Valorant: Changes in Your Favorite Agents with Patch 1.04

Valorant in its initial stages of growth was called a ‘Counter Strike’ clone by many. Riot Games has been responsible for its mounting success. One way of doing this is through regular updates and bug fixes. The most promising feature of the game, however, remains its anti-cheat system. Vanguard has become a symbol for games trying to establish an anti-cheat system. Cheaters have plagued Counter-Strike: Global Offensive ever since its inception. With the spotlight very much on hackers in gaming, Valve introduced the ‘Trusted Mode’ recently, which apparently was to keep the cheaters at bay. This hasn’t really worked out.

Updates and patch fixes are the way to go about making much-requested changes. Valorant has also gone through considerable changes via its latest patch, which is 1.04. The list of agents in the game remains the same. Let’s find what these considerable nerfs or buffs are.

S-Tier Agents in Valorant

Cypher

The agents in this category are the coolest guys in your class. Cypher has been topping the charts as probably one of the most popular agents in the game. Cypher just got a minor buff. You can just purchase the cypher cages in the buy round. Why is this a big deal? Let’s say you accidentally throw it in a direction you didn’t intend to, or you wish to change the spot after having already thrown it. You couldn’t do that before.

This patch actually gives you multiple tries at getting it right. The abilities that help to gather information via Cypher cam make him one of the most strategic and dangerous agents on the map. The trapwire is yet another ability that makes Cypher stand out. Cypher cages and tripwires enable you to almost single-handedly defend a site.

Sage

She is considered to be a powerhouse in Valorant. Her abilities have been nerfed in the last few patches. However, in this one, she remains unchanged and stands at the top of the agents’ tier. Her abilities, which include hard to destroy barriers (which sure are a game-changer) and the ability to heal make her incredibly powerful.  Sage will continue to function as a top tier agent unless Riot Games decide on slamming her with more nerfs over subsequent patches. Just her ability to heal makes her a useful agent while defending; something I feel Cypher can’t do.

A Tier Agents in Valorant

Brimstone

While the agents in this tier aren’t as powerful as S tier agents, they still hold unique abilities that make them stand out. Brimstone is one such agent. He gets 3 targeted smokes, which are very useful and pretty easy to use. He still has the best Molotov in the game. As of Patch 1.04, the Stim Beacon effect radius is no longer seen by enemies and no longer buffs enemies in the range. Another point is that if the enemy gets in your Stim Beacon radius they are given the same benefits. Which doesn’t make sense, so it’s a good thing that it has been removed. However, the cost of Brimstone’s ultimate( (Orbital Strike) changed from 6 to 7 ult points. But, while this could matter in some games, the buff on his stim beacon makes up for it, which is a sweet deal.

B Tier Agents in Valorant

Viper

Viper was the center of attention for this patch. I don’t think any agent has seen such major buffs in a patch fix. Viper’s ultimate ability enables the agent to create a huge cloud of toxic smoke which affects the vision of every agent. Initially, Viper had only 5 seconds to leave the cloud and come back before the cloud vanished. This has been changed to 12 seconds, giving Viper enough time to plan and strategize. Also, she can now act on her own discretion, having the option of dropping the pit whenever she wants. That’s a lot of power and a lot more responsibility. Viper can now enable both the Toxic Screen and Poison Cloud without the need for extra fuel. Viper is free to act on her own prerogative, which will probably see her making aggressive moves in the game.

Raze

Showstopper has become very popular and is being used extensively. As the name suggests, Riot Games decided to make some changes via patch 1.04. The change was similar to Brimstone’s. The cost of the Showstopper has increased from 6 to 7 ult points. Riot Games want you to earn the ultimate ability, which now they hope might get a bit difficult.

Valorant has been making a lot of noise in the industry, competing with games like Fortnite and CS: GO. With regular patch updates like these, Riot Games promises to make the title even more interesting and tactical.

Source: Valorant Blog