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Update Applied: Valorant Patch 1.09 Says Dial Zero For Operator Nerf
By Will HarrisonSeptember 29, 2020
The day we thought would never come is here: The meta-dominating Operator sniper rifle is receiving what many would say are due nerfs and just desserts. While there’s much more than changes to the gun everyone loves to hate in this patch—including a pretty significant Jett nerf—it’s hard to ignore the ramifications that may come from changing Valorant’s big boi weapon.
For the full list of patch changes and notes be sure to visit the official Valorant notes, also available on the game’s home screen.
AGENT UPDATES
OMEN
Paranoia
- Updated projectile VFX to better represent its hitbox, especially when it is traveling towards your POV
A small visual change, but one that is vital to Valorant. Paranoia hasn’t always been the easiest ability to literally see, and it appears the dev team wants abilities to be good based on their function and not on if an ability isn’t deploying correctly or fairly.
JETT
Blade Storm (Burst Fire)
- The time between consecutive Burst Fire use has increased from 0.33 seconds >>> 0.45 seconds
- Daggers thrown in Burst now have a damage falloff that begins at 12 meters and drops steadily (to 35 damage) at max falloff
- Headshot multiplier on Burst Fire reduced from 3x >>> 2x
We like to poke fun at the “abilities shouldn’t get kills, guns should” statement from Riot folks, but there is a tough line to walk between abilities being functional and being overpowered. In the case of Jett, her signature Blade Storm not only defines her play but is an economic strength for herself and her team. The changes to how her right-click with Blade Storm functions feel fair and balanced, as nothing feels worse than thinking you’ve got the drop on an ult’ing Jett, only to get dropped from 25m out by a chest-full of daggers. We’re also fans of any changes that stop rewarding new players for doing things in-game that form bad habits. Like shooting from 50m away. Or trying to burst fire like it's a sniper rifle.
VIPER
Fuel
- Viper now starts the round at 100 fuel (previously 50)
Snake Bite
- Vulnerable debuff applied from Snake Bite now lingers for 2 seconds after leaving Viper’s acid
Viper’s Pit
- Move speed doubled while casting
- Viper now fast equips her weapon after casting, re-equip times vary per gun—but on average will reduce her weapon downtime by .4 seconds
These Viper changes feel very “Well, duh”, in that it never made sense that Viper’s fuel started at anything but full. In a world where Viper is most effective when able to set up a control spot quickly, starting at 50 fuel felt like a handicap more than a viable design choice. The Snake Bite change is also important, going a long way towards making enemy Agents weigh the risk versus reward of stepping into the Viper’s Pit even more than before. Likewise, the Viper’s Pit changes are important because Viper shouldn’t be struggling to even get off her Ultimate in situations where she needs it most.
REYNA
Empress
- Fire rate bonus decreased from 25% >>> 15%
This nerf feels like Reyna is getting off light considering how she terrorizes the lower ranks. The Duelist Queen has a 73 percent pick rate at Iron rank in Competitive, with that number only sliding down as the rank increases. The reason is simple: she’s a loose cannon that dominates the game at lower levels because she’s built to lurk and made low-rank players sad. The fire rate bonus change makes her a bit less of a nightmare when holding a rifle or heavy weapon. However, don’t be shocked if more tweaks come in future patches that address Reyna’s massive pick rate advantage at lower levels.
BRIMSTONE
Stim Beacon
- Fire rate bonus increased from 10% >>> 15%
The developers put it plainly: with Reyna getting a nerf to her fire rate, it felt like Brimstone needed an increase. Considering that Stim Beacon can be an obtuse ability to deploy, increasing the numbers may make it more obvious to new players in regards to using Beacon.
WEAPON UPDATES
OPERATOR
- Increased price from 4500 >>> 5000
- Decreased scoped movement speed from 76% >>> 72%
- Adjusted weapon deadzone from becoming inaccurate at 30% movement speed >>> 15% (become inaccurate sooner, become accurate later when stopping)
- Firing rate reduced from .75 >>> .6
- Instant equip time adjusted from 0.3 >>> 0.5 (instant equip plays after tapping orb, bomb defuse/plant tap, Jett Cloud Burst, and Phoenix Curveball)
- Leg shot damage decreased from 127 >>> 120
Well, here we are. This will probably be the first major “talked about” change to Valorant in regards to how it affects the meta and for good reason. The price increase is a direct solution to players grabbing armor and an Operator in the earliest rounds and riding that snowball directly downhill—a problem discussed in the notes by Lead Game Designer Max Grossman as a preface to the Operator notes.
And while all of these changes address specific ways that the Operator has pushed the envelope of balance, the most important change at the lower ranks of Valorant will be the equip time and dead zone adjustment. This means that Operator users will have to make the most of their opening shot, as they may not get a second if they miss. These and the other changes go a long way to making the Operator a true skill weapon and not a blunt instrument that’s good simply because you shoot them in the chest and they die.
Learn to take your time if you plan on buying the Operator. Otherwise, you’re wasting economy as well as your team’s time.
ETC.
- Jump land inaccuracy state changed from gradual >>> binary
- Jump land inaccuracy duration increased from .2 >>> .225
- Jump land inaccuracy value increased from 5.0 >>> 7.0 (more inaccurate for .225s after a land)
While not strictly an Operator nerf, these changes to jump land accuracy seem to most effect Operator players who love jumping off a corner and blasting away. Remember, kids: Think before you jump and shoot.
Update Complete
Do you need a hug? Perhaps a warm cup of tea? Change is scary, and the Operator nerfs may very well have big ramifications at the lower ranks of Valorant. That said, ValorBuff is here for you and all your shooting needs. If the Operator has been your only method of success to this point then now is the perfect time to gather your thoughts, look at some cold, hard statistics, and start thinking about the best way to improve without being a one-trick.
We believe in you. Patch 1.09 is now available.
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