Valorant Act 3 release date, Battle Pass, When does Act 3 start for Valorant?

There’s plenty being planned for when Valorant Act 3 comes out this week, although it won’t all be available on release day. Developers Riot Games have been upfront on what they have planned, including a new map and a new character. The good news is that most stuff will be available to try out this week, with the Battle Pass one of the main draws. Here’s what we know is coming next, and what’s worth planning for with the launch of the new competitive season.

WHEN DOES VALORANT ACT 3 START THIS WEEK?

Developers Riot Games has confirmed that the Valorant Act 3 release date has been scheduled for Tuesday, October 13, 2020.

While there’s plenty of stuff being planned for the week, gamers should know that a new Battle Pass and Ranked Season will be going live as well.

While we don’t know exactly when Valorant Act 3 starts on October 13, we do know that the last time you can queue for a Ranked match before Act III starts in NA is at 4:30am PT.

There are reports that that there will be a relatively short downtime and maintenance for Act 3, which could mean the Valorant update going live after 6am PT.

The way in which Riot Games patches Valorant, this should mean Act 3 going live in the afternoon in the UK.

However, until we know the official launch times, it will be best to keep track of Valorant’s social media feeds.

A message from Riot Games adds: “Moving Icebox up from Episode 2 does come with a trade-off: we’ll be delaying the release of our newest Agent for two weeks (one patch cycle) after the start of Act III.

“Simply put, our last few patches haven’t been the most stable, and we know more of you want Icebox.

“Delaying the release of a new Agent allows us to better handle any issues that might emerge when launching alongsde Patch 1.10.

“Not gonna lie, the Act III patch is a bit scary considering the high amount of content coming and potential instability.

“We want to be faster when it comes to resolving any issues or exploits. This delay gives our team some breathing room to make sure current Agents play nice with the new map (invisible Spy Cams, invincibility, teleporting in the wrong neighborhood, etc.) before introducing another variable.”

Here’s what comes with Valorant Act 3 on October 13:

MAP: ICEBOX (OCT. 13 UNRATED, OCT. 27 COMPETITIVE)

An abandoned Kingdom research facility in the arctic wilderness is the next location to flex your aim and abilities. Pierce the dense snow cover as an Attacker to plant the Spike. And, outplay as Defender using ziplines to reach new and dangerous heights. The two objective sites on Icebox favor frequent skirmishes, sharp aim, and adaptive play.

COMPETITIVE REFRESH (OCT. 13)

These Act III Competitive changes hope to make your Rank climb tighter as we work on the long term health of organized team play:

• Upgrade that Act Rank Badge with the next Competitive Act
• Rank queue lowered from 6 tiers to 3 tiers, for tighter matchmaking
• Select your preferred server and improve your ping
• Immortal+ rank outcomes are decided 100% by wins and losses

ACT III BATTLEPASS (OCT. 13)

The Battlepass returns with improvements for Act III—revamped weekly mission progress for faster unlocks and additional Epilogue tiers. Collect heads, rake in the XP, then snap on Act III exclusives like the “Chilly McFreeze” Gun Buddy to match your arctic battles, the “Radianite Hazard” Player Card, and the Viper Spray that reminds you to wash your hands.

Purchase the Act III Premium Battlepass to unlock more tiers of VALORANT items like the Ruin Vandal, “Disco Ball” Gun Buddy, and the Surge Bucky (with variants!).

WEAPON SKIN: SINGULARITY (OCT. 13)

Singularity exists in a far future, vast in its journey from the beyond. Powerful, abstract, and mysterious. None know where it came from or how it came to be. Harness its unstable force on the Phantom, Sheriff, Spectre, Ares, and Melee when you buy the Singularity bundle.