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After half a decade of requests, Riot Games has finally added replays to Valorant. Patch 11.06 introduces the long-awaited feature to PC, with console players set to receive it in November. While fans are excited to finally relive their clutch moments, the system comes with some heavy limitations that have already left the community frustrated.

How Valorant Replays Work

Replays can now be downloaded from your Competitive, Unrated, Swiftplay, and Premier matches directly through the Valorant client. To access one, head to your Match Details or Career History page, hit the new download replay button, and once it’s ready you can jump straight into the action.

Players can swap between the first-person perspective of all ten players or use a third-person free camera, complete with player outlines and timeline controls to scrub through the game. Riot has also assured players that running replays won’t impact game performance.

There are some important restrictions, though. You can only download matches you’ve personally played in, and only from the current patch version. Once Valorant updates again, your saved replays will no longer be accessible. You also can’t download replays from Esports matches, Tournament Mode, or Custom Games.

What You Can’t Do With Replays

While the system works smoothly, its biggest drawback is the lack of sharing. You can’t view a friend’s match, access professional replays, or even let a coach review your gameplay unless they were in the game themselves. That means aspiring esports players can’t analyse opponents in depth, fans can’t learn from VCT pros, and casual players can’t rewatch a mate’s insane ace.

There’s also no built-in clipping or exporting feature, so if you want to share highlights on social media, you’ll need third-party recording software. Compared to other esports titles like Dota or Counter-Strike, this feels like a missed opportunity.

Patch 11.06 Highlights

The new replay system headlines Valorant Patch 11.06, but there are other key updates worth noting. Riot confirmed it banned 40,000 bots over the last six months, aiming to make games cleaner for everyone. Bug fixes include a rare issue with Yoru and Reyna teleporting back to their original spot after invisibility. On the performance side, the RawInputBuffer setting has been permanently enabled on PC for better stability.

For console players, Riot flagged a known issue where dropped weapons and the Spike highlight incorrectly. That fix is scheduled for Patch 11.07.

The Verdict

It’s a huge step forward for Valorant to finally have replays, and for many players it will be a game-changer for reviewing mistakes and celebrating big plays. But without the ability to share, clip, or study matches beyond your own, the feature feels half-finished.

PC players can start using replays now with Patch 11.06. Here’s hoping Riot expands the system in the future to make it as powerful as the community has always wanted.