Valorant Patch 13.02 Malaysia: Phoenix Ult Nerf & Act 5 Countdown
Published: 2026-08-10
Riot dropped Valorant Patch 13.02 on 28 July 2026 and Phoenix mains felt it the same night. Run It Back now costs 7 ultimate points, not 6. Retakes gained Split, Corrode, and Lotus. AROS: Replication got shelved with no new date. Malaysian queues in the Singapore server saw the changes flip on during the 06:00 MYT maintenance window, and the ladder in Kuala Lumpur has been reshuffling ever since.
REDX Game watched the download counter tick over the same morning, then flipped the Valorant VP top-up stock to match the Neo Frontier collection that arrived with the patch. Below is what changed, what it means before Act 5 starts on 19 August, and how the math on packs works right now.
What Patch 13.02 actually changed on 28 July
Four lines actually matter for anyone still climbing ranked before Act 5's placement reset on 19 August, and everything else in the 2,000-word notes page is either a bug fix or a quality-of-life pass for the client menus.
- Phoenix Run It Back: ultimate points raised from 6 to 7. About one extra round of orb-farming per game before the second cast is up.
- Retakes map pool: Split, Corrode, and Lotus added. Queue times in the SEA server dropped noticeably by the weekend.
- AROS: Replication: delayed. Riot's line was blunt: "All Random One Site: Replication will no longer be released in this update." No new window.
- All Random One Site: removed from the client while Riot reworks the queue.
The full breakdown lives on the official VALORANT patch notes 13.02. Read the agent bug list if you play Iso, since a fix landed for his shield timing.
Phoenix ult math: what one extra point really costs
Ultimate orbs still drop two per map, and one first-blood or plant now covers roughly 15% of the bar instead of the old 16.6%. That gap looks small on paper, but in practice most Phoenix players who used to hit Run It Back on round 4 of a half now see it land on round 5 at the earliest, which pushes the second cast into overtime for anything less than a stomp. Over a 13-round Bo1, expect one less full ult per game, closer to two casts than the old three whenever the match goes distance.
Duelist mains in Petaling Jaya cyber cafes have already pivoted. Jett and Neon pick rates in Immortal+ Pacific queues climbed roughly 6% in the first week, according to community trackers. Phoenix isn't dead; his flashes and heal are untouched. But if you were relying on Run It Back to bail a lost site, the math no longer bails you.
Original angle worth chewing on: at 7 points, Phoenix's ult economy is now identical to Reyna's Empress (7) and one point behind Yoru's Dimensional Drift (8), which slots him mid-pack in the duelist roster instead of at the front where 6-point Run It Back used to sit. That aligns his ultimate cadence with everyone else on the roster, which is exactly what Riot's design brief flagged as the goal for the patch.
Pro read: how this reshapes VCT Pacific and the Ascension race
The competitive fallout is smaller than social media made it look. Phoenix already sits under a 4% pick rate on the Pacific League stage. What matters more for pros is the Retakes map addition. Coaches lean on Retakes for post-plant scrim work, and getting Split and Lotus back in that rotation shortens practice loops before Champions.
For the SEA Ascension pipeline, the Retakes additions matter more than the Phoenix nerf. Malaysian talents grinding toward Team Secret and PRX academy tryouts now have Split retake reps at Bo1 speed, something the old three-map pool couldn't offer. Boleh tahan for a mid-patch drop.
Ranked-wise, expect a short spike in Reyna and Yoru queue pick rates on the Singapore-hosted MY server through Act 4's final week as duelist mains chase easier ult economies before the reset. When Act 5 arrives on the morning of 19 August MYT, ranked placements start fresh and most of the meta noise from 13.02 quietly settles into the placement grind.
VP pack math after the patch (Malaysia)
The Neo Frontier Collection dropped alongside 13.02 and prices the top-tier Run It Back: Neo Frontier bundle at 8,700 VP, which is the number to plan around before Act 5 pushes another Battle Pass on top of the same wallet. Riot client pricing for Malaysia, straight from the in-game store:
- 475 VP: RM 16.90
- 1,000 VP: RM 33.90
- 2,050 VP: RM 67.90
- 3,650 VP: RM 118.90
- 5,350 VP: RM 169.90
- 11,000 VP: RM 339.90
To hit 8,700 VP through the Riot client, the cleanest ladder is one 5,350 pack plus one 3,650 pack: RM 288.80 for 9,000 VP with 300 spare. Alternatively, one 11,000 pack at RM 339.90 leaves 2,300 VP banked for the next bundle. REDX Game runs the same MYR ladder on the Valorant Malaysia top-up page, delivered by DuitNow in a 1–3 minute window.
App Store shoppers in KL and Johor Bahru still pay Apple's 30% platform tax on top. The same 1,000 VP pack that runs RM 33.90 through the Riot client can push past RM 42 via iOS in-app. Murah giler difference over a full bundle purchase, and the reason most Pacific-server grinders now top up out-of-client through REDX Game rather than through the phone store.
FAQ before Act 5
When does Valorant Act 5 start in Malaysia?
Act 4 ends on 19 August 2026 and Act 5 begins the same day after Singapore-server maintenance, typically 07:00–10:00 MYT. Ranked resets on rollover.
Does Patch 13.02 change ranked MMR?
No. MMR carries into Act 5's placement games (five wins for a rank). Only Phoenix's ult economy, the Retakes pool, and the AROS mode changed.
Is Phoenix still worth learning after the nerf?
Yes for solo queue below Immortal, since his flashes and self-heal are unchanged and Run It Back still lands round-critical plays around a lost site. Above Immortal, the extra orb-round makes second casts rare in Bo1s.
Will Night Market return with Act 5?
Riot has historically slotted the Night Market into the middle of a new Act. The July window closed on 29 July, and the next one is expected during Act 5. REDX Game will refresh VP stock the same day it opens.
Why is AROS: Replication delayed?
Riot cited unresolved balance and queue issues from internal playtests. No new release date was committed. AROS: Replication was first teased in May 2026.
Local reads: MY server, cafe scrims, and where to top up
The Singapore server hosts Malaysian queues, and ping from Shah Alam and Kuching typically sits in the 25–40 ms range for Retakes. The Split, Corrode, and Lotus additions won't strain that. Cyber cafes in Petaling Jaya were the first to load 13.02 on ladder day, and Kuching lobbies followed by evening. Senang gila to get a fresh Retakes lobby in under 20 seconds most nights.
For Act 5 bundle purchases, REDX Game keeps the full Riot client MYR pack ladder in one page and pays via DuitNow, Boost, or Touch 'n Go eWallet. Delivery lands in the 1–3 minute window advertised, which is usually enough time to finish the current queue. If Riot pushes an in-Act balance micro-patch, likely for Phoenix again if the pick rate keeps sliding, REDX Game will refresh this page with the numbers that matter.
Sources: Riot official patch notes 13.02 · VALORANT Wiki mirror.
