New Regen Shields Have Valorant Players Apprehensive
VALORANT's Episode 9 Act III trailer caught fans' attention by revealing a new feature: Regen Shield armor. In Patch 9.10, the mechanic will become a reality: the new armor type will be available in the pre-round Shop and regenerate over time. Let's dive into everything we know about VALORANT's new Regen Shields, how they work, their cost and more!
When are Regen Shields coming to VALORANT?
Regen shields will arrive in VALORANT with Patch 9.10 on November 19 2024. The Patch will roll in at 5:00 AM PT/9:00 AM ET. A list of the Regen Shield/Patch 9.10 arrival times in each time zone is below:
Regen Shields Arrival Time In All Time Zones:
- PT: 6:00 AM
- CST: 8:00 AM
- ET: 9:00 AM
- Brazil: 11:00 AM
- BST: 3:00 PM
- CET: 4:00 PM
- China: 10:00 PM
- JST/KST: 11:00 PM
Related Article: VALORANT Patch 9.10: Regen Shields and Big Agent Changes
How do VALORANT Regen Shields work?
VALORANT's Regen Shields will add an immediate 25 HP to the player in armor while also maintaining a 50 HP regeneration pool. After the 25 HP base armor is damaged, HP points from the regeneration pool recharge it over time. The Regen Shields can fully regenerate twice before they are fully eliminated.
The new shields will appear separately from the player's base health on their UI. The Regen Shields UI will also display the remaining regeneration pool alongside the player's armor after they take damage.
Full VALORANT Regen Shield Stats
- Damage Absorption: 25 HP
- Regeneration Pool: 50 HP
- "Absorbs 100% of incoming damage taken before damage to health occurs."
- "After a brief delay, the shield regenerates by draining any remaining points left in the Regeneration Pool."
How much do Regen Shields cost?
VALORANT's Regen Shields will cost 650 credits in the pre-round shop. This places their price point between Light Shields and Heavy Shields, which cost 400 and 1,000 credits respectively. Regen Shields are cost-effective for a half-buy or eco round.
How will Regen Shields change VALORANT's meta?
Regen Shields will make chip damage from utility less effective and encourage more conscious engagement in duels. Players will want to coordinate to isolate their enemies so they cannot escape a fight and regenerate their health instead of relying on utility to chip away HP. Approaching fights from multiple angles and playing more aggressively will be a strong counter-strategy to the shields.
Regen Shields' introduction will also mean jump-peeking and gaining information is easier and less punishable. They will be great for eco and half-buy rounds, lessening the economic gap between teams.
Community Reaction
Is that regem shield really worth it??
— Abhinav (@sol_regam) November 12, 2024
The VALORANT community does not seem happy about the new Regen Shields. Many players have taken to Reddit and X.com to voice their frustration and worry that the shields will completely change the meta and unnecessarily lengthen gameplay. One X.com user, @sol_regam, posted a poll asking, "Is that [regen] shield really worth it??". This poll received over 1,100 votes with the overwhelming consensus being 'no'. Another user, @pJHe3_,with the patch, saying, "No, cancel the update. RIGHT NOW."
This has to be something for TDM or some new LTM, This won’t cut it in comp or unrated
— Uchi (@Akarsh1305) October 21, 2024
Even before Riot Games officially revealed Regen Shields, players had concerns. After they were originally leaked in the Episode 9 Act III trailer, user @Akarsh1305 replied, "This has to be something for TDM or some new LTM [limited time mode]; this won't cut it in comp or unrated". Reddit user dolphin_spit noted in the trailer's megathread, "i don’t like the idea of regenerating armor in this game. i wonder why they’re implementing this. have a feeling it’ll be reverted eventually." Riot developers have not yet commented on the community's feelings about Regen Shields.
