Valorant Episode 8 Act 1 Release Date

Fans excited for the release of Valorant Episode 8 Act 1 do not have to wait much longer.

As the Valorant community gears up for the upcoming start of the Valorant Champions Tour 2024, they first must master the new update hitting the Valorant servers in the new year. After a lackluster two months of Valorant Episode 7 Act 3, Episode 8 Act 1 is on its way with plenty of new changes, including a controversial addition to the competitive map rotation. Plus, players can look forward to a fresh Battle Pass and new collections coming to the store.

Here's a breakdown of when the next major Valorant update goes live.

Valorant Episode 8 Act 1 Release Date

Valorant Episode 8 Act 1 will be released on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024, at 7 p.m. ET. Riot Games confirmed the start date in a recent Premier blog post, officially beginning the countdown to the next Episode.

Although the developers have not confirmed much else about the upcoming update, we expect there to be massive changes coming to the Agent pool. After Episode 7 Act 3 barely delivered any impactful buffs and nerfs, there will surely be a few noteworthy Agent changes in the new Episode.

At the time of writing, fans only have to wait just over a week to explore Valorant Episode 8 Act 1.

Valorant Episode 8 Act 1 Leaks: What We Know So Far

Several Valorant Episode 8 Act 1 leaks have already revealed a few changes coming to Riot Games' FPS. For the first time since the beta, a new weapon is joining the game, called the Outlaw Sniper. The sniper will cost 2,400 Credits and allegedly deliver a headshot worth 238 damage.

A leaked Player Card included in the Episode 8 Act 1 Battle Pass also teases a new Controller Agent that will likely drop in Episode 8 Act 2. The Agent will be the first Controller since Harbor was released in 2022. After Deadlock and Iso left much to be desired, the pressure is on the developers to create a new Agent that can actually break through the current meta.

The most controversial of the changes, though, is the return of Icebox. It is no secret that most of the Valorant community dislikes the map, and their feelings were only heightened when leaks revealed that it would replace Haven.

Stay tuned for more leaks as Episode 8 Act 1 approaches.