Hello, Agents! The Valorant Night Market skipped its usual June window, and players want answers. Here are the expected July–August 2026 dates based on five years of patterns, why the delay happened, which skins can appear in your six cards, and how to top up VP before discounts drop.
Something odd is going on with the Valorant Night Market. The market kept a steady rhythm all year, yet its expected June window came and went with nothing — and as of early July 2026, Riot still hasn't posted a date. If you've been logging in at every reset hoping to catch those six discount cards, you're not alone. Here's the good news: five straight years of Night Market history point to a very specific answer. A summer market has arrived every single year since 2021, always starting between July 10 and August 15. In this guide, we'll lay out the expected next Valorant Night Market dates for July–August 2026, explain why the schedule slipped, list the skins that can actually land in your cards, and help you get your Valorant Points ready before the discounts go live.
Why the 2026 Night Market Is Running Late
Through the first half of 2026, the Night Market ran like clockwork — one market per Act, each opening six to seven weeks after the last:
• Season 2026 Act 1: February 5 – March 2
• Season 2026 Act 2: March 26 – April 16
• Season 2026 Act 3: May 7 – 28
Follow that spacing and the next market should have opened around mid-June. Instead, June ended with the store tab empty, and there was still no official word from Riot heading into July. That silence is unusual. Every Act since the feature debuted in December 2020 has eventually received its Night Market, so a fully skipped Act would be a first for the game.
The most likely explanation is a shifted schedule rather than a cancelled one. Season 2026 Act 4 began in late May, and markets historically open in an Act's back half, closing a day or so before the Act wraps. That leaves two realistic paths: a late Act 4 market landing in July, or Riot holding the reset for the opening stretch of Act 5. Either path points at the same window.
Expected Next Valorant Night Market Dates (July–August 2026)
Let's be clear about one thing: no date is confirmed yet, and any site posting an exact day right now is guessing. What we do have is a pattern that has never missed — a summer Night Market every year since 2021:
Year | Summer Night Market dates |
2021 | July 28 – August 10 |
2022 | July 20 – August 2 |
2023 | August 9 – 28 |
2024 | August 15 – 28 |
2025 | July 10 – 24 |
2026 | July 16 – 29 |
Every one of those markets started inside the same five-week corridor: July 10 to August 15. Unless Riot breaks a habit it has kept for half a decade, that's your realistic window for the next Valorant Night Market. A few practical markers to watch while you wait:
• Riot usually announces a market about a week before it opens, both on official channels and inside the client
• Markets typically run two to four weeks and wrap up just before the current Act ends
• Every 2026 market so far has opened on a Thursday, so Thursday resets are the ones to check
• 2025 actually squeezed in two summer markets, so an earlier-than-expected opening wouldn't be shocking either
Our call: pencil in mid-July to mid-August 2026, and treat anything more specific as speculation until the announcement lands. We'll update this guide the moment Riot confirms the dates.
Night Market Skins Worth Watching in Your Six Cards
When the market opens, every account receives six random cards discounted between 10% and 49% — one set, no rerolls, gone when the market closes. The pool follows firm rules:
• Only Select, Deluxe, and Premium skins qualify; Exclusive and Ultra lines such as Elderflame or Kuronami never appear, and neither do Battle Pass or agent gear skins
• A skin must be at least two Acts old before it becomes eligible
• Melee skins priced at 4,350 VP and above are locked out — so no Reaver Karambit or Oni Katana — but the 3,550 VP Xenohunter Knife clears the cap and remains one of the best pulls in the game
• Unless you already own every Premium skin, at least two of your six cards are guaranteed to be knife or Premium offers, and you'll never be dealt more than two skins for the same weapon
With the rules covered, here are the lines genuinely worth hoping for this time around — our top three picks are highlighted at the head of the table, ordered knives first, then Phantoms, then the rest:
Skin line & weapon | Tier | Full price (VP) | Why it is worth a card |
★ Xenohunter Knife | Premium | 3,550 | The grail melee that is actually eligible — clean look, beloved animations |
★ Recon Phantom | Premium | 1,775 | No loud custom effects — just the cleanest, crispest firing feel on a Phantom |
★ Aemondir Vandal | Premium | 1,775 | Heavy, satisfying firing feel with a stack of variants and effects for the price |
Minima Karambit | Deluxe | 3,550 | Sleek minimalist knife that sneaks in under the melee price cap |
Oni Phantom | Premium | 1,775 | The legacy pick — famously clean sound, a finisher, and every veteran's dream card |
Prime//2.0 Phantom | Premium | 1,775 | The classic Prime feel, delivered to Phantom mains |
Reaver Vandal | Premium | 1,775 | Still the most iconic Vandal in the game, years after release |
Prime Vandal | Premium | 1,775 | Timeless animations and that unmistakable reload sound |
Sakura Vandal | Deluxe | 1,275 | Budget cherry-blossom classic that never aged |
Minima (Vandal or Phantom) | Deluxe | 1,275 | Minimalist and distraction-free for clean-loadout players |
Forsaken Operator | Premium | 1,775 | The holy grail for players living on the backline |
Magepunk Sheriff | Premium | 1,775 | Electro effects that make every headshot feel louder |
Solarstride | Premium | 1,775 | Fresh Premium addition most players have not seen discounted yet |
One honest reminder: eligible doesn't mean guaranteed. Your six cards are random, so treat this table as a wishlist, not a promise. A few of these already live in my own locker — my Prime Vandal and Reaver Vandal below came from patience and a couple of lucky discounts, and the Recon Phantom — no flashy noise, just clean shooting — has been a fixture in my loadout for ages. If your grail shows up this time, don't let the timer beat you.Prime Vandal's Inspect photoReaver Vandal Inspet photo
Recon Phantom's Pullout and Inspect animation showcase
Already planning what to buy once your cards flip? Our Night Market best skins guide ranks the strongest purchases tier by tier.
Get Your VP Ready Before the Cards Drop
Here's the part that stings every cycle: discounts reach 49%, which can drop a 1,775 VP Premium skin to roughly 900 VP — but the offer dies when the market closes, and there are no rerolls. Every market, players finally see a grail card, realize they're short on points, and watch the timer run out. Don't be that story.
The fix is simple: stock your Valorant Points before the announcement, not after it. LootBar runs discounted Valorant top up deals year-round, with promos of up to 20% off — meaning your dream skin effectively gets cheaper twice, once from Riot's discount and once from yours. When the market finally goes live, head to the Valorant top-up page, load your VP in a couple of minutes, and flip your cards knowing you can actually buy whatever you find.
Conclusion
The next Valorant Night Market has no official date yet, but the evidence stacks up neatly: three 2026 markets on schedule, one missed June window, and a five-year summer streak that always begins between July 10 and August 15. Keep an eye on the client after every Thursday reset, follow Riot's announcements, and don't get caught with an empty wallet when the six cards finally flip. Want to shop the moment it opens? Top up Valorant Points on LootBar today and be ready before everyone else.
