Riot Games is looking to pull Yoru out of the shadows in the latest VALORANT update. Patch 13.01, which arrives on July 14, introduces a series of adjustments aimed at restoring some of the Duelist's viability, which has been on the decline since the nerfs implemented in patch 12.05.
Yoru's Kit Adjustments
The most significant change for Yoru is a direct buff to his Gatecrash ability. The duration of the tether has been increased from 15 seconds to 20 seconds, granting players more time and tactical flexibility to maneuver around the map before committing to a teleport.
Riot is also tweaking the Fakeout ability to further lean into the agent's deception-focused playstyle. Moving forward, the clones generated by Fakeout will hold Yoru's last equipped weapon rather than defaulting to his most powerful weapon. While some high-level players were already manually dropping their weapons to manipulate the clone's appearance, this update makes that behavior an official part of his kit.
Current State of the Agent
Yoru’s performance has been lackluster in recent months. According to Tracker.gg, his current pick rate in competitive matches sits at just 1.1 percent. He remains one of the least-picked Duelists in the game, joined only by Waylay, who also saw her power reduced following nerfs to her Saturate ability in patch 12.06.
The professional scene has also largely sidelined the agent. During the 2026 Masters London event, Yoru was selected only twice, both times by Paper Rex’s Ilya “something” Petrov in matches against LEVIATÁN. Throughout that tournament, the Duelist role was dominated by Jett, Raze, Phoenix, and Neon.
Additional Patch 13.01 Notes
Beyond the Yoru changes, patch 13.01 includes several other balance adjustments:
- Outlaw: The weapon has received slight nerfs.
- Iso: Double Tap has been buffed, now allowing for an instant weapon equip after activation.
- Rank Integrity: Riot has implemented improved detection tools to identify rank manipulation, with plans to issue penalties to offenders.