VALORANT Confirms New Warden Rifle After Early Leak

Riot Games has confirmed that a new rifle called the Warden is coming to VALORANT after details of the weapon appeared online ahead of its official reveal.

The Warden will arrive as part of Patch 13.06 on September 22, expanding a rifle category that has long been dominated by the Vandal and Phantom. Riot has since confirmed the Warden as a fully automatic 2,900-credit rifle with an 18-round magazine and 2x scope, giving players a third premium rifle option alongside the Vandal and Phantom.

Information about the unreleased rifle began circulating on September 13, when dataminers shared images and apparent specifications for a weapon named the Warden.

Riot followed with its major VALORANT developer update on September 14, officially revealing the Warden as part of Patch 13.06. The update is scheduled for September 22 and also introduces other additions including a new game mode and changes to Agent progression. Riot had already teased Patch 13.06 as a much larger update in the previous patch notes.

The Warden stands out because completely new weapons remain relatively rare in VALORANT. Most of the game's economy and weapon roles have remained recognizable for years, making another rifle particularly significant when the Vandal and Phantom already occupy such important positions in full-buy rounds.

The Warden costs 2,900 credits and carries 18 rounds per magazine with 36 rounds in reserve. Riot lists medium wall penetration, a 2.5-second reload, and a fire rate of 6.5 rounds per second, dropping to 6 rounds per second while aiming down sights. The rifle deals 200 damage to the head, 50 to the body, and 42 to the legs at all ranges.

The Warden's defining feature is its 2x scope, giving the automatic rifle a stronger focus on longer sightlines and aimed fire than the Vandal or Phantom.

Its 2,900-credit price puts the Warden directly alongside the Vandal and Phantom as a full-buy rifle option. The Warden instead emphasizes longer sightlines, higher per-shot damage, and a stronger ADS option while keeping automatic fire.

Its 18-round magazine and slower fire rate limit sustained spraying compared with the Vandal and Phantom, while the 2x scope and higher damage push it toward more deliberate long-range engagements. Players will not have long to wait to use it. The Warden arrives with Patch 13.06 on September 22 alongside the rest of Riot's major update.