VALORANT Patch Notes 12.03: Skirmish Arrives, Gekko Buffed, and MFA Expands to APAC

Riot Games has deployed VALORANT patch 12.03, bringing a new limited-time 2v2 mode, meaningful Gekko changes, MFA expansion to the APAC region, and Masters Santiago Pick’Ems. While not as sweeping as some previous patches, 12.03 packs in enough to keep players busy across competitive, casual, and esports fronts.

Gekko Agent Changes

The headline agent update in 12.03 belongs to Gekko. According to Riot, since patch 11.08 the team has heard feedback that Gekko felt substantially weaker compared to other Initiators, with less opportunity to play around his Reclaim mechanic. Patch 12.03 aims to unify how all of his abilities function, give him more flexibility in reclaiming his Globules, and provide a slight power buff overall.

The changes are as follows:

Globules

• Reclaim timer increased from 15 seconds to 20 seconds

Mosh Pit

• Is now reclaimable

The Reclaim timer increase gives Gekko players more breathing room to reposition and pick up their creatures before they expire. The addition of Mosh Pit to the reclaimable pool is perhaps the more significant change: it means Gekko can now recover all of his major abilities after use, making his kit incredibly powerful with the implication of multiple ‘mollies’ per round, one of the few remaining agents to have more than one.

Additionally, new voice lines have been added for Viper, including conversation lines with Omen and Vyse.

Skirmish: 2v2 — New Limited Time Mode

The most talked-about addition in 12.03 is Skirmish, now available as a queueable 2v2 matchmaking mode for a limited time. Compact maps, no abilities — it’s pure gunplay. Players can queue solo or bring a partner, and the first team to 10 rounds wins.

Mode Details:

• 2v2 Matchmaking Queue (solo or with a partner)
• First to 10 rounds wins

Gameplay Rules:

• Abilities are fully disabled
• Full weapon selection available each round (no economy system)
• No agent select — hop in and go

Available Maps:

• Skirmish A, Skirmish B, Skirmish C
• Map is randomly selected each match

Skirmish strips the game down to its mechanical core, offering a great space for players to sharpen their aim and gunfight fundamentals.

Competitive Updates in Valorant Patch 12.03: MFA Expands to APAC

Following the EU rollout in patch 12.01, multi-factor authentication requirements are now expanding. In APAC, accounts flagged for sharing and all players ranked Ascendant and above must now enable Riot Mobile multi-factor authentication to access the Competitive queue. All other modes remain unaffected.

Riot has provided resources for players navigating this requirement, including an article explaining the reasoning behind the change and a step-by-step how-to guide for setting up MFA.

Esports Features: Masters Santiago Pick’Ems and Player Stats

Masters Santiago Pick’Ems are back. Starting February 19 (PT), players can make their picks for the Swiss Stage both in-client and on the web. The task is to predict which teams advance from the 8-team Swiss Groups, with bonus points available for correctly predicting a team that advances with a flawless 2-0 record. Simply participating earns an exclusive title, with additional prizes on the line depending on how your picks stack up against other players.

VCT Player Stats have also arrived. Player stats are now available on the Esports Hub Teams page, letting fans dig into professional player performance data and see how they compare.

General Updates

Two notable quality-of-life additions round out the general update section:

• Audio occlusion now responds dynamically to map doorways being opened, closed, or destroyed, making sound information more accurate and situationally relevant.
• Replays now include a setting to skip spectating dead players, improving the experience for those reviewing footage.

All Random One Site: Loadout Changes

Riot has taken a pass on the Stages and Loadouts in All Random One Site. The goal was to preserve the chaotic nature of the mode while still giving players some meaningful agency in their loadout. Several stages have had weapons added and some of the more niche options have been buffed.

Bug Fixes

Modes

All Random One Site

• Fixed an issue where Vyse could continuously place infinite Razorvines during Buy phase.

Known Issues

Riot has flagged a few known issues that will be addressed in patch 12.04:

Battlepass

• Hitting ESC causes Battlepass elements to disappear and reappear instead of navigating back a page.

Store

• The background for the accessories store is currently missing.
• The Reaver Bandit is incorrectly showing as a limited edition item — Riot has confirmed it is not limited edition.

PC Only 12.03 Changes

Progression Updates

The Event Pass and Battlepass have received a refreshed layout with updated button visuals. Players can now navigate through tiers using either the mouse or arrow keys.

Patch 12.03 is a small enough patch but the Skirmish mode offers a fun diversion while the Gekko changes address community feedback that has been building since 11.08. The MFA rollout to APAC continues Riot’s push toward a more secure competitive environment. All eyes now turn to patch 12.04, where the store background, Battlepass navigation, and more are slated for resolution.