Valorant Patch 10.09: Tejo Tamed, and More

Valorant players, rejoice! (Or maybe brace yourselves, depending on your main.) Patch 10.09 has dropped, bringing significant nerfs to the recently-introduced powerhouse agent, Tejo, along with a few other tweaks and bug fixes. If you're wondering what all the fuss is about, let's dive into the details.

Tejo's Reign Slightly Curbed

Since his arrival at the start of 2025, Tejo has been a dominant force in Valorant. His Guided Salvo rockets, in particular, proved a bit too effective, causing some serious headaches for opponents. Riot Games acknowledged the community's feedback and has implemented some significant changes to bring him more in line with other Initiators.

• Guided Salvo Overhaul: The cooldown is gone, but now each rocket consumes a charge, and the maximum range has been reduced. This makes each rocket launch a more strategic decision, rather than a spam-happy fiesta.
• Stealth Drone & Armageddon Adjustments: The Stealth Drone is now pricier (400 credits instead of 300), while his ultimate, Armageddon, now costs 9 ultimate points instead of 8. This should reduce his overall impact, especially early in rounds.
• Special Delivery Nerf: The cost of his Special Delivery ability has been reduced from 300 to 200 credits.

In their official patch notes, Riot explained their reasoning: "We want to maintain Guided Salvo as a powerful ability, but increase the commitment so that wasted casts are less free, and so opponents have room to counterplay." In short: Tejo is still strong, but he requires more careful consideration now.

Breach Gets a Minor Buff

While Tejo received nerfs, Breach got a small, but potentially impactful, buff. The detonation time of his Fault Line ability has been increased by 0.2 seconds, giving enemies a bit more time to react and escape the stun.

Swiftplay Gets a Boost

Swiftplay mode, Valorant's faster-paced alternative, has also received some love. Many agents' starting ultimate points have been increased to 3 from 2, making those powerful abilities more readily available in the shorter matches.

• Affected Agents: Breach (Rolling Thunder), Killjoy (Lockdown), and Viper (Viper's Pit).

Gifting & Bug Fixes

Good news for gift-givers! The daily gifting limit has been doubled from 5 to 10, coinciding with the launch of the Give Back // V25 Collection, where a portion of proceeds from gifts sent goes to charity. Several bug fixes are also included, addressing issues with kill banners and skin visual effects. However, a new issue with the Bolt skinline’s excessive glow remains and is slated for a fix in Patch 10.11. Additionally, a bug allowing dead teammates to see through Omen's Dark Cover will be addressed in Patch 10.10.

The Mary Mystery

Rumors of a new agent, "Mary," circulated before the patch, fueled by speculation and leaks. However, Riot Games officially confirmed that Mary will not be appearing in this update, squashing any immediate hopes for a new playable character. While she's not playable yet, Riot hinted at a possible future role for Mary, possibly expanding Phoenix's backstory.

Conclusion

Valorant Patch 10.09 brings significant balance changes, particularly to Tejo, along with quality-of-life improvements. Whether you’re a Tejo main adjusting to the changes or excited about the Swiftplay adjustments, there's something in this update for almost every player. Keep an eye out for patches 10.10 and 10.11 for fixes to the lingering issues mentioned in the patch notes. Head into the game and let us know your thoughts on these changes!