Episode and Act in VALORANT is the major update with balances and content drops in the game.
Riot’s hit FPS game, VALORANT, is constantly being supplied with content drops, Agent balances, and new cosmetics and game modes. The content calendar for VALORANT is rich, and every update brings something new to the table that the players love.
Unlike its competitors, the updates are pushed according to Episodes and Acts in VALORANT. While other games opt for a seasonal major content drop or implement seasonal splits, Valorant’s trimester system is a different approach and limits competitive action to keep it challenging.
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What are Episodes and Acts in VALORANT?
Episodes are the overall theme of the upcoming season. They last over several months and ranks receive a soft reset at the start of every new Episode. As of now, there are 7 Episodes in Valorant. Every Episode adds to the lore of the game, released alongside a cinematic.
| Episodes |
|---|
| Episode 1 – IGNITION |
| Episode 2 – FORMATION |
| Episode 3 – REFLECTION |
| Episode 4 – DISRUPTION |
| Episode 5 – DIMENSION |
| Episode 6 – REVELATION |
| Episode 7 – EVOLUTION |
Acts are more gameplay-oriented, push balance updates to maps and weapons, and also introduce new Agents or maps. Acts usually last around 2 months, and every episode has 3 Acts, meaning in total, a whole Episode lasts almost 6 months. Every Act also introduces new Battle Passes and other unique cosmetic content.
Every Episode and Act in VALORANT
With that out of the way, we can list all of the Episodes and Acts so far released in the game. Riot has a planned calendar that it follows to release content serially. The latest Act is Episode 7, Act 3, and introduces the newest Agent, ISO.
| Episode & Act | Start Date | End Date |
|---|---|---|
| Episode 1 – Ignition | June 2, 2020 | January 12, 2021 |
| Act 1 | June 2, 2020 | August 4, 2020 |
| Act 2 | August 4, 2020 | 13 October, 2020 |
| Act 3 | 13 October, 2020 | January 12, 2021 |
| Episode 2 – Formation | January 12, 2021 | June 22, 2021 |
| Act 1 | January 12, 2021 | March 2, 2021 |
| Act 2 | March 2, 2021 | April 27, 2021 |
| Act 3 | April 27, 2021 | June 22, 2021 |
| Episode 3 – Reflection | June 22, 2021 | January 11, 2022 |
| Act 1 | June 22, 2021 | September 8, 2021 |
| Act 2 | September 8, 2021 | November 2, 2021 |
| Act 3 | November 2, 2021 | January 11, 2022 |
| Episode 4 – Disruption | January 11, 2022 | June 22, 2022 |
| Act 1 | January 11, 2022 | March 1, 2022 |
| Act 2 | March 1, 2022 | April 27, 2022 |
| Act 3 | April 27, 2022 | June 22, 2022 |
| Episode 5 – Dimension | June 22, 2022 | January 10, 2023 |
| Act 1 | June 22, 2022 | August 23, 2022 |
| Act 2 | August 23, 2022 | October 18th 2022 |
| Act 3 | October 18th 2022 | January 10, 2023 |
| Episode 6 – Revolution | January 10, 2023 | June 27, 2023 |
| Act 1 | January 10, 2023 | March 7, 2023 |
| Act 2 | March 7, 2023 | April 25, 2023 |
| Act 3 | April 25, 2023 | June 27, 2023 |
| Episode 7 – Evolution* | June 27, 2023 | – |
| Act 1 | June 27, 2023 | August 29, 2023 |
| Act 2 | August 29, 2023 | October 31, 2023 |
| Act 3* | October 31, 2023 | January 9, 2024 |
* – is the current live Episode and Act.
When is the Next Episode?
The current Act should end in the first few weeks of 2024. It is still unknown what the next update will bring, but since the last few Acts were Agent additions, a new map may be on the horizon.
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