The Warden is a new fully automatic rifle joining Valorant’s full-buy tier, sitting right next to the Vandal and Phantom at the same price. Instead of chasing the classic spray-versus-tap debate, it leans into deliberate, long-range fights with a built-in scope, higher damage per bullet, and the best first-shot accuracy of the three rifles.
Quick answer: The Warden is a 2,900-credit full-auto rifle with a 2x scope and 200 head / 50 body damage at every range, arriving September 22, 2026 in Patch 13.06.
When the Warden releases in Valorant
The Warden goes live with Valorant Patch 13.06 on September 22, 2026. The same update also brings the experimental Gauntlet: Glitched game mode, where players draft abilities from a randomized pool, plus a reworked Agent Mastery progression system that folds existing Agent Gear into a new rewards track.
The Warden will not be enabled at Valorant Champions Shanghai, which begins September 24. Professional teams will not have to adapt to a brand-new rifle mid-tournament, so its impact will play out in ranked first.
Warden stats and spec sheet
| Stat | Warden |
|---|---|
| Price | 2,900 credits |
| Weapon class | Rifle (full auto) |
| Attachment | 2x scope |
| Magazine | 18 rounds |
| Ammo reserve | 36 rounds |
| Fire rate | 6.5 rounds/sec |
| Head damage | 200 (all ranges) |
| Body damage | 50 (all ranges) |
| Leg damage | 42 |
| Reload time | 2.5 seconds |
| Wall penetration | Medium |
Equip timing matches the other two rifles: 1.0 second normal, 0.6 second fast, and 0.2 second instant. First-shot spread sits at 0.15 from the hip and just 0.04 while aiming down sights, both tighter than the Vandal and Phantom. When you scope in, the fire rate drops slightly to 92%, or roughly 6 rounds per second.
Warden damage and time-to-kill
Two numbers define the Warden. A headshot deals 200 damage at any distance, so it kills a fully armored enemy no matter how far away they are. That matches the Vandal and beats the Phantom, which loses power past 20 meters.
The body damage is just as important. At 50 per bullet, three clean body shots land exactly 150 damage, enough to drop an enemy with full armor. A Vandal needs four body shots to do the same. The catch is the fire rate. At 6.5 rounds per second, those three bullets take longer to deliver, and every missed shot costs you more than it would on a faster rifle. Even so, the Warden’s roughly 460ms time-to-kill lands close to the Vandal’s 420ms.
Warden vs Vandal vs Phantom
All three rifles cost 2,900 credits, share the same reload and equip timings, and have medium wall penetration. The differences come down to fire rate, magazine size, magnification, and how damage holds up at range.
| Feature | Warden | Phantom | Vandal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scope | 2x | 1.25x | 1.25x |
| Magazine | 18 | 30 | 25 |
| Ammo reserve | 36 | 60 | 50 |
| Fire rate | 6.5 | 11 | 9.75 |
| Head damage | 200 | 156–140 | 160 |
| Body damage | 50 | 39–35 | 40 |
The takeaway is simple. The Vandal stays the flexible one-tap rifle that fires faster and holds more ammo. The Phantom stays the spray-friendly, close-range pick with a silencer for shooting through smokes. The Warden trades fire rate and magazine size for stronger long-range damage, a bigger scope, and tighter first-shot accuracy.
Who the Warden is built for
If you already play the Guardian on full buys, hold a sightline in ADS, and wait for enemies to cross your crosshair, the Warden covers that same style with full-auto backup. Riot frames it as a way to hold longer angles without committing to a sniper.
- You prefer tapping or short bursts over spraying.
- You trust your first shot and have strong aim.
- You often hold long defensive angles or open lanes.
- You want a one-shot headshot without picking the Vandal.
- You like aiming down sights during long-range fights.
The 18-round magazine and slower trigger make the Warden a weaker option in cramped positions, where the Phantom’s fire rate and larger clip matter more. Its 2x scope and consistent long-range damage point it toward open maps and lanes, with Breeze, Icebox, and Abyss among the natural fits.
While we love the ongoing Phantom vs. Vandal debate on full buy rounds, we thought there was room to satisfy more playstyles and provide more optionality. The Warden shakes things up with a unique long-range power profile while maintaining the versatility you’d expect from a Rifle.
Once Patch 13.06 lands, ranked players will get the first real look at how the Warden’s recoil, recovery, and spraying feel after that crucial first bullet, and whether its precision profile can genuinely stand alongside the Vandal and Phantom rather than replace them.
