Valorant Patch 3.0: Riot Games Teases New Agent and Other Balance Changes

Valorant’s patch 3.0 is expected to drop soon and Riot Games gave fans a glimpse of what to expect in its official blog. Character producer John Goscicki shared his thoughts on how the team has been trying to balance Viper and future changes that may head to other agents that will shake up the meta in Valorant’s patch 3.0. Breach, Skye, Yoru and Astra are the four agents that the developers are looking at and fans can expect some changes in the upcoming patch which is set to release in June. Here are all the balance changes that fans can expect from Valorant patch 3.0. 

A New Agent Will Be Added in Valorant Patch 3.0

Riot Games talked about how Breeze did not release with a new agent but the studio is looking to release a new agent in the upcoming update. The studio revealed that there was no agent released alongside the Breeze map as it is looking to focus on quality over speed. 

Character producer John Goscicki teased “This time around we are throwing in some abilities that should feel familiar to folks who’ve played traditional FPS games their whole lives, but with added elements that will make those recognizable abilities unique within our roster. This is an Agent whose utility can create moments where you must rely on your gunplay.”

Agent Changes in Valorant Patch 3.0

Riot Games did not release patch 2.10 and will be directly releasing 3.0 in June 2021. 

Viper 

Riot Games revealed that it wanted to go all-in with agents that see little play in the meta and are evaluating if the approach worked. The team has noticed an increase in playrate but if she becomes to oppressive in the current meta, she will be nerfed. Character producer John Goscicki did state that “there are some rough edges here we may need to smooth out” which could suggest some tweaks to the agent can be expected. 

Breach 

Riot Games is looking to remove the agent’s ability to dish out three consecutive flashes. The studio wants to make his overall kit feel more balanced while cutting down on his ability to flash repeatedly. 

Skye 

Skye will be receiving changes to boost her ‘self-sufficiency’ but her flashes will be tweaked. She will no longer be able to use multiple flashes in a row. 

Yoru 

Changes to his ‘Fakeout’ ability have been teased to increase his power level within the current meta. 

Astra 

Astra’s play pattern is oppressive in coordinated play according to Riot Games and some tweaks will be made to the agent to add more counterplay. 

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