VALORANT’s Unreal Engine 5 Upgrade Set for July 29 with Patch 11.02

VALORANT’s Unreal Engine 5 Upgrade (Image Credit: Riot Games)

Riot Games has officially announced that VALORANT will switch to Unreal Engine 5 with the release of Patch 11.02, scheduled for July 29, 2025. The move marks a significant technical update for the competitive shooter as it hits its fifth anniversary.

As part of the transition, Riot has decided to skip Patch 11.01 entirely. The announcement was made by Riot’s Global Community Manager Kenny ‘Karnifexlol’ Cameron, who confirmed that all updates originally intended for 11.01 will now be bundled with 11.02.

This patch will not only bring the engine upgrade but will also include gameplay tweaks and changes that were already in the pipeline.

While Unreal Engine 5 is best known for its stunning visuals, Riot is taking a different route. Instead of chasing graphical enhancements, the update is laser-focused on performance improvements. According to Riot Nu, VALORANT's tech lead, players should not expect a visual overhaul. The team’s primary goal is to slightly improve frame rates across most systems—especially on low-end PCs—and streamline future patch downloads.

The developer also noted that the update will make the game’s overall file size smaller, though installing the patch will require at least 30GB of free disk space due to content reorganization and decompression processes. However, this storage demand is a one-time requirement and not a permanent change.

In addition to the engine overhaul, players who log in after Patch 11.02 goes live will receive a special gun buddy as a thank-you gift. And the changes don’t stop there—Riot has more lined up for 2025. A long-awaited replay system is set to arrive in September with Patch 11.06, and agent balance updates are expected after VALORANT Champions concludes in October.

The timing of the UE5 upgrade is particularly interesting for the esports scene, as it overlaps with the VCT Game Changers North America Stage 2 (July 28–September 10) and other major regional events like the VALORANT Challengers 2025 Japan Finals. How this update might impact pro-level play remains to be seen.