UPDATED 4/30 - The VALORANT Closed Beta has had some difficulties in maintaining server stability to launch Competitive mode. As of 3:30pm PT, the ranked ladder has gone live for North America. If all goes well for NA, then EU will have access to Competitive mode after the hotfix drops on May 1 at 9:30pm CEST. Riot Game also tweeted that Competitive mode could be pulled 'at anytime if things get weird.'

Riot Games has published patch notes for another update to the VALORANT Closed Beta. Patch 0.49 focuses primarily on bugfixes, balance changes to Omen, and the upcoming Competitive mode that will go live in the near future.

Patch 0.49 will go live on the VALORANT Closed Beta on April 29. The European server will go down at 3:30am CEST and will be back up with the new patch around 9:00am CEST. North America's servers will shut down at 4:30am PT and will then be back up at 10A MPT with the new patch.  Competitive mode will be live on Patch 0.49 once everything is stabilized post-patching process.

Patch 0.49 is choc-full of bugfixes, HUD, and quality of life updates, including visual updates for Breach and Omen. However, the latter of the two agents was the only character to receive any balancing updates on the new patch. "We’re trying to give him [Omen] some spook back since if you do find him, you should now have him dead to rights," wrote VALORANT Comms Associate Jeff Landa.

Other changes in Patch 0.49 include updates to Haven, as well as Bind and Split. Not only have any strange interactions with certain agents and their abilities on specific points of the maps been smoothed out, but Bind and Haven have also received textural updates to materials. Radianite crates have had their color changed regardless of what map is being played.

Changes to Observer Mode were also made in Patch 0.49, primarily in the form of a 'Ghost cheat' feature. Ghost cheat has been added as an option to custom games with cheats enabled, allowing an observer to fly around the map in no-clip mode.

For more content on VALORANT, Riot Games' highly-anticipated tactical shooter set for release this year, head over to our dedicated VALORANT section!