The next big Valorant patch is planned for July 21, but we already have a good idea about it. Expect changes to Viper, Sage, Breach, Raze, and more.
Riot Games have chosen a difficult path by trying to mix CS:GO with abilities. In many ways, the balance aspect of Valorant comes closer to Overwatch, as heroes and agents will be constantly tweaked, buffed, or nerfed until they reach some sort of zen balance. In the long term, this might prove even harder as more and more characters will be added over time. There are also people maining a certain agent, so turning their hero into a dumpster fire will leave them quite unhappy.
The next patch in Valorant is 1.04, but it’s not out yet and won’t be until July 21. Despite that, lead character designer Ryan “Morello” Scott shared some of the ideas the team had for the upcoming patch. For now reworks are out of the question and according to Morello it’s all about numbers.
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Viper
Most recently Viper received a buff with patch 1.02. Her Snake Bite now applies a debuff while her Toxic Screen can go through walls. While both were appreciated by anyone playing Viper, the agent is still rather unpopular and might see further improvements with the next patch.
Sage
Even back in the closed beta, everyone agreed that Sage is without a doubt the best agent in the game. She’s a must pick on every team, as each of her abilities can be game-changing. She received a nerf in patch 1.01 which reduced the cast range on her Barrier Orb from 20m to 10m, but it looks like that wasn’t enough. Sage’s healing can bring an agent back to full health and she can use that more than once per round. Her slow and barrier orbs can completely zone out the enemy and then there’s the agent’s ultimate – bringing back a fallen ally. With so much utility in one character, it’s no wonder why teams always pick her.
Perhaps this time with patch 1.04, one of her skills will be changed more dramatically. Riot will be wise to not straight out murder the agent though.
Breach/Raze
The two agents were also mentioned by Morello during his live stream (It’s almost 4 hours). According to the character designer, Breach, while in a good spot could use some love and players should expect an improvement in patch 1.04. Raze, on the other hand, was arguably one of the most overpowered characters in the closed beta. She received several nerfs since then, but her playstyle hasn't changed much. Raze is still a semi-decent pick and can nuke multiple agents with her ultimate, but she’s lacking in other departments. Despite that, Riot's lead character designer said he plans to tone down the agent and reduce her win rate even further.
The last patch in Valorant brought numerous changes, like a price and fire rate reduction for the Guardian. It also introduced a brand-new orb to Spike Rush with Twin Hunters – spawning two wolves which will chase down the nearest enemy.
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