Riot Games has rolled out the second major update of VALORANT’s 2026 Season Act 2, introducing a new Controller agent called Miks alongside a limited-time mode named Elimination. According to the announcement, the update focused on teamplay, with Miks designed as a support-oriented Controller and Elimination built around coordinated kills, revives and area control.

Miks became VALORANT’s 29th agent and was positioned by Riot Games as a Controller that uses sound energy to influence the pace of a round. The Croatia-themed character features a music-inspired kit intended to help teammates take space and sustain pressure during engagements. Its signature ability, Waveform, allowed players to place smokes via a map targeter, while Harmony granted a combat stim effect to Miks and nearby allies. According to the announcement, Harmony’s duration reset after securing a kill, making it particularly suited to coordinated team pushes.

Meanwhile, M-Wave gave players a choice between concussion and healing effects, offering either crowd control or added sustain depending on the situation. Miks’ ultimate, Resonating Bass, sent out a soundwave that pushed back players and impaired hearing, turning the agent’s audio-based theme into a battlefield tool.

Although Controllers in VALORANT are typically associated with space denial and vision blocking, Miks appeared to place greater emphasis on enabling teammates directly. That could make the agent one to watch in both ranked play and the professional scene if teams find value in its blend of utility, buffs and disruption.

Elimination mode added as team-based limited-time experience

Alongside the new agent, Riot Games also launched Elimination, a limited-time mode that adapted team deathmatch-style action into a round-based format.

According to the announcement, teams won the mode by claiming four rounds through fully wiping out the opposing side. However, the mode’s main twist came from its respawn system, where players could only return if a teammate secured a kill. That mechanic appeared designed to reward trade fragging and coordinated skirmishes over solo aggression. Elimination also included a central orb objective which, when secured, pushed the dividing wall further towards the enemy side to give the winning team more territory.

As rounds progressed, respawn timers increased. If neither side closed out the round within the time limit, the match entered overtime, where health gradually drained and both healing and respawning were restricted. The format suggested Riot Games was aiming to offer a faster, more accessible mode without fully abandoning VALORANT’s tactical identity. Instead of simply prioritising eliminations, Elimination placed more weight on survival, timing and teamwork.

Act 2 battle pass and PC bang event also launched

Beyond gameplay additions, the update also introduced a new battle pass. According to the announcement, featured cosmetics included the Blackthorn Collection, Soulburst Bandit, Yongmun Phantom and the Light Hands card.

Riot Games also brought back its PC bang-exclusive ‘VAL Pieces’ event for Act 2. Players who visited the event page for the first time received 100 VAL Pieces, which could be exchanged for 10 Radianite Points. Additional currency could be earned through cumulative playtime at participating PC cafés, with first-time play sessions using Miks and Elimination at PC bangs awarding 200 extra VAL Pieces. The event was positioned as a regional engagement push tied to the new Act content, while also encouraging players to try the latest additions in shared play spaces.

VALORANT remains one of Riot Games’ biggest competitive titles, supported by an esports ecosystem spanning the Pacific, Americas, EMEA and China. The publisher has continued to expand both the game and its esports structure in recent years, with global events such as Masters and Champions sitting at the top of the circuit.