Cover-Credits:
- If you are using the Wasteland Vandal skin in Valorant, you may be hurting your gameplay.
- Multiple players reported that the skin has a larger hitbox than the base model of the Vandal.
- A longer weapon model lets enemies spot you sooner and puts you at a disadvantage.
Valorant has some of the best skins for guns in any game, but if you have been using the Wasteland skins, you might need to reconsider your choice. They actually hurt your gameplay without you knowing, and some players confirmed it on Reddit after showing some in-game comparisons with and without the skins applied on the Vandal.
What is Wrong with The Wasteland Skins in Valorant
For those who don’t own any of the Wasteland skins, the entire lineup of skins is compatible with five different weapons. They drastically change the look of your weapon, and unlike other skins in Valorant that are pristine and have meticulous designs, the Wasteland skins are meant to be rugged. With the skins applied, the skins look like they have been put together with random weapon parts, and that is exactly where the problem lies with the Wasteland Vandal.
If you look at the Wasteland Vandal skin, you will notice nothing too different when viewing the weapon in first person. The iron sights and everything looks just like it should be. However, if you take a look at the weapon from the sides, the muzzle is much longer than other Vandal skins, and you can be spotted by enemies while turning corners without you even realizing it. While it might sound like a small difference, the actual impact it can have in moment-to-moment gameplay is huge.
Whoever gets the line of sight first in Valorant on the enemy player has the clear advantage assuming you are playing against people of equal skill. The split-second of advantage that your opponents get as you turn around is more than enough to win them the gunfight in a 1v1 situation. Multiple players in the original Reddit post verified the claims. It is not only a visual effect, but the actual model of the gun is also affected by Wasteland's skin.
If you are looking for a skin for your Vandal, staying away from the Wasteland variant is recommended. You should also take off the skin if you already have it equipped until Riot tweaks it. Someone pointed out that the Dragon Vandal skin is actually smaller than the base version of the weapon, which means it is the exact opposite of the Wasteland skin. Enemies will see you a split second later than they normally would if you use the Dragon skin on your Vandal.
