5 Valorant Act 5 Changes Malaysians Should Know (18 Aug 2026)
Published: 2026-08-22
Valorant Season 2026 Act 5 went live on 18 August 2026 with patch 13.04, and Malaysian queues opened by around 10pm MYT that night after the standard SEA server rollover. The act runs until 14 October 2026, giving KL players about 57 days to grind the 50-tier battle pass, watch VCT Pacific Stage 2 playoffs, and prepare for Champions 2026 in Shanghai. All times below are MYT (GMT+8).
Riot dropped four things at once: Act 5, the V26A5 battle pass (1,000 VP), a competitive soft rank reset, and Abyss returning to the map pool in place of Breeze. That is a lot of change in one Tuesday night. Here are the five moves Malaysian players should make before Champions 2026 begins on 26 September.
Pro Analysis: Abyss Returns Right Before Champions 2026
Abyss is back in competitive and deathmatch queues; Breeze is out. Riot timed this on purpose. According to Liquipedia's Patch 13.04 summary, "Abyss enters competitive and deathmatch queues" while "Breeze exits" for the run of the act. The 2026 Valorant Champions in Shanghai kicks off 26 September and ends 18 October, and pros need scrim reps on the map that will actually be picked on stage.
What that means for Malaysian ranked players: your Immortal lobby will spam Abyss for the first two weeks while everyone re-learns the fall-off angles into A Long. Second-storey rotate through Mid is 1.8 seconds faster than Breeze's B Main hallway equivalent, so old timing calls from your Breeze memory bank will get you killed. Watch how Pacific Stage 2 teams (Gen.G, DRX, T1, PRX) handle post-plant at A Site — that is where the meta will settle.
Senang gila to grind if you fell to Gold in the soft reset. Ten wins on Abyss usually lifts a decent player back to Platinum in a week because the map still confuses returning smurfs.
Skip These Battle Pass Traps (Save Your Ringgit)
The Season 2026 // Act 5 pass costs 1,000 VP. Malaysian players who buy tiers reflexively lose money three ways. Three warnings, in order of how much they burn:
- Do not tier-skip past level 20 unless you play daily. Skipping the last 30 tiers at 355 VP each costs roughly 10,650 VP, or about RM 300 at REDX Game rates — more than four full battle passes. Grinding two daily missions covers the same ground for free.
- The Gourmand Operator is not free. It sits at tier 45. Casual players who play only weekends will finish around tier 30. Buy the pass in week one, not week eight, if you actually want the Operator.
- Ignore the epilogue upsell. Epilogue tiers 51–55 open only after tier 50 and usually pay out Radianite Points and duplicate sprays. Skip them; grind Act 6 instead.
Boleh tahan the temptation and your VP wallet will thank you in October.
Act 5 VP: REDX vs App Store in Ringgit
Here is the honest maths, taken from live Malaysian iOS store prices and REDX Game's Valorant top-up page on 22 August 2026. VP totals include Riot's bundled bonus.
PackTotal VPApp Store (RM)REDX Game (RM)You save
475 VP475RM 22.90RM 19.90RM 3.00
1,000 VP (pass)1,000RM 44.90RM 39.50RM 5.40
2,050 VP2,050RM 89.90RM 79.00RM 10.90
3,650 VP3,650RM 158.00RM 139.00RM 19.00
5,350 VP5,350RM 219.00RM 194.00RM 25.00
For the flat 1,000 VP battle pass, the REDX Game gap is RM 5.40 — a plate of nasi lemak and teh ais at any KL kopitiam. Across the full act, players who top up twice save enough for a Grab ride home from Berjaya Times Square. REDX Game runs in MYR only, uses DuitNow for payment, and typically delivers Riot ID top-ups in 1–3 minutes.
Malaysia FAQ: Act 5 Timing, Prices, Battle Pass
What time did Valorant Act 5 start in Malaysia?
Patch 13.04 shipped on 18 August 2026 and Malaysian servers were live by roughly 10pm MYT after the SEA maintenance window. Riot has not published a to-the-minute stamp, and the official Valorant wiki lists 14 October 2026 as the close.
How long does Act 5 last for Malaysian players?
Fifty-seven days, from 18 August to 14 October 2026 MYT. The Champions 2026 tournament in Shanghai overlaps the last three weeks, so plan grind sessions around the broadcast schedule.
How much is the Act 5 battle pass in ringgit?
The 1,000 VP pass costs RM 44.90 on the iOS App Store and about RM 39.50 through REDX Game — a RM 5.40 saving per act. Multiply that across three acts and it is a full extra battle pass a year.
Is Abyss back in ranked?
Yes. Abyss is in the competitive and deathmatch queues from 18 August; Breeze is out. Expect Abyss to appear in roughly one in seven of your ranked queues under the current rotation.
Do I need a new Riot ID to top up for Act 5?
No. Your existing Riot ID works. Enter it once on the REDX Game order page, pick your VP pack, pay by DuitNow or Boost, and VP typically lands in 1–3 minutes.
When does Champions 2026 start?
26 September 2026 in Shanghai, running through 18 October. Malaysian time zones align with Shanghai (both GMT+8), so all broadcast times are direct.
How KL, JB, and Penang Players Prep for Act 5 Grind Nights
Malaysian ranked queues fill fastest between 9pm and 1am MYT, which happens to overlap the softest matchmaking window on Abyss right now. A few practical notes from the local scene:
Petaling Jaya and Shah Alam players on Time fibre generally see 12–18 ms to the Singapore SEA server, so Abyss's tight utility timings are actually playable — unlike Immortal lobbies on 4G. Johor Bahru and Penang players on Unifi fibre report similar figures. If you are on mobile hotspot from Ipoh or Kuching, expect 60 ms+ and pick Reyna or Raze over utility-heavy agents.
Murah giler to grab a battle pass early: the same 1,000 VP pack costs the same on day one and day fifty, but you get 57 nights of value instead of eight. Malaysia's most-remembered Valorant name, Team SMG, built their old ranked ladders around that exact rule: buy early, grind consistently. Bookmark the REDX Game Valorant page so week-one top-ups take under thirty seconds.
A quick reminder on scams. If someone in your queue offers "free VP" or "cheap Radianite" through a Discord link, it is always a phishing attempt. REDX Game only sells through redxgame.com; no legitimate top-up ever needs your Riot password. Tak perlu tunggu lama for the confirmation SMS; if it does not arrive in five minutes, cancel and re-order rather than paying twice.
Act 5 is short, Champions is loud, and the ringgit gap between REDX Game and the App Store is real. Grind smart, top up local, and see you on Abyss.
