VALORANT 13.02 raises Phoenix’s ultimate cost to seven

VALORANT Patch 13.02 increased the cost of Phoenix’s Run It Back from six ultimate points to seven on July 28, 2026. Riot described the change as a small adjustment to reduce how frequently Phoenix can cast the ultimate, rather than a broader attempt to push him out of the meta.

The same update added Split, Corrode and Lotus to Retake mode. Riot also delayed All Random One Site: Replication, usually shortened to AROS: Replication, and did not announce a replacement release date.

The Phoenix change targets frequency, not function

Run It Back still creates the same temporary second life: Phoenix marks his starting position, fights under a timer and returns to that point when the timer expires or the duplicate body is killed. Moving the cost to seven points means teams must account for one more orb, plant, death or kill before building a round around it.

That difference is deliberately narrow. Riot said it was satisfied with Phoenix’s general balance and wanted his casting frequency to sit closer to other agents. The change should be most visible across long halves, where a player who previously found two ultimates may now need a cleaner point economy to reach the second.

Teams can respond by assigning Phoenix a safe orb or by saving Run It Back for a round with a clear conversion plan. Our guide to Valorant ultimate economy explains why the value of an ultimate depends on the round it can actually win, not how quickly the icon becomes available.

Retake grows while AROS waits

Split, Corrode and Lotus expand the Retake pool with three different site geometries. Split rewards vertical clearance, Lotus introduces rotating-door and multi-site information problems, while Corrode gives teams another current competitive environment to rehearse compressed post-plant decisions.

AROS: Replication will not arrive in 13.02. Riot said it is still targeting a future release but offered no date, so players should treat the mode as delayed rather than cancelled. The patch also fixes agent bugs involving Omen, KAY/O, Cypher, Gekko, Chamber and others, plus an interaction between utility and a door on Summit.

The complete changes are available in Riot’s official Patch 13.02 notes. Players preparing for the expanded mode can also use our five-player Retake protocol before loading into the new maps.

Source: Riot Games, July 28, 2026.