VALORANT Patch 12.08 brings new Skirmish mode and Kuronami 2.0 bundle

VALORANT Season 2026 // Act 3 kicks off on April 29, 2026, and Riot Games is not holding back. The new Act brings two headline additions: Skirmish: Ascension, a competitive overhaul of the beloved Skirmish mode, and the Kuronami 2.0 Collection, a sequel to one of VALORANT's most loved skin lines. Here is everything you need to know.

Skirmish: Ascension

Riot Games has officially unveiled Skirmish: Ascension, the next evolution of the Skirmish game mode. Built on community feedback demanding a ranked structure, Ascension adds stakes to the stripped-down format while staying true to gunplay-first gameplay.

What Is Skirmish: Ascension?

Skirmish: Ascension is a competitive mode featuring a curated Agent pool, limited abilities, staged weapons, and a formal competitive ladder powered by the For The Win (FTW) platform. Players can queue into 1v1 or 2v2 matches, each with independent leaderboards segmented by server, region, and platform. Matches are played across the three Skirmish maps, and the first team to reach 10 rounds wins.

The Agent Roster

Each Agent in Ascension is equipped with just a single ability from their kit, deliberately chosen to prioritize game sense and decision-making over ability spam. The full roster is:

• Jett – Tailwind
• Waylay – Refract
• Chamber – Rendezvous
• Cypher – Cyber Cage
• Omen – Shrouded Step
• Phoenix – Curve Ball
• Yoru – Clone
• Iso – Contingency
• Sage – Barrier Orb
• Raze – Blast Pack
• Vyse – Arc Rose
• KAY/O – Flash/Drive
• Breach – Flashpoint
• Veto – Crosscut

The buy phase now also has some structured hierarchy:

• Rounds 1–4: Pistols (Bandit and Sheriff)
• Rounds 5–8: Low-tier rifles (Guardian and Bulldog)
• Round 9+: Full rifles (Vandal and Phantom)

This creates a natural power curve across the match, rewarding mechanical consistency at each tier before escalating the stakes.

FTW Leaderboard and How Ranking Works

Rankings are calculated through a point-based system that factors in your win/loss ratio against opponents of varying skill levels. Leaderboards are completely separate for 1v1 and 2v2, and progress in one mode does not carry over to the other. In case of ties, the player with more games played earns the higher placement.

To participate, players need a valid Riot Games account and a linked FTW account, and must meet the minimum age requirements and residency eligibility for their country.

Rewards

Skirmish: Ascension offers the following earnable rewards:

• Combat Ready Player Card: Complete 3 placement matches
• Trade Me Player Card: Complete 15 Skirmish matches
• Skirmish Competitor Title: Achieve Gold to Platinum rank
• Skirmish Expert Title: Achieve Diamond to Immortal rank
• Skirmish Radiant Title: Achieve Radiant rank (highest rank across either leaderboard)

Player cards are distributed as redeemable codes through FTW's Rewards tab and must be claimed before the stated expiration date.

Kuronami 2.0

Alongside the new mode, Act 3 introduces the Kuronami 2.0 Collection, a direct continuation of the original Kuronami line released in January 2024. The bundle expands the weapon offering under the same elemental water aesthetic while debuting an all-new melee weapon.

The centerpiece of this collection is the dual-form melee weapon. Players can seamlessly transform between a Kunai and a Katana, each with its own custom idle pose and inspect animations.

Kuronami 2.0 weapons

The Kuronami 2.0 Collection includes the following weapons:

• Kunai/Katana Melee
• Phantom
• Operator
• Ghost
• Guardian

The bundle also comes with 1 Gun Buddy, 1 Player Card, and 1 Spray. Three color variants are available in Purple, White, and Dark Red, matching the palette of the original Kuronami skins.

The Kuronami 2.0 finisher is the same as the first bundle. Upon killing an enemy, the player traps them inside a ball of water as the sky darkens, rain begins to fall, and lightning crackles in the clouds. Both the killing player and teammates can shatter the water ball by shooting it, hitting it, or running into it.

Bundle Price: 9,500 VP

VALORANT Season 2026 // Act 3 goes live on April 29, 2026. Whether you are grinding the Skirmish: Ascension ladder or just here for the drip, this Act has something to get excited about.

For all things VCT-related, make sure to stay tuned to THESPIKE.GG as we continue to update you with the freshest game and esports news.

Featured Image Source: Riot Games