VALORANT Patch 10.00 went live on January 7, 2025. It opened Season 2025 with the Colombian Initiator Tejo, introduced the FLEX cosmetic system and a default STAT-COM item for every player, changed the Competitive map pool, and made remake voting automatic after a first-round AFK. Tejo’s regional rollout began on January 8 at 9:00 a.m. PT rather than arriving everywhere simultaneously. The update also added a PC-only VCT25 Esports Hub and a series of gameplay and visual fixes. Riot’s official notes are available at playvalorant.com.
What did VALORANT Patch 10.00 add?
Patch 10.00 is the opening update for VALORANT’s 2025 season. Riot described the new season as a year-long structure divided into six Acts instead of Episodes, with rank resets at the start of the season and another reset at a later midseason point. The patch’s biggest player-facing additions are an Initiator, a new cosmetic slot, a revised Competitive map rotation, and a less restrictive remake process.
The update was announced as live on January 7, 2025, in notes credited to Kenny “Karnifexlol” Cameron. Tejo began a staggered regional release the following day, while the other systems and map-pool changes formed part of the 10.00 launch package.
- Agent: Tejo, a Colombian Initiator, entered the roster through a staggered regional rollout.
- Cosmetics: FLEX customization arrived in Collections, with STAT-COM granted to every player by default.
- Competitive maps: Fracture and Lotus returned; Ascent and Sunset left the pool.
- Match administration: A first-round AFK now automatically starts a remake vote.
- Esports: The PC-only VCT25 Esports Hub went live with season information and Kickoff material.
- Fixes: Riot adjusted explosion damage logic and corrected several Agent, observer, shield, smoke, and weapon issues.
Who is Tejo, and when could players unlock him?
Tejo is VALORANT’s newest Initiator and is identified by Riot as being from Colombia. His release was not a single worldwide switch-on: Riot scheduled the rollout to begin at 9:00 a.m. PT on January 8, 2025, with access staggered across regions. Players therefore could see different availability timing depending on their server region.
The English Patch 10.00 notes describe one Tejo ability in detail: Special Delivery. It is a sticky grenade that can be equipped and fired at a surface. The projectile sticks to the first surface it hits, then explodes and Concusses targets caught in the blast. Concuss is VALORANT’s crowd-control effect that disrupts an affected player’s ability to fight normally, so the ability is suited to forcing opponents away from a position or setting up a team entry.
How does Special Delivery’s alternate fire work?
Special Delivery has an alternate-fire option that makes the grenade bounce once. The normal fire is useful when you want the projectile to stick directly to the first surface; the bounce gives Tejo a way to reach a surface that is not in a straight line from his position. Because the notes specify only the single-bounce behavior, they do not establish additional bounces, damage values, radius numbers, or details for the rest of Tejo’s kit.
What should players expect from the rollout?
Do not treat January 8 as a universal unlock time for every account. It was the start of the regional schedule, and Riot explicitly described the release as staggered. If Tejo did not appear immediately in a particular region, that would be consistent with the rollout plan rather than evidence that the patch had failed to install.
How do FLEX cosmetics and the Expressions Wheel work?
FLEX is an in-game customization feature accessed through Collections. Patch 10.00 also renamed the Spray Wheel to the Expressions Wheel, and FLEX items are equipped by assigning them to that wheel. Riot granted the default FLEX item, STAT-COM, to every player’s inventory, so everyone had a FLEX example to use after the update.
- Open Collections from the main menu.
- Choose the FLEX customization area and select the FLEX item you want to use.
- Assign that item to a slot on the renamed Expressions Wheel.
- In a match, open the wheel through the same input used for the former Spray Wheel and select the equipped expression.
The important distinction is that FLEX is a cosmetic interaction system, not a new weapon, Agent ability, or physical accessory. STAT-COM being placed in every inventory is a default entitlement from the patch; the notes do not describe it as a limited-time drop or as a product that requires an external purchase.
Which Competitive maps changed in Patch 10.00?
The 10.00 Competitive rotation exchanged two maps. Fracture and Lotus returned to the active pool, while Ascent and Sunset were removed. These changes describe the pool introduced by Patch 10.00 and should not be read as a claim about the map pool in a later Act.
| Map | Patch 10.00 status | Player impact |
|---|---|---|
| Fracture | Returned to Competitive | Available again in the 10.00 Competitive rotation. |
| Lotus | Returned to Competitive | Available again in the 10.00 Competitive rotation. |
| Ascent | Removed from Competitive | Not part of the 10.00 Competitive rotation. |
| Sunset | Removed from Competitive | Not part of the 10.00 Competitive rotation. |
How often does VALORANT change the map pool?
Riot said map rotation would occur every Act. The maps for the next Act are announced when that Act begins, so the 10.00 list was not intended to remain unchanged for the entire six-Act 2025 season. This cadence also means that a map leaving in one Act is not necessarily removed permanently.
How does the new automatic remake vote work?
