Valorant Patch 12.09: Neon Returns with Shotgun Nerfs

Riot Games is rolling out Valorant patch 12.09, bringing Neon back into the playable roster after she was disabled on May 7, 2026. The disabling followed an exploit tied to specific Nvidia graphics settings that allowed players to see through her Fast Lane ability, undermining competitive integrity. Alongside her return, the patch delivers a significant overhaul to shotgun accuracy while moving and a slate of agent bugfixes and quality-of-life improvements.

Neon Returns with Significant Changes

Riot has used the downtime to adjust what it calls Neon’s “over-tuned kit,” which it believes broke intended combat pacing. The most notable change affects High Gear: jumping with the ability active will no longer grant any speed bonus while airborne. Neon’s air speed while sprinting will instead match melee speed. Fuel regeneration on kills now only occurs while her ultimate is active, though passive fuel regeneration remains. Additionally, the visual effects for her slide have been improved to more clearly communicate its direction and origin, giving opponents better counterplay opportunities.

Shotgun Mobility Nerfs

Shotgun accuracy while moving has been standardized across all models to reinforce their intended role as defensive close-range tools. Run, walk, crouch-walk, and jump accuracy values are now uniform, and crouching provides a 15% accuracy multiplier—matching rifles. The update, originally planned for patch 13.00 in late June, was moved up to 12.09 to address balance concerns sooner.

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