29th September 2020 – 6:15pm
The Valorant patch 1.09 brings many changes compared to the patch 1.08. This patch is probably the last of Act 2 of the Ignition chapter. The next patch should bring a brand new Agent, but we're not there yet.
Key points to remember of Patch 1.09:
The Operator has been a problem for both average players and professional players for a while now. Until now, Riot Games has refused to modify the gun, arguing that it fulfilled its role perfectly. It looks like the developers have finally bowed to the sniper rifle's dominance and complaints from its community.
These changes will not prevent the Operator from killing a player who sticks out an angle with one bullet. The weapon, on the other hand, becomes much more "bulky", in addition to being really expensive.
We will still pay attention to changes in its price. While it should drastically reduce the number of Operators in a game, it also risks to widen the gab between a team that can afford the weapon and one that can't. The real problem with the Operator remains: there are few ways to effectively counter it.
These changes of different Agents follow the logic of previous patches based on " it would be really nice to see Viper played at least once". She therefore receives a new set of buffs. Meanwhile, it's Jett who gets nerfed. A few other Agents receive minor changes.
Once more, the developers are looking to make Viper interesting for players. Despite a very large series of buffs, she remains underused by players. The poisoner therefore receives a new set of buffs.
Fuel:
Snake Bite :
Viper's Pit :
Cypher lost his lustre since the arrival of Killjoy, and Sage has faded away since the huge nerfs of patch 1.08. So Jett just happens to be the most popular Agent. Combined with the Operator, she's absolutely formidable. In addition to having nerfed her weapon of choice, she's also getting modifications.
Blade Storm:
Omen has slowly grown into one of Valorant's most played Agents, to the detriment of Brimstone. No major changes at the moment, just a small fix.
Paranoia:
As aforementioned, Brimstone is less and less popular. A little boost on his Steam Beacon shouldn't change much, but hey, it's something.
Steam Beacon :
Small nerf for this Agent who finds more and more her place on the competitive scene. Her snowball potential has been reduced.
Empress :
The developers of Valorant have decided to reduce the accuracy of all weapons after a landing. When an Agent's feet touch the ground after a jump or a fall, there is a small delay before they regain their maximum accuracy. Not only has this delay been increased, but the loss of precision is even greater.
These changes will mainly impact Jett and Raze, the most mobile characters in Valorant. But they will also have an effect on all assaults from a window or on players who fall from a Sage wall (if any still exists).
The Patch 1.09 comes with a series of fixes and updates of quality of life.
You can view full Patch Notes on the official Valorant website.