If you‘re an avid Valorant player, chances are you‘ve encountered the infamous error code 46 at least once. The full error message reads:
"VALORANT is currently offline for scheduled maintenance. Please come back later once service resumes."
At which point, you‘re unceremoniously booted from the game client and left wondering how long you‘ll be locked out of Riot‘s tactical shooter. Error code 46 is Valorant‘s way of telling you that the game servers are temporarily down for scheduled maintenance and updates.
While it‘s undoubtedly frustrating to have your gaming session interrupted, these periodic maintenance windows are a crucial part of Valorant‘s live service model. Regular patches and content updates keep the game fresh, balanced, and free of game-breaking exploits.
In this article, we‘ll take a deep dive into what goes on behind the scenes during Valorant‘s scheduled maintenance. We‘ll cover how long downtimes typically last, how to check server status, and how Valorant‘s update cadence compares to other popular live service games.
Whether you‘re a casual player or aspiring pro, understanding Valorant‘s update cycle is key to staying competitive in Riot‘s ever-evolving tactical shooter. Let‘s get into it!
How Long Does Valorant Maintenance Usually Last?
The length of Valorant‘s scheduled maintenance can vary quite a bit depending on the scope of the update being pushed. According to data from Downdetector, the average length of Valorant‘s downtime is around 2 hours and 15 minutes. However, this can range from as short as 30 minutes for minor patches to 4+ hours for major content updates.
Here‘s a breakdown of Valorant‘s average maintenance duration by update type:
| Update Type | Average Downtime |
|---|---|
| Minor Patch | 45 minutes |
| Balance Update | 2 hours |
| New Agent Release | 3 hours |
| Episode Update | 4 hours |
Of course, these are just averages. Unexpected issues during the patching process can sometimes extend maintenance windows significantly. Riot Games is usually pretty good about keeping players updated if there are any delays.
On the flip side, the developers have also managed to complete some pretty substantial updates in record time. For example, the Episode 4 Act II update in February 2023, which introduced Agent 21 "Gekko", took just under 2 hours of downtime. That‘s quite the feat considering it also shipped with a new battle pass, skin bundle, and balance overhaul for Controllers.
The key takeaway is that, outside of major content drops, Valorant‘s scheduled maintenance is a relatively brief affair. In most cases, you can expect to be back in the game fragging away within a couple hours tops. Just enough downtime to grab a snack and catch up on some VODs of your favorite pro players!
Checking Valorant Server Status
Okay, so you‘ve encountered error code 46 and you‘re pretty sure Valorant is down for maintenance. But what if you want to be absolutely certain there‘s an update in progress? Here are a few ways to check Valorant‘s server status:
Check the official Valorant server status page: Riot maintains a dedicated status page for Valorant where they post updates on server maintenance and outages. This should be your first stop if you suspect the game is down.
Follow @PlayValorant on Twitter: Valorant‘s official Twitter account is another great resource for server status updates. They typically tweet out a heads up before maintenance begins and another notice once servers are back online.
Browse the Valorant subreddit: The Valorant subreddit is a great way to confirm whether an outage is widespread. If the game is down, you can bet there will be a flurry of posts from other players also encountering error code 46. Misery loves company, right?
Check third-party status trackers: Websites like DownDetector crowdsource server status reports from players. If Valorant is down, you‘ll see a big spike in user-submitted problem reports.
The official Valorant resources are generally the most reliable, but checking multiple sources can give you a more complete picture of the game‘s server status. And hey, if all else fails, you can always just try logging in again every 15 minutes until the maintenance concludes!
What‘s in a Valorant Update?
So what do the Valorant developers actually do during those precious maintenance hours? It varies from update to update, but patches generally fall into a few key categories:
Bug Fixes: Ah, the never-ending battle against glitches and exploits. A big chunk of smaller Valorant patches are dedicated to squashing bugs that impact the game‘s stability and competitive integrity. This might include fixing abilities that aren‘t working as intended, resolving map glitches, or preventing players from getting stuck in walls.
Balance Updates: MOBAs and hero shooters like Valorant are notorious for growing stale when a certain meta becomes dominant for too long. Riot regularly tweaks agent abilities, weapon prices, and map elements to keep gameplay balanced and allow for diverse strategies. The goal is to avoid power creep and ensure no one agent or playstyle becomes oppressively strong.
New Content: The splashiest Valorant updates are those that introduce entirely new content to the game. We‘re talking fresh battle passes with new cosmetic rewards, agent and weapon skin bundles, and limited-time game modes. Every once in a while, Riot will also drop a brand new agent or map into the mix, which tends to shake up the meta in a big way.
Quality of Life Improvements: These are small but impactful changes that address common player complaints and make the overall Valorant experience more enjoyable. Think UI improvements, social features like gifting, or advanced training tools. Not every patch has these, but they‘re always nice to see.
Of course, the juiciest updates tend to be the big ones that coincide with the start of a new Episode or Act. Episode updates typically drop every 2-3 months and include a new agent, battle pass, and competitive season. Meanwhile, Act updates ship every 6 weeks or so with a new battle pass, skin line, and balance changes.
