The Warden does 200 damage to the head, 50 to the body and 42 to the legs, and outlets covering the patch report those numbers don't change with range. That is the headline of the Valorant patch notes for 13.06, which went live on September 22. It is also the stat people will argue about for the next month.
Riot calls 13.06 a big patch, and it is. There's a new rifle, a scoring system that replaces ACS, an agent progression reset and a limited-time mode. There's also a practice feature people have wanted forever.
The Warden: a scoped rifle for players who click heads
Here is the full sheet. The Warden costs 2,900 credits, holds 18 rounds, fires at 6.5 rounds per second and has a 2x scope. Dexerto lists its wall penetration as medium.
An 18-round magazine at 6.5 fire rate tells you what Riot wants from this gun. It isn't built to spray. You'd empty that mag in under three seconds of holding the trigger, and the damage doesn't fall off, so the gun rewards patience and first-shot accuracy. GameRiv's early read puts it between the Guardian and the Vandal, and that fits. It's more forgiving than a Guardian but still asks you to stop and aim.
My guess is you'll see it on long sightlines and in the hands of players who already prefer tapping. I wouldn't hand it to a duelist who clears close angles for a living. At 2,900 it's a full buy, and paying full-buy money for a gun that plays like a marksman rifle is a real commitment on eco-sensitive rounds.
Performance Score replaces ACS
This change will touch every match you play, even if you never buy the Warden. Average Combat Score is gone. Performance Score now runs from 0 to 500 and decides MVP and scoreboard order in Competitive, Unrated, Swiftplay and Premier.
Riot says the score looks at more than damage and kills. What it hasn't done is publish the formula, and that's my one real complaint about this patch. ACS was easy to farm: stack damage, usually as a duelist, and you topped the board. If Performance Score rewards the Sova who wins the round with info, that's a good thing. But players can't trust a number they can't check, and until Riot shows how it's calculated, scoreboard arguments will run on vibes. If you're grinding rank right now, our Valorant ranked climb guide still applies. Win rounds and the number should follow.
Two more career features ship with it. Accolades track your personal bests per Act and over your whole career. Rank Legacy keeps a lifetime record of the ranks you've hit.
Agent Mastery resets everyone to zero
Agent Mastery is the new progression system. Each agent has 10 levels per Act, with Portrait Accent unlocks at levels 4, 7 and 10, plus separate Lifetime Levels that never reset.
The catch: previous playtime doesn't carry over. If you have 800 hours on Jett, you start at the same level as someone picking her for the first time. From a fairness angle I get it. From a player's angle it stings, and I'd expect some grumbling from one-tricks. If you're picking a main to level from scratch, our Valorant agent tier list is a good place to start.