VALORANT Flex is an in-game cosmetic that you equip through Collections and activate from the wheel previously called the Spray Wheel. Riot introduced Flex in Patch 10.00 on January 7, 2025, gave every player the default STAT-COM item, and renamed the Spray Wheel the Expressions Wheel. To use one, choose a Flex in Collections, assign it to the Expressions Wheel, then hold the control shown for that wheel in your own Controls settings during a match. The exact key or button is configurable, so older guides that name one default key may not match your client.
What is Flex in VALORANT?
Flex is a cosmetic item displayed through VALORANT’s expression-wheel system. It is not an Agent ability, weapon function, equipment slot, or physical accessory. Riot put Flex customization in the Collections area, alongside the game’s other collectible content.
The important distinction is between the item and the interface used to trigger it:
- Flex: the cosmetic you select.
- Collections: where you choose and configure that cosmetic.
- Expressions Wheel: the in-match wheel to which you assign it and from which you activate it.
When Flex launched, Riot said every player would receive the default STAT-COM Flex in their inventory. That statement establishes the launch grant; it does not establish a complete, current catalog of other Flex items, their shop rotation, or their prices.
When did VALORANT Flex launch, and what changed?
Flex arrived with Riot’s Patch 10.00 notes, published January 7, 2025. That update added a Flex customization menu to Collections and changed the name of the Spray Wheel to the Expressions Wheel. Riot’s description of the equip action is specific: assign a Flex to the Spray Wheel, now called the Expressions Wheel.
| Patch or date | Documented change | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Patch 10.00 — January 7, 2025 | Flex customization was added to Collections; STAT-COM was granted to every player; the Spray Wheel was renamed the Expressions Wheel. | Use Collections to select a Flex and assign it to the Expressions Wheel. |
| Patch 10.10 | Riot said the console Collection page was updated to include all content types, including Player Cards and Sprays/Flex, and to match the PC layout. | Console players should find Flex through Collections rather than looking for a separate console-only menu. |
| Patch 12.06 | Flex movement speed was increased to match Melee movement speed for all past and future Flex. | The old movement behavior should not be treated as current; existing and later Flex items use the updated rule described by Riot. |
Patch 12.06’s rationale referred to the old behavior as Ability movement speed, which Riot described as 90% of Melee movement speed. That 90% figure describes the pre-change state, not the current post-update speed.
How do I equip a Flex?
The reliable route is to configure the item in Collections and then assign it to the Expressions Wheel. Riot’s patch notes establish that assignment, but do not publish every click label in the current client, so the wording of a button or submenu can vary between interfaces and future patches.
- Open Collections. Start from VALORANT’s main menu and enter the Collections section.
- Open the Flex customization area. Look for the menu that groups Sprays and Flex. Riot added Flex customization to Collections in Patch 10.00.
- Select the Flex you want to use. Choose an item available in your inventory. STAT-COM is the default item Riot said was added to every player’s inventory at launch.
- Assign it to the Expressions Wheel. The client may still use wording that references the Spray Wheel in some places, because Riot’s launch instruction described the assignment that way. The wheel itself was renamed the Expressions Wheel in the same patch.
- Save or confirm the selection if the client requests it. The item must be assigned to a wheel slot; merely viewing it in Collections does not make it active in a match.
- Check the live control binding. Open Settings, then Controls, and inspect the Equipment area for the configured wheel or Spray control. Use the binding shown there rather than assuming a key from an older guide.
If the menu shows Sprays and Flex together, that is expected. Patch 10.10 specifically described the console Collections page as containing all content types, including Sprays/Flex, while matching the PC layout.
How do I use a Flex during a match?
Once a Flex is assigned, activate the Expressions Wheel with its configured control. Riot’s older Spray Wheel documentation explains the interaction model: holding the configured Spray key opens the wheel, while tapping that key uses the top-slot quick spray. Those instructions were published in Patch 6.10, before Flex existed, so treat them as wheel context rather than a promise about today’s default key or every current Flex interaction.
- Enter a match or another playable session. The wheel is an in-game expression interface, not a Collections preview control.
- Press and hold the bound wheel control. Use the key or controller input displayed in your current Settings > Controls > Equipment menu.
- Choose the slot containing your Flex. Keep the control held while selecting the assigned expression-wheel slot, following the on-screen wheel behavior.
- Release or confirm according to your platform’s prompt. The client’s live prompt is authoritative if it differs from older Spray Wheel instructions.
For a quick action, the historical wheel design used the top slot as a tap-to-use quick spray. If you have changed wheel bindings or slot assignments, verify the current arrangement before relying on that shortcut for a Flex.
Where is the Flex wheel, and what key opens it?
There is no single guaranteed key that every player should use. Controls are configurable, and Riot’s published wheel instructions refer to the configured Spray key rather than an immutable universal default. Open Settings > Controls > Equipment and read the binding shown for your client.
This matters when following older videos or PC guides. Patch 6.10’s May 23, 2023 notes described holding the chosen Spray keybind to open the wheel and tapping it to use the top slot. Flex launched later, in Patch 10.00, and the wheel was renamed at that time. A guide that says “press this exact key” without checking your settings can be correct for its author and wrong for your layout, language, platform, or custom bindings.
What if holding the control does nothing?
- Return to Settings > Controls > Equipment and confirm that a wheel control is actually assigned.
- Check for a conflicting binding. If another action uses the same key or button, rebind one of them and test again.
- Make sure you assigned the Flex to a wheel slot in Collections; owning or previewing an item is not the same as equipping it.
- Use the prompt shown by the current client if its interaction differs from the historical hold-to-open behavior.
Can console players equip and use Flex?
Yes. Riot’s Patch 10.10 console notes said the Collection page was updated to include all content types, including Player Cards and Sprays/Flex, and to match the PC layout. That means the documented place to look is Collections, not a separate Flex-only console screen.
