By the BuyCarry Crew | April 7, 2026
😂 The April Fools Prank: Riot Had Fun, Then Got Serious
Let’s be honest: the fake patch notes were funny. A third‑person Valorant? Prone in tall grass? The “Hackerator” sniper? Brainrot the Initiator? Tejo with unlimited Guided Salvos and no range limit? Riot clearly had a blast writing that. And honestly, it’s nice to see a dev team that doesn’t take itself too seriously.
But then they dropped the real notes. And they’re actually pretty important.
⚠️ Waylay Nerf: Saturate Is No Longer Instant
This is the biggest competitive change in the patch.
Waylay has been strong since her release, but the problem wasn’t her damage or mobility—it was Saturate. Specifically, the fact that it was an instant cast ability. Waylay could pop it while airborne, mid‑dash, or reactively as soon as an enemy appeared, with almost zero risk to herself.
The result? Waylay could safely Hinder enemies for her teammates to clean up, turning her into a low‑risk setup machine rather than a self‑sufficient Duelist.
The fix: Saturate is no longer instant. It’s now an EQUIP ability, meaning Waylay has to take a moment to pull it out before casting. That small delay changes everything.
Now, if Waylay wants to use Saturate aggressively, she has to commit to the animation. She can’t just tap a button while flying through the air. She has to think about positioning, timing, and risk—exactly how a Duelist should play.
“We think Duelists play best when they are using their kit with some risk, and when that risk falls primarily on the Duelist themselves.”
If you main Waylay, this is going to feel weird at first. But it’s a healthy change for the game. No more free Hinders with zero downside.
🏃 Flex Movement Speed: Finally Matches Melee
This one’s for the cosmetics crowd—but it actually affects gameplay.
Since Flex (the little trinkets on your gun) launched over a year ago, they’ve been using ability movement speed (90% of melee speed). Players have been complaining that equipping a Flex feels bad because if you accidentally pull it out mid‑round, you’re slower than if you just held your knife.
Riot finally listened. Flex movement speed now matches melee movement speed. This applies to all past and future Flex.
No more speed penalty for showing off your cool collectible. Shoutout to Grim, Ethos, Tokibbi, Ellum, Joshiwashi, and LakiEats for pushing this feedback directly to Riot.
🐍 Viper’s Pit: Backend Fixes for Consistency
Viper mains, this one’s for you.
Riot made backend tech improvements to Viper’s Pit to make the chemical cloud spread more consistently around map geometry. Specifically, problem spots like Haven A Tower and Icebox A Pipes should no longer have weird gaps or casting failures.
Most players won’t see a difference, but Viper players will feel it. Fewer moments where your ultimate just… doesn’t work right.
🗣️ Yoru Gets New Voice Lines
No gameplay change, but Yoru now has new voice lines. If you’re a lore nerd or just tired of hearing the same quips, this is a nice little treat.
🎨 End‑of‑Game Screens: Fresh Visuals & Sound
Victory, defeat, and draw screens have updated visuals and sound effects. It’s not going to change your rank, but it makes the moment feel a bit more satisfying—or crushing, depending on the result.
🐛 Bug Fixes: Too Many to List, but Here Are the Highlights
This patch is packed with bug fixes. Here are the ones that actually matter:
Agent fixes:
- Veto’s Crosscut icon now shows on the minimap when enemy highlight color is set to red.
- Miks had several fixes: Harmonize VFX, Waveform placement UI, and M‑pulse getting stuck on maps.
- Clove can now unequip post‑death Ruse without casting it.
- Tejo can no longer cast Guided Salvo three times (thanks to @billyvlr for the report).
General UI fixes:
- End‑of‑game screens: spacing, text sizes, scoreboard, timeline, performance page.
- Career match history: alignment and text size adjustments.
- Leaderboards: fixed row spacing.
- Store: tons of fixes—Japanese text clipping, misaligned text, bundle images, weapon positioning on purchase screen, hover states, gifting center opacity.
PC‑only fixes:
- Premier mode: view team modal zone icon, tournament queue timer, “Make Captain” and “Transfer Ownership” options disabled during tournaments.
Progression updates:
- Battlepass now has paginated arrow buttons to navigate chapters.
- Scroll issues fixed on reward tiers and tracker.
💬 BuyCarry’s Take: A Solid Quality‑of‑Life Patch
At BuyCarry, we see a lot of patch notes. Some are game‑changers. Some are filler. Patch 12.06 is firmly in the “quality‑of‑life plus one meaningful nerf” category—and that’s fine.
The Waylay change is important. Saturate was too safe for too long. Making it an equip ability forces Waylay players to actually think about their engagements instead of just pressing a button for free value. If you main Waylay, expect a slight adjustment period. Our coaches can help you relearn her timing.
The Flex speed buff is a small but appreciated win for player feedback. It’s nice to see Riot listening to community complaints about something that’s purely cosmetic but still affects feel.
The Viper fixes and bug cleanups won’t make headlines, but they make the game feel less janky. And in a competitive shooter, consistency is king.
If you’re looking to climb ranked this season, especially after the Waylay changes shift the meta, BuyCarry offers coaching and boosting services to help you adapt faster. Whether you need to learn new agent timings or just want to skip the grind, we’ve got your back.
Solid patch, Riot. And nice prank.
🎮 Our Valorant Services
- 🎯 Valorant Rank Boost – Climb faster after the Waylay nerf and shifting meta
- 🎓 Valorant Coaching – Relearn Saturate timing, positioning, and risk management with pro players
- 🐍 Valorant Viper & Controller Coaching – Master Viper’s Pit consistency and ultimate placement post‑patch
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: Did Valorant actually add third‑person and prone?
A: No. That was an April Fools joke. The real patch notes start after the fake ones. - Q: What changed with Waylay?
A: Her Saturate ability is now an EQUIP instead of INSTANT. She has to pull it out before casting, adding risk to using it. - Q: Is Waylay still viable?
A: Yes. She just requires more careful timing and coordination. No more free Hinders while airborne. - Q: What’s the Flex movement speed change?
A: Flex now moves at melee speed (100%) instead of ability speed (90%). No more speed penalty for equipping them. - Q: Did Viper get buffed?
A: Not directly. Her ultimate’s backend tech was improved for more consistent spreading around map geometry. Fewer casting failures. - Q: Are there new voice lines?
A: Yes, for Yoru. - Q: How can BuyCarry help me after this patch?
A: We offer coaching to help you adapt to the Waylay changes, plus ranked boosting to climb the ladder faster.