The long-awaited update is almost here. Riot Games is officially rolling out Unreal Engine 5 in Valorant with patch 11.02, scheduled for July 29th, and it’s going to be one of the biggest tech shifts in the game’s history. Whether you’re a casual player or grinding for Ascendant, here’s everything you need to know about how this will affect your game, your hard drive, and your FPS.

What’s Actually Happening on July 29th?

Valorant’s 11.02 patch will upgrade the entire game engine from Unreal Engine 4 to Unreal Engine 5. This isn’t just a cosmetic switch—it’s a foundational overhaul aimed at setting the stage for the game’s future performance, visuals, and content development.

But the big question on everyone’s mind is: Will this update make the game massive, slower, or harder to run?

Unreal Engine 5 Update Size and System Requirements

Let’s address the install size panic first. Riot recently released an FAQ and gave a pretty surprising answer:

“The game package will actually be smaller than before the upgrade, given the same amount of content.”

That’s right — Valorant will take up less space after the update. But there’s a catch.

During the update process itself, Riot recommends having at least 30GB of free space on your hard drive. That’s because UE5 will decompress and rewrite a lot of game files during the install. This is a one-time requirement, not permanent.

TL;DR:

  • Reserve 30GB of space for the update process
  • Post-update game size will be smaller than before
  • This is a one-time install spike, not a long-term file bloat

Install It On an SSD — Seriously

If you’re still running Valorant on a traditional hard drive (HDD), it’s officially time to upgrade. Riot strongly recommends installing the game on a solid state drive (SSD) — preferably an NVMe — to avoid slow launch times and reduce in-game stuttering.

With the UE5 update, load times and startup performance on HDDs could be significantly worse. SSDs are now the new standard for smooth Valorant gameplay.

Will Performance Improve?

You might expect better visuals and worse FPS with Unreal Engine 5 — but that’s not the case here. Riot has specifically said that performance on low-end PCs should actually improve with this update.

So if you’re running Valorant on an older laptop or budget rig, this patch could give you a much-needed boost.

Content creator Keltsu even teased he might test this himself using a low-end laptop to see if the claims hold true. If you’re curious, check out Keltsu’s video on the UE5 upgrade.

Final Thoughts

The July 29th UE5 patch is a huge step for Valorant. It might be a bit of a storage headache in the moment, but the long-term results look promising—smaller install size, better performance, and faster loading. Just remember to clear up some disk space ahead of time and make sure you’re on an SSD.

Let us know what you think about the Unreal Engine 5 upgrade in the comments below—and if you’re curious how it performs on low-end hardware, stay tuned.

For more updates like this, check out AllValorant.gg.

Source: Keltsu on YouTube

ked Questions about the Valorant Unreal Engine 5 Update

Q: When is the Unreal Engine 5 update for Valorant coming?
A: The update is coming with patch 11.02 on July 29th.

Q: Do I need to clear space for the update?
A: Yes. Riot recommends at least 30GB of free space for the update process.

Q: Will the game take up more space permanently?
A: No. The game package will actually be smaller after the UE5 update is complete.

Q: Should I move Valorant to an SSD?
A: Absolutely. Riot recommends installing Valorant on an SSD or NVMe for smoother performance.

Q: Will low-end PCs run Valorant better or worse after the update?
A: Riot claims that performance on low-end hardware should improve with UE5.

Q: Is this update just about graphics?
A: No. While UE5 can offer visual upgrades, this update is mostly about engine-level performance and long-term scalability.

Q: Can I keep playing on a hard drive?
A: Technically, yes—but expect slower load times and possible stuttering during matches. An SSD is highly recommended.