The assignment logic remains the same: select the Flex in Collections, put it on the Expressions Wheel, and use the wheel control configured for your controller. The exact button is platform- and user-configurable, so consult the Controls menu on the console where you play.
Does Flex affect movement speed?
Riot changed Flex movement speed in Patch 12.06. The notes announced that Flex movement speed would be increased to match Melee movement speed and that the change would apply to all past and future Flex.
Riot explained that, before this change, Flex used Ability movement speed, which it described as 90% of Melee movement speed. That number is historical context for the adjustment. Do not use it as a current statistic when deciding whether to equip a Flex.
The practical takeaway is that the movement-speed rule is shared across previously released and subsequently released Flex items under the Patch 12.06 change. The update concerns movement behavior; it does not turn Flex into an Agent ability or a weapon mechanic.
What is the difference between a Flex and a Spray?
Both are configured through the same expression-wheel system, which is why Riot’s launch wording refers to assigning a Flex to the Spray Wheel. The distinction is the cosmetic type: a Spray is a spray, while Flex is the newer cosmetic category introduced in Patch 10.00.
The interface terminology can therefore look inconsistent during the transition from the old name to the new one. “Spray Wheel” is the historical name and still appears in Riot’s description of the assignment method; “Expressions Wheel” is the name Riot gave that wheel when Flex launched. Seeing both terms does not indicate two different wheels.
| Term | Meaning | Where you encounter it |
|---|---|---|
| Flex | The cosmetic item you want to activate. | Collections and your inventory. |
| Spray | An existing cosmetic category that shares the wheel system. | Collections, wheel slots, and older control documentation. |
| Spray Wheel | The former name of the wheel. | Patch 6.10 documentation and Patch 10.00’s assignment wording. |
| Expressions Wheel | The name Riot uses for the renamed wheel. | Patch 10.00 onward and current in-game terminology where updated. |
What should I check when a Flex is missing?
Most apparent “missing Flex” problems come from looking in the wrong menu, confusing ownership with assignment, or using a control binding from an older guide. Work through these checks in order.
The Flex does not appear in Collections
- Confirm that you are in Collections and have opened the Sprays/Flex or Flex customization area rather than a weapon or Agent tab.
- On console, verify that the Collection page has loaded all content types. Riot’s Patch 10.10 notes identify Sprays/Flex as part of that page.
- Look for STAT-COM if you are checking the launch grant. Riot said it was added to every player’s inventory when Flex launched.
- Do not assume that every Flex item is always available. The official material establishing the launch feature does not provide a complete current catalog, shop schedule, or price list.
The Flex appears, but it will not activate
- Assign it to an Expressions Wheel slot; selecting it for inspection is not enough.
- Check the wheel binding under Settings > Controls > Equipment.
- Hold the configured control to open the wheel if your current prompt uses the historical hold-to-open interaction.
- Review slot placement if tapping the control triggers a different item. The older wheel model used the top slot as the quick-use slot.
The wheel opens, but the item looks different from a video
Videos may use a different patch, platform, language, slot arrangement, or custom binding. Patch 10.00 renamed the wheel, and later updates changed Flex movement speed, so compare the video’s date and settings before treating its behavior as a bug.
Does every Flex item work the same way?
The documented common behavior is the equip route: choose a Flex in Collections and assign it to the Expressions Wheel. Riot’s available notes do not establish a complete item-by-item catalog of appearances, availability, prices, or unique functions, so those details should be checked against the current client when evaluating a particular item.
Do not infer competitive benefits from the cosmetic category. The material establishing Flex describes it as an expression cosmetic and documents its wheel assignment and movement-speed rule; it does not document damage, accuracy, ability, or other combat advantages.
What information is still version-dependent?
Three details should be treated as live-client information rather than fixed instructions:
- The default key or button: bindings are configurable, and older Spray Wheel documentation predates Flex.
- Exact UI labels: Riot established Collections and the wheel assignment, but not every current click-by-click label for every platform.
- Inventory and pricing: the launch grant of STAT-COM is documented, but a current complete item list, shop availability, and prices are not established by the cited patch notes.
When a guide and your client disagree, use the current Controls and Collections screens for the action you are taking, then check the patch version shown in official VALORANT notes for behavior changes.
Quick setup checklist
- Open Collections.
- Enter the Flex customization or Sprays/Flex area.
- Select an owned Flex, such as the launch-granted STAT-COM if it is in your inventory.
- Assign it to the Expressions Wheel (called the Spray Wheel in some older wording).
- Open Settings > Controls > Equipment.
- Note the control assigned to the wheel; do not rely on an old default-key instruction.
- In a match, use that configured control to open the wheel and select the Flex slot.
- If movement behavior is relevant, remember that Patch 12.06 changed Flex movement speed to match Melee movement speed for past and future Flex.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a Flex without owning any special equipment?
Yes. Flex is entirely an in-game VALORANT cosmetic. You configure it in Collections and use the game’s Expressions Wheel; no physical accessory or additional hardware is required.
Why does a guide still call it the Spray Wheel?
That is the wheel’s former name. Riot’s Patch 10.00 notes retained “Spray Wheel” when explaining how to assign a Flex, while also saying the interface would be referred to as the Expressions Wheel from then on.
Will changing my keybind change which Flex I own?
No. A keybind controls access to the wheel; ownership and the selected Flex remain inventory and Collections settings. Rebinding only changes how you open or interact with the wheel.
Is the 90% movement-speed figure still the rule for Flex?
No. Riot used 90% of Melee movement speed to describe the pre-Patch 12.06 Ability-speed behavior. Patch 12.06 announced matching Melee movement speed for all past and future Flex.