It’s Ash again! Patch 12.08 is bringing an exciting new update to Skirmish called Skirmish: Ascension, alongside a fresh map rotation to shake up the competitive queue.
Here is the quick TL;DR before we dive into the details:
- Skirmish: Ascension: A brand new, experimental ranked experience with its own competitive leaderboard on the FTW site.
- Map Rotation: Ascent is IN, Bind is OUT.
- [PC Only] Premier: It is back with schedule changes!
- Bug Fixes: A fresh batch of agent and system fixes.
MAP UPDATES
- ASCENT is IN the Competitive and Deathmatch queues.
- BIND is OUT of the Competitive and Deathmatch queues.
MODES UPDATES
New Limited Time Mode: Skirmish: Ascension
Introducing Skirmish: Ascension, a new limited ranked experience for Skirmish available for Act 3.
This mode is designed as a fast, skill-forward competitive experience where gunplay stays primary, but selected abilities create more tactical decisions and replayable duels. Compete on the FTW ranked ladder to earn rewards and prove you are the best.
Mode Details & Rules:
- Queues: 1v1 and 2v2 (featuring separate matchmaking and independently tracked leaderboards).
- Round Structure: First to 10 rounds wins.
- Staged Weapons: There is no economy. Weapons automatically escalate through stages as the match progresses:
- Rounds 1-4: Pistols (Bandit, Sheriff)
- Rounds 5-8: Low-tier rifles (Guardian, Bulldog)
- Round 9+: Vandal and Phantom
Agents & Abilities: You choose from a curated roster of 14 Agents, each equipped with only one ability from their standard kit:
- Breach: Flashpoint
- Chamber: Rendezvous
- Cypher: Cyber Cage
- Iso: Contingency
- Jett: Tailwind
- KAY/O: Flash/Drive
- Omen: Shrouded Step
- Phoenix: Curve Ball
- Raze: Blast Pack
- Sage: Barrier Orb
- Veto: Crosscut
- Vyse: Arc Rose
- Waylay: Refract
- Yoru: Clone
FTW Ranked Ladder & Rewards: The competitive leaderboard is segmented by server, region, and platform.
| Rank Tier | Rating Required | End-of-Season Title Reward |
| Iron | 0 | – |
| Bronze | 700 | – |
| Silver | 1100 | – |
| Gold | 1500 | Skirmish Competitor |
| Platinum | 1800 | Skirmish Competitor |
| Diamond | 2100 | Skirmish Expert |
| Ascendant | 2400 | Skirmish Expert |
| Immortal | 2700 | Skirmish Expert |
| Radiant | Top 100 | Skirmish Legend |
Additional Rewards:
- Combat Ready Player Card: Earned by completing 3 Skirmish: Ascension matches.
- Trade Me Player Card: Earned by completing 15 Skirmish: Ascension matches.
Leaving Limited Time Modes
- Knockout is heading out. Thanks for playing!
BUG FIXES (ALL PLATFORMS)
New Fixes in Patch 12.08:
- Fixed a bug where Viper’s Toxic Screen SFX would activate repeatedly when Veto walked into it with Evolution active.
- Fixed a bug where players resurrected by Sage inside of Viper’s Decaying abilities would not gain Decay.
- Fixed a bug where Tejo’s Armageddon would sometimes cast targeting spawn instead of the intended location.
Retroactive Fixes (Missed in Patch 12.07 Notes):
- Fixed a bug where using Miks’ Bassquake would cause the minimap cone to blink on use.
- Fixed a bug where Veto’s Chokehold could detect enemies behind rotating doors on Lotus.
- Fixed a bug where KAY/O’s ability VFX were not appearing if used right after KAY/O casts NULL/cmd.
- Fixed a bug where Neon’s High Gear slide was not playing SFX for moving across different surface types.
- Fixed a bug where Tejo’s agent select animation would sometimes cut off the smoke from the explosion.
- Fixed a bug where Gekko’s Dizzy would only target an enemy if their head was visible.
- Fixed a bug where, during Dimensional Drift, Yoru could not see invisible abilities like Vyse’s Shear or Cypher’s Trapwire even if he was close enough to them.
PC ONLY UPDATES
Premier Updates
Welcome to Stage V26A3! Matches officially start on May 6.
Contender and Invite Division Schedule Changes:
- There are only 6 weeks of matches this stage. Matches will still take place each Saturday from May 9 – June 13.
- Playoffs now take place across multiple days:
- The first round of playoffs takes place on June 20.
- Teams that advance from the first round return on June 21 for their next matchup.
- Make sure to check the schedule in the client for round start times for your specific zone!
Bug Fixes
- Fixed an issue in settings where audio sliders weren’t moving correctly.
- Fixed an issue where trying to exit the client while a replay was paused wasn’t working.
CONSOLE ONLY
Known Issues
- Skirmish 2v2 & 1v1 Ascension: The timer is stuck at 00.50 sec during the Overtime phase.
- Skirmish 2v2 & 1v1 Ascension: Agent abilities do not show up on the Combat Report in the round following them affecting enemies.