Patch 10.00 changed what happens when a player is AFK during the first round. The game now automatically starts a remake vote instead of requiring the surviving team to initiate the process manually.
The approval threshold is a majority of the players who remain. Riot’s example compares the previous requirement of four yes votes from four remaining players with the new requirement of three yes votes. In that four-player situation, three approvals are enough to pass the remake.
What does “majority of remaining players” mean in practice?
The vote is based on the players still present, not on the original full-team count and not on a universal fixed number. As a result, the number of yes votes needed can change if the number of remaining players changes. The purpose of the update is to prevent a team from being trapped in a disadvantaged match simply because the absent player’s slot is included in an old, stricter threshold.
When is this rule triggered?
The notes specifically tie the automatic vote to an AFK player during the first round. They do not say that every later disconnection automatically creates a remake, so later-round departures should not be assumed to receive the same treatment.
What is included in the VCT25 Esports Hub?
The VCT25 Esports Hub is a PC-only feature. Riot listed a season overview, roster-mania results, four guest teams, and International League Kickoff brackets scheduled to begin on January 11.
Because the Hub is restricted to PC, console players should not expect the same in-client feature on other platforms. The patch notes present it as an information and esports viewing area; they do not identify a merchandise store, a physical reward, or a separate hardware requirement.
Which gameplay fixes matter most?
Riot updated gameplay logic for explosion-themed ability effects so explosions from Raze, Sova, and Gekko should apply damage more consistently. The notes call out a specific Raze problem in which Showstopper could fail to damage players when its effect clipped into level geometry.
Agent and ability interactions
- Cypher and Viper utility interactions with geometry and wall penetration were corrected.
- Phoenix’s Blaze visual effects received a fix.
- Brimstone’s Sky Smoke performance was addressed.
- Brimstone’s Stim Beacon equip time was corrected.
Observer, shield, and weapon fixes
- Observer flash visuals were fixed.
- Regen Shield hit-confirm sounds were corrected.
- Weapons that could leave and re-enter aim-down-sights without player input were fixed.
These changes are consistency and presentation fixes rather than announced balance-number changes. Patch 10.00 does not, in the cited notes, provide new damage values, cooldown replacements, or weapon-stat reworks for the items listed above.
What was the known Expressions Wheel issue?
Riot documented a narrow custom-game issue involving cheats. If a player enabled cheats in a custom game, used the Restart Game cheat, and then changed Agents, the Expressions Wheel could appear blank. The notes said Riot was looking to fix that behavior in coming patches.
That statement describes the status in the January 7, 2025 notes. It is not confirmation that the bug remains unresolved today; players checking a current build should consult newer patch notes if the same sequence still matters.
How does Patch 10.00 fit into Season 2025?
Season 2025 was presented as a single year divided into six Acts, replacing the earlier Episode structure. Riot said ranks would reset at the beginning of the season and again at a later midseason point. Map rotation was tied to those Acts, with the next pool announced as each Act started.
This structure matters when interpreting 10.00: the returning and departing maps were an Act-level Competitive decision, while Tejo’s rollout and the FLEX system were launch additions. The season framework did not turn the 10.00 map list into a permanent roster.
What should players check after updating?
- Open Collections and confirm that STAT-COM is in the inventory.
- Visit the Expressions Wheel setup and assign a FLEX item to a slot.
- Review the Competitive map display so you know whether your queue is using the 10.00 pool.
- If a teammate is AFK in round one, watch for the automatic remake vote and vote according to the remaining-player majority.
- On PC, open the VCT25 Esports Hub to view the season overview, roster-mania material, guest teams, and Kickoff brackets.
- If an explosion appears not to register, remember that the patch targeted consistency issues involving Raze, Sova, and Gekko; report reproducible behavior through the game’s current support channels rather than assuming every visual miss is intended.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who authored the official VALORANT Patch 10.00 notes?
Riot’s page credits Kenny “Karnifexlol” Cameron and timestamps the notes January 7, 2025, at 14:00 UTC. The page does not provide a more specific job title for the named author.
Does the six-Act format mean there are six separate ranked seasons?
No. Riot described Season 2025 as one year-long season divided into six Acts. The notes separately mention a rank reset at the season’s start and another reset at a later midseason point, rather than one complete season reset for every Act.
Can the remake vote pass if one of the remaining players votes no?
It can, provided the yes votes still make up a majority of the players who remain. Riot’s example is three yes votes from four remaining players, showing that unanimity is no longer required in that situation.
Is the VCT25 Esports Hub available on console?
No. The Patch 10.00 notes label the Hub as PC only. Its listed content is informational—season details, roster-mania results, guest teams, and International League Kickoff brackets.
Did Patch 10.00 publish the complete English list of Tejo abilities?
The cited English notes excerpt gives the mechanics for Special Delivery, including its sticky impact, Concuss effect, and one-bounce alternate fire. It does not establish a complete English description of every ability, so additional kit details should come from Tejo’s dedicated current in-game or official documentation.