In the evolving landscape of competitive gaming, the balance between buffing and nerfing characters can be a very delicate issue. Riot Games’ popular tactical shooter Valorant is no exception to this rule as even a minor buff can create a power gap in the agent pool.
Valorant is bringing changes to the duelist agents, which are not popular in competitive gameplay. However, the community is raising their voices as the developers are buffing Neon again, while continuously nerfing fan-favorite agent, Jett.
Valorant Developer’s Defense: An Unconvincing Justification
In patch 8.11, Riot Games rolled out lots of changes that aimed at increasing the capabilities of duelist agents like Reyna, Neon, and ISO. While some duelists, such as Raze and Jett, faced some nerfs to keep the agent pool feeling competitive.
The agent that got the most significant buff is Neon. These changes aimed to elevate Neon’s viability in high-level play. But the main controversy and the reason why players are angry about this is due to the constant buff towards Neon’s abilities, so much so that she can potentially shift the entire meta of the game.
In an interview, Developer Dan ‘Penguin’ Hardison shed some light on why Neon is getting those buffs. He said:
You’re supposed to kind of being breaking people’s ankles and outplaying people with your movement so any kind of restriction around that felt out of place.
The changes to Neon include two slide charges (Second Slide Cost 150), an increase in her movement speed ability(High Gear) from 6.73 meters/second to 9.11 meters/second, the ability to shoot with no movement errors during sliding, and a 0.2-second weapon re-equip time after every slide.
However, the community’s main issue was not the buffs themselves, but the justification provided by the developers. Developers defended their decision to give Neon such overwhelming buffs by saying:
Like, Jett is up and behind you in a smoke, Raze is flying through the air potentially with a shotgun kill you near instantly, so how do we make Neon kind of able to compete.
This statement along with the changes in 8.11 not only makes many players angry but also has the potential to disrupt the delicate balance of the game. This highlights a concerning trend within developers’ approach.
Riot’s Priorities: Balancing Act or Blind Spots?
The contrasting treatment of Neon and Jett by the development team has left many players questioning Riot Games’ priorities. Why shower one agent with buffs that have the potential to disrupt the entire meta, while simultaneously nerfing another agent in the same category (Duelist)?
It’s a question that needs immediate answers, yet the developers seem to ignore the player’s feedback. Instead of addressing the concerns, developers continue to push forward with their agenda, leaving many players feeling disheartened.
In the world of competitive gaming, balance is everything. Without it, the integrity of the game is called into question, and players are left feeling frustrated. It’s high time for Riot Games to sit back and reapproach their balancing in Valorant before it’s too late.
