Valorant Patch 12.09 finally nerfs Neon and shotguns ahead of Masters London

Ollie Ring, Senior Editor

Last Updated: 13/05/2026

Valorant Patch 12.09 has arrived, and it brings one of the most heavily requested balance updates of the year. Riot has finally moved against Neon and the wider shotgun meta, targeting the aggressive, fast-paced playstyle that has shaped both ranked games and professional matches in recent weeks.

Neon had already become a major talking point after being disabled in regular queues while remaining available in esports competitions. That created an unusual split between live play and pro play, but Patch 12.09 is designed to bring the game back into alignment before the next major competitive stretch.

Neon takes a major hit in Valorant Patch 12.09

Neon has been a difficult agent for Riot to balance. Her speed, entry power, and ability to pair with shotguns made her one of the most oppressive Duelists in the current meta. Riot previously said the issue was not just Neon herself, but also the wider state of Valorant, including strong Duelists, weaker Sentinels, and longer Initiator signature ability cooldowns.

Patch 12.09 does not solve every one of those wider issues, but it does directly target Neon’s most frustrating strengths. The goal is pretty clear to se: make Neon slower, less explosive in close-range fights, and easier for opponents to read.

Key changes according to the patch notes are:

• Jumping with High Gear active no longer provides a speed bonus while airborne. Air speed while sprinting now matches melee speed
• Fuel will only regenerate on a kill when Neon’s ultimate is active. Passive regeneration remains, but the mid-round kill top-up is gone outside of ult
• Improved slide VFX to more clearly communicate direction and origin to opponents

The biggest change is to High Gear. Neon will no longer gain the same airborne speed advantage while sprinting, which should reduce the number of fights where she feels impossible to track. The fuel change also means Neon players will have fewer opportunities to chain aggressive plays together unless Overdrive is active.

That should make her less dominant as a constant pressure agent, especially in rounds where she previously used early kills to keep her momentum going.

Shotguns are also nerfed across the board

Neon was only part of the problem. Shotguns have also been central to the current debate, especially when used by high-mobility agents. The Judge, Bucky, and Shorty have all been changed in Patch 12.09, with Riot clearly trying to push them back toward a more defensive identity.

The intent with these changes is to push shotguns back into a deliberate, defensive role, most effective when holding tight angles and clearing close-range spaces, rather than being aggressive on the move.

Universal changes across all shotguns:

• Run, walk, crouch-walk, and jump accuracy standardised across all three guns
• Crouching now provides a 15% accuracy multiplier, matching rifles. This is a minor buff to the Bucky (up from 10%) but a nerf to the Judge and Shorty (down from 25%)
• Rope accuracy significantly reduced. Standing still on a rope: spread increased from 0.075 to 0.75. Walking: 0.09 to 1.5. Running: 0.1 to 3.0

These changes should make shotgun movement far less forgiving. Players will still be rewarded for holding the right angle or clearing close spaces properly, but running, jumping, or fighting from ropes should now be much less reliable.

Bucky, Judge, and Shorty all receive specific changes

There are specific shotgun nerfs, too, ranging from the following:

Bucky:

• Pellet damage in the 0-8m range reduced. Body: 20 to 17. Head: 40 to 34. Legs: 17 to 14
• Minimum spread increased from 2.6 to 3.0
• Walking spread: 0.075 to 1
• Running spread: 0.1 to 2
• Crouch-walk spread: 0.05 to 0.5
• Jump spread: 1.25 to 4

Judge:

• Minimum spread increased from 2.25 to 2.5 (PC only for now, console to follow in patch 12.11)
• Walking spread: 0.075 to 1.
• Running spread: 0.75 to 2.
• Crouch-walk spread: 0.05 to 0.5
• Jump spread: 2.25 to 4

Shorty:

• Fire rate decreased from 3.33 to 3.0
• Walking spread: 0.075 to 1
• Running spread: 0.1 to 2
• Crouch-walk spread: 0.05 to 0.5
• Jump spread: 1.25 to 4

The Bucky has lost close-range damage and consistency, the Judge is less accurate while moving, and the Shorty’s fire rate has been reduced. Combined with the universal movement accuracy changes, all three shotguns should now demand more precise positioning.

This was the biggest bug-bear for people with the shotgun meta. It wasn’t just about the sheer damage, but also about how easily some agents could close distance, take chaotic fights, and still convert kills with minimal precision. Patch 12.09 directly addresses what people found an infuriating and often dull playstyle.

Valorant Masters London could feature new meta

This is one of the most significant balance patches Valorant has had in recent months. Neon should still have a place in the meta, especially for teams that can build structured executes around her speed, but she should be less overwhelming in isolated fights.

The shotgun changes may have an even wider impact. Agents like Neon and Waylay should feel the nerfs most immediately, but any player relying on aggressive shotgun movement will need to adjust. Shotguns are not being removed from the game’s tactical identity, but Riot clearly wants them used more carefully and only in certain situations.

Patch 12.09 is live in the main game, while tournament servers remain on Patch 12.08 for now. The balance changes are expected to arrive in competitive play between VCT playoffs and Masters London, which should create a major meta shift before the event, and means we are absolutely in for a treat when teams touch down in old Blighty for some top-tier Valorant action.

For teams preparing for London, this patch could force quick adaptations. Neon-heavy compositions may need to be reworked, shotgun setups will be less forgiving, and Sentinels may become more valuable if the pace of rounds slows down.

Patch 12.09 may not be the final answer to Valorant’s current balance problems, but it is a clear first step. Neon is slower, shotguns are less reliable on the move, and the run-and-gun meta has taken a serious hit.

Ollie Ring, Senior Editor

Ollie has been at the intersection of video games, esports, and gambling for over ten years and has also worked in consultancy in the gambling industry. He has helped host and attended numerous UK esports events both B2B and B2C in the last decade. Ollie's work can be found on the likes of: BBC, Red Bull Gaming, Esports Insider, CasinoBeats, PC Gamer, Green Man Gaming as well as his own thought-leadership substack "Esprouts" looking at specific studies and stories where games meet gambling.

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