three shotguns now suffer significantly reduced accuracy while using ropes, with spread increasing dramatically when moving on a zipline.

Agent Bugfixes and Quality-of-Life Updates

Several agent-specific bugs have been addressed. Chamber’s Headhunter ADS animation no longer obscures the screen, Jett’s Tailwind first-person animations now work correctly with left-handed mode and Drift performance drops are fixed, and Sage can no longer waste Healing Orb while decayed at full health. Miks, Tejo, Viper, Vyse, and Phoenix also received targeted fixes for tooltips, audio, and ability interactions. The remaining agent fixes follow a similar pattern.

Beyond agents, Riot is testing MMR adjustments for non-Competitive, Unrated, and Swiftplay modes to improve match consistency. AMD Anti-Lag 2 support has been added to reduce input latency on compatible hardware. The Riot Text Evaluation system now better detects comms abuse across 12 languages. Minor bugfixes for Skirmish modes and progression display round out the patch.

What is Valorant and Valorant Points?

Valorant Points serve as the premium currency in Valorant, enabling players to purchase exclusive cosmetic upgrades such as weapon skins and agent gear.
To acquire these points, you can Valorant points buy through various game trading platforms that specialize in top-up services.
These third-party sites often offer competitive rates and instant delivery, making it easy to enhance your inventory.
Secure and reputable vendors ensure a smooth transaction for all your cosmetic needs.

Why do you choose LootBar to buy Valorant Points?

If players are looking to top up Valorant Points efficiently and securely, they may want to consider the lootbar game trading platform. As a popular choice among gamers, LootBar provides a convenient solution for those who wish to buy Valorant Points without hassle.

One of the key advantages of using LootBar is its commitment to offering competitive pricing, allowing players to get more value for their money. Additionally, the platform employs robust security measures to ensure that every transaction remains safe, giving users peace of mind when purchasing in-game currency. The streamlined purchasing process means that Valorant Points are delivered within minutes, so players can quickly enhance their gaming experience without waiting.

Beyond affordability and security, LootBar stands out with its responsive 24/7 customer support. Whether you have questions about your order or encounter any issues, the dedicated support team is always available to assist. These features combine to make LootBar an excellent choice for anyone looking to buy Valorant Points easily and reliably.

How to top Valorant on LootBar Step-by-Step Guide

Starting your Valorant top up journey on LootBar is simple: first, open the platform in your browser and tailor the language and currency settings to your preference. Navigate to the top-up hub and locate the Valorant tile, then authenticate by entering your Riot credentials, which securely links your account for the transaction.

Next, decide how many Valorant Points you need and click through to the payment screen, where a variety of payment options are available for you to finalize the order. After the Valorant top up is confirmed and processed, the points are swiftly delivered to your balance, letting you unlock cosmetics and fresh content right away.