If you’re an avid player of VALORANT, you may have noticed a change in the headshot icon after Patch 8.09. However, you might be wondering whether this change was intentional or a bug. You’re not alone in this confusion.
Some players on Reddit have pointed out that Patch 8.09 has made the after-kill headshot symbol look more “cluttered.” The red crosses that used to be positioned above the skull have now been shifted down to where the skull’s nose is. Additionally, the icon appears smaller than before. This led players to speculate whether Riot intended to free up some space or if the change was accidental.
The change is especially noticeable with default weapon skins. If you’ve been using animated skins like the Reaver Vandal, you might not have noticed the tweak yet. Interestingly, the change doesn’t look as jarring on animated skins as it does on the default ones.
As expected, many players, including ourselves, are not fans of the new headshot icon in VALORANT. Despite the absence of any mention of this change in the patch notes, players are convinced that it’s a bug due to its forceful appearance. One player described it as if “the entire skull got shrunk and the cross ended up misaligned.” Riot has a history of quietly deploying UI tweaks that don’t sit well with the community, so this wouldn’t be the first time.
Although the patch notes don’t explicitly mention any general UI changes, Patch 8.09 did introduce a modification to Brimstone’s Sky Smokes. The UI for the smokes was adjusted to accurately reflect the increase in their radius on Brimstone’s bracer. It’s possible that this tinkering with the UI caused a glitch, which affected the headshot symbol in unintended ways.
As of now, Riot has yet to acknowledge these reports, so it’s unclear whether the change was intentional or a bug. However, judging by the community’s reaction, regardless of the cause, it’s likely that the headshot icon will be reverted soon.
In conclusion, players of VALORANT have noticed a change in the headshot icon after Patch 8.09. Despite the lack of information in the patch notes, players believe it’s a bug due to its appearance and the absence of an official announcement. While Riot has not addressed the issue yet, it is expected that the headshot icon will be reverted based on community feedback.