A neon nerf for Valorant was long overdue, as the developers at Riot Games are well aware. In the patch announcement, the employee in charge announces: "Today is the day of all days. Yes, the neon nerf is here!" But are the new tweaks enough to really improve the game's dynamic?
The Filipino duelist Neon played a pivotal role in the meta during the final acts of Valorant.
With her exceptional agility, overpowered ultimate, and slide-and-jump mechanics, she was often deemed nearly unbeatable.
A well-played Neon on the opposing team would typically dominate as the top fragger, frequently winning head-to-head duels.
Now, the long awaited patch has arrived, bringing the much anticipated nerf, allowing ranked lobbies to finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Patch 9.11
Agent Neon
The patch, set to release on December 10, aims to tone down Neon’s power.
Riot Games has reworked her core abilities to improve balance and significantly reduce her speed, which many players found overwhelming.
To reintegrate Neon into the game’s meta, an adjustment to her High Gear ability was critical.
Previously, High Gear allowed Neon to execute electric slides. As of Episode 8, Act 3, the number of slides was increased from one to two, with the limit resetting after two kills.
Even the developers acknowledged in a tweet that Neon was too strong in this state:
For what it's worth - we agree that Neon is too strong as well. We're working on some adjustments to balance out the parts that feel overpowered while maintaining her grounded movement combat fantasy. These changes are coming in patch 9.11. https://t.co/hKjatYnENX
— penguin (@penguinVALORANT) November 11, 2024
In the new update, the number of slides has been reduced to one per round start, with only one additional slide granted after two kills.
The goal is to make High Gear less disorienting and frustrating for opponents, encouraging more tactical use of the ability.
Additionally, the ability’s cost has been increased, and slide accuracy now aligns with slow walking.
Another problematic aspect was her ultimate, Overdrive.
The Fastest Neon on Valorantfull video search "temet" on YouTube. pic.twitter.com/vi3EjtPCdf
— temet (@temets) February 10, 2023
When activated, Neon unleashes an electrical energy beam from her hands. Combined with her agility, it became nearly impossible for opponents to evade or counter her before she inflicted significant damage.
As a result, the ultimate’s duration has been reduced from 20 to 10 seconds. Overdrive now requires 8 ultimate points instead of 7, a significant change in a tactical FPS Shooter.
Agent Vyse
The newest Sentinel agent, Vyse, brings impressive versatility to the game.
As the first Sentinel with a flash ability, she excels at securing or isolating flanks and critical areas.
Her Razor Vines ability now inflicts more damage while slowing enemies, functioning similarly to Sage’s Slow Orb.
In case you were wondering how significant the Vyse changes are for the Razervine/Thorns, here is your answer pic.twitter.com/DN60xapw0j
— hoverboarD (@draobrevoh) December 10, 2024
Dealing 10 HP damage per second, the vines hinder opponents by making traversal more challenging while also slowing their movement.
Developers have also refined the ability’s dynamics, reducing the vines' vertical height from 450 to 300 units.
Meanwhile, her Arc Rose ability has become more mobile, allowing for quicker repositioning.
Ping system and minor tweaks
The ping system has been revamped to prevent unintended gameplay advantages beyond simple non-verbal communication.
Pings now bounce off smoke surfaces and appear directly on the smoke’s exterior. Additionally, map pings are visible only on the mini-map, not in the game world.
New ping visuals and sound effects have been introduced to improve clarity.
In these two clips, Riot has clearly illustrated the changes' impact on gameplay:
Before the Update:
After the Update:
Other small tweaks include replacing the small shield with the regenerative shield in stage 1 of Team Deathmatch.
For PC players, group messages and flags now feature distinct colors, and a long-standing bug that required 100 matches to complete the weekly mission: Play a Match has finally been fixed.
What do you think about the patch? Long overdue or overhyped? Let us know in the comments!
