VALORANT Patch 12.03 Adds New 2v2 Skirmish Mode, Gekko Buffs, and More

VALORANT patch 12.03 introduces the new queueable 2v2 Skirmish mode alongside minor buffs to Gekko. Additionally, Pick'Ems return for Masters Santiago, allowing players to predict match outcomes throughout the tournament and earn rewards.

Below is a summary of the latest VALORANT update. For the full patch notes, read the official patch 12.03 notes here.

Gekko Receives Minor Buffs in Patch 12.03

According to Riot Games, players had been reporting since patch 11.08 that Gekko felt weaker than other Initiators, mostly because he had limited opportunities to utilize his Reclaim. The latest changes are designed to standardize his ability rules, improve his Globule reclaim flexibility, and deliver a modest power increase.

One of Gekko’s core mechanics is his ability to reclaim his utilities, giving him multiple chances to deploy his kit. Until patch 12.03, only his Wingman, Dizzy, and his ultimate, Thrash, could be reclaimed and reused. However, after the latest update, players can now collect and reuse Gekko’s Mosh Pit as well. 

Another small adjustment sees the globules being available for being reclaimed for an extra five seconds, providing Gekko players room for better plays. Here are the exact changes: 

• Globules reclaim timer increased from 15s to 20s
• Mosh Pit is now reclaimable

New Limited Time Mode: Skirmish 2v2 

An expanded version of the existing Skirmish mode arrives in VALORANT as a limited-time mode with patch 12.03. Unlike the regular Skirmish, which is a Custom game mode, the new 2v2 LTM will feature a dedicated matchmaking queue, allowing players to queue either solo or with a partner. Here are some gameplay details:

• Abilities are disabled
• Full weapon selection each round (no economy)
• No agent select
• First to 10 rounds wins
• Map will be randomly selected each match from three options: Skirmish A, B, and C. 

Multi-Factor Authentication arrives in APAC 

To combat smurfing, Riot Games introduced mandatory multi-factor authentication for certain player accounts in late 2025. This measure now arrives for APAC players with patch 12.03. All accounts flagged for account sharing, as well as all players above the Ascendant rank, must enable Riot Mobile Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) to access the Competitive queue. Other game modes remain unaffected.

Masters Santiago Pick’Ems

The official VCT Pick’Ems are set to return for the upcoming Masters Santiago. Starting February 19th, players can select their picks for the tournament’s Swiss Stage through either the in-game client or the website. 

For the Swiss Stage, you must predict the teams that will advance from the 8-team Swiss Groups. For bonus points, you can predict a team that will advance flawlessly with a 2-0 record. Here are all the rewards offered in the Masters Santiago Pick’Ems: 

• Cachando Todo Title - All eligible participants for making their picks.
• ¡Rico, Po! Buddy - Top 50% percentile.
• Pick’Ems Master: ¡Rico, Po! Buddy - Top 20% percentile.
• Perfect Title - Perfect bracket.

Alongside these updates, Riot Games has made a few other small changes:

• Changes to weapon loadouts in the All Random One Site mode: Added weapons to a few stages and buffed some of the more niche options.
• General Updates: When watching Replays, you now have a setting to skip spectating dead players.
• VCT Player Stats: Now available on the Esports Hub Teams page. 
• Bug Fixes: Fixed an issue where Vyse could continuously place infinite Razorvines during the Buy phase on All Random One Site.

Follow Strafe Esports for the latest VALORANT news and our X account for the latest content and coverage. Also, stay tuned to Strafe's YouTube channel for exclusive interviews, press conferences, and more.

Featured Image Credit: Riot Games

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