New pistol leaked in VALORANT, potentially launching during V26 ACT 1

Esports & Games Writer

Publish Date: January 6, 2026

It has been over 5 years since the launch of VALORANT back in 2020. Since then, the game has added multiple agents and maps. Back in 2024, the game released its first weapon post-launch, known as the Outlaw. Recently, on X, multiple dataminers of VALORANT have reported the launch of a new pistol, called Bandit. The new weapon will potentially launch during V26 ACT 1. Let’s take a look at the new weapon and its specifications and impact in the game.

More information on the leaked VALORANT pistol Bandit

VALORANT Bandit

On January 5th, VALORANT released their new cinematic titled “Welcome To My World”. Within this cinematic, we saw Omega Earth Viper going on a rampage after facing the death of her lover, Chamber. According to VALORANT lore, there are two worlds, Omega and Alpha. Each world consists of various in-game maps. The cinematic was notably darker than previous VALORANT short films, with deaths of various agents shown.

Within the cinematic at the 2:30 mark in the video below, we can see Alpha Earth Reyna hold a pistol. On first viewing, it might seem to be the classic pistol in VALORANT, but it was actually the new weapon, Bandit.

Welcome to my world…

On January 6th, multiple dataminers of VALORANT leaked the upcoming trailer for the new battlepass for V26 ACT 1. Within these leaks, one of the playcards showed a new weapon called the Bandit, thus confirming the reports that there will be a new weapon launched in 2026. The weapon is reported to be released on January 8th with the launch of V26 ACT 1.

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Currently, there is no information on what the weapon specifications are. Due to the body of the weapon, many fans on Reddit believe the gun to be a semi-automatic pistol.

New pistol - bandit - leaked in VALORANT

Image: Reddit / r/ValorantCompetitive

Currently, there is only one burst pistol in the game, the Frenzy. If Bandit is a semi-automatic pistol, it would have to be priced between 200 and 400 points. If not, many fans would rather select the Frenzy during pistol rounds. Only time will tell on the damage output by the Bandit and if it might break the pistol round meta in 2026. If we had to take a jab in the dark, the upcoming VCT 2026 team skin could be for the Bandit to increase the hype of the weapon.

Featured image credit: Riot Games