To give you an idea of how substantial these bigger updates can be, let‘s break down the recent Episode 6 Act 1 patch:
- Added Agent 22 "Atlas", a new Sentinel agent with gravity manipulation abilities
- Revamped Split map with Layout and art updates
- Shipped "Arcade" battle pass with new player cards, gun buddies, and sprays
- Released "Doodle Buds" weapon skin line and "Homunculist" premium skin line
- Increased Stinger price, fire rate, and recoil to make it more viable
- Nerfed Viper‘s decay and Brimstone‘s Sky Smoke
- Fixed Harbor and Cypher bugs on Haven and Pearl
- Added team MVP display and end-of-game chat to the post-game screen
Phew, that‘s a lot for one update! Keep in mind, all of these changes need to be carefully tested and validated before going live. No wonder Riot needs a few hours to get everything shipshape.
How Often Does Valorant Update?
Since launch, Riot has settled into a pretty predictable cadence for Valorant patches. You can generally expect:
- A new Episode every 2-3 months – Introduces a new agent, map, competitive season, and battle pass
- A new Act every 6 weeks – Introduces a new battle pass, skin line, and balance changes
- Bi-weekly patches – Includes bug fixes, smaller balance tweaks, and quality of life improvements
Of course, this schedule isn‘t set in stone. Sometimes Riot will delay an update by a few weeks if they need more time to polish content or fix a pesky bug. And if a particularly game-breaking issue crops up, they‘ve been known to push an emergency patch in off-cycles.
Overall though, Riot has been remarkably consistent with their update cadence. By comparison, competitors like CS:GO and Overwatch tend to have much longer stretches between major content drops. Valorant‘s steady drip of new content is a big part of what keeps the game feeling fresh year after year.
In fact, since launching in June 2020, Valorant has released:
- 6 new agents (roughly one every 3 months)
- 3 new maps
- 16 premium skin bundles
- 24 battle passes (one per Act)
- Dozens of balance patches and bug fix updates
That‘s a staggering amount of post-launch content for a game that‘s not even 4 years old yet! And based on Valorant‘s current trajectory, it shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
Adapting to the Ever-Evolving Meta
For the Valorant elite, keeping tabs on the latest patch notes is just part of the daily grind. At the highest level of play, even the most minor balance changes and bug fixes can have a massive impact on the meta.
Esports organizations like Sentinels and 100 Thieves employ full-time analysts to scout the latest PBE changes and theorize optimal new strategies. Meanwhile, popular streamers and content creators often hop into custom games to test interactions and showcase updated agent abilities for their audience.
After a big patch, it‘s not uncommon to see a flurry of theory crafting and experimentation on the ranked ladder as players try to suss out the most OP new strats. Some recent examples of metas that emerged shortly after a major update include:
The Double Controller Meta – After Brimstone‘s Sky Smoke was buffed to have a larger radius and longer duration, we saw a significant uptick in teams running dual-controller comps on maps like Bind and Ascent. The one-way smokes made it incredibly difficult for defenders to contest common choke points.
The Resurrect Meta – When Sage‘s Resurrection ultimate was reworked to be cheaper and charge faster, she suddenly became a must-pick on attack sides. Having an extra life in your pocket made going for aggressive entry frags much more viable.
The Anti-Eco Shorty Meta – After the price of the Shorty pistol was reduced from 200 to 150, it became the go-to saving round purchase for many top teams. The pocket shotgun was the perfect ambush tool for getting up close and personal with unsuspecting enemies.
Of course, the Valorant meta is a living, breathing beast. What‘s considered OP one week can quickly fall out of favor the next as players adapt and devise new counter-strategies. You can expect the cycle of experimentation, exploitation, and equilibrium to reset once again when the next big Valorant patch drops.
The Future of Valorant
As the Valorant player base continues to swell and the esports scene reaches new heights, the pressure is on for Riot to keep the content updates coming. The good news is that the developer has shown no signs of slowing down their aggressive post-launch support.
Valorant Game Director Joe Ziegler has spoken at length about the team‘s commitment to keeping the game fresh and constantly evolving. In fact, Riot has already mapped out content plans for the next several episodes, including new agents, maps, and major gameplay systems.
While the specifics are still tightly under wraps, some tantalizing teases for upcoming content include:
- A new game mode codenamed "Quick Draw" that pits players against each other in 1v1 aim duels
- A set of "Quest" skins that can be upgraded by completing in-game challenges
- An expanded practice range with advanced aim training tools and a bot arena
- Major updates to the tournament mode and observer tools for esports broadcasts
- More lore-focused single-player content diving into agents‘ backstories
Of course, all this new content will mean plenty more maintenance downtime and error code 46 encounters in your future. But hey, that‘s just the price of playing a game that‘s always growing and evolving.
At the end of the day, Valorant‘s regular maintenance and update schedule is a big part of what will keep the game thriving for years to come. So the next time the servers go down for patching, just remember it‘s all for the greater good of your favorite tactical shooter.
In the meantime, go hit up aim_botz or bust out that fancy Vandal skin in the shooting range!
