VALORANT’s latest update, Patch 10.08 for Act III of the 2025 season, introduces the highly anticipated skin gifting feature alongside significant balance changes. Players can now send gun skins from the Featured Store to friends, with recipients having the option to either accept or decline these gifts. The feature currently only applies to Featured Store items, though Riot plans to expand gifting capabilities in future updates. Comprehensive information about this new feature, including rules and restrictions, can be found on the dedicated Play Support page.
Yoru Receives Substantial Nerfs
The popular duelist Yoru has seen rising pick rates in professional VALORANT since the beginning of the 2025 VCT season. While his teleport abilities provide strong map presence on both defense and attack, his ultimate ability, Dimensional Drift, has dominated in VCT competitions.
Often regarded as a round-winning ultimate, Dimensional Drift allows players to gain space and information while setting up powerful plays for both Yoru and teammates. Riot has responded by reducing the ultimate’s duration from 12 to 10 seconds and increasing its cost from 7 to 8 points. Despite these adjustments, Yoru’s remaining abilities remain unchanged, suggesting he will continue to be a popular duelist selection in competitive play, though players will need to be more strategic with Dimensional Drift usage.
Adjustments to Astra and Brimstone
In addition to Yoru’s changes, Patch 10.08 introduces minor adjustments to Astra and Brimstone. Astra’s Nova Pulse stun duration has been reduced from 4 to 3.5 seconds to better align with other non-ultimate stun abilities in the game. This adjustment is unlikely to significantly impact her viability in ranked or professional play, as her stun duration was never the primary strength of her kit. Many players already consider Omen a stronger alternative in most situations.
For Brimstone, changes focus on gameplay clarity rather than power adjustment. The audio for his Incendiary molotov ability has been updated to improve audibility, especially when deployed under smoke effects.
Anniversary Celebration
With VALORANT’s fifth anniversary approaching, Riot is implementing a nostalgic touch by bringing back music from Episode 1. Players will experience these classic sounds in game menus, character selection screens, and Victory/Defeat sequences. This musical throwback will continue through Patch 10.09, allowing both veteran and newer players to experience or revisit the game’s original audio atmosphere.
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