Operator gets first major nerf with Valorant Patch 1.09
Published: Sep 30, 2020 - Last Updated: Sep 29, 2022
Valorant Patch 1.09 released this Tuesday with major changes coming to both the game’s agents and weapons. Among the biggest changes are nerfs to Jett and Reyna, buffs to Viper and Brimstone, and a small adjustment to Omen. In addition, the Operator received its first major nerf, along with the jumping accuracy of all in-game weapons.
Agent updates
Nerfs
Of all the agents, Jett got the short end of the stick with nerfs to her ultimate Blade Storm. Daggers thrown in Burst now have a damage falloff that begins at 12 meters and drops steadily (to 35 damage) at max falloff. Another agent with a nerf to her ultimate was Reyna, who had her rate of fire reduced when in Empress mode, with a decrease from 25 percent to 15 percent. Riot says the change comes from a desire to balance the rates of fire between different agents.
Jett 
-
- Blade Storm (X):
- The time between consecutive Burst Fire use has increased from 0.33 seconds to 0.45 seconds
- Daggers thrown in Burst now have a damage falloff that begins at 12 meters and drops steadily (to 35 damage) at max falloff
- Headshot multiplier on Burst Fire reduced from 3x to 2x.
- Blade Storm (X):
Reyna 
-
- Empress (X):
- Fire rate bonus decreased from 25 percent to 15 percent
- Empress (X):
Buffs
On the other hand, Brimstone’s Stimulating Beacon received a buff with his fire rate bonus increased to 15%, now equaling Reyna’s ultimate. In an effort to increase Viper’s viability, the agent received buffs to two abilities and her acid, starting the round with a full charge of it. Snake Bite applies the debuff for two seconds after the enemy leaves the area of effect, while her ultimate Viper’s Pit is cast more quickly. Omen also received a tweak to his Paranoia, which may lead to players seeing its hitbox better. This could make it easier for players to dodge the projectile.
Omen 
-
- Paranoia (Q):
- Updated the visual effects of the projectile to better represent its hitbox.
- Paranoia (Q):
Brimstone 
-
- Stim Beacon (C):
-
- Fire rate bonus increased from 10 percent to 15 percent.
-
- Stim Beacon (C):
Viper 
-
-
- Fuel
- Viper now starts the round at 100 fuel (previously 50).
- Snake Bite (C):
- Vulnerable debuff applied from Snake Bite now lingers for 2 seconds after leaving Viper’s acid
- Viper’s Pit (X):
- Movement speed doubled during casting.
- Viper now equips her weapon quickly after casting. The time to re-equip varies from weapon to weapon, but on average reduces downtime by 0.4 seconds.
-
Competitive updates
- During this patch, the chances of being in an hour+ queue should be notably reduced.
Weapon updates
Changes were made to the aim inaccuracy of all weapons after jumping, which means players who try to shoot right after landing will now have a flat rate inaccuracy state instead of gradually gaining back their first shot accuracy. The Operator was the only weapon with direct changes. Its price has risen from 4500 to 5000, while the crosshairs movement speed and firing rate have been reduced. Leg damage has also been reduced from 127 to 120. All of these changes increase the risk of using this weapon, which has so far dominated the game since release.
- Operator
- Increased price from 4500 to 5000
- Decreased scoped movement speed from 76 percent to 72 percent
- Adjusted weapon dead zone from becoming inaccurate at 30 percent movement speed to 15 percent
- Firing-rate reduced from 0.75 to 0.6
- Instant equip time adjusted from 0.3 to 0.5
- Leg shot damage decreased from 127 to 120
- All Weapons
- Jump land inaccuracy state changed from gradual to binary.
- Jump land inaccuracy duration increased from 0.2 to 0.225.
- Jump land inaccuracy value increased from 5.0 to 7.0 (more inaccurate for 0.225s after a land).
Social updates
- Riot ID Reviews.
- Players that have been reported for inappropriate Riot IDs will now be reviewed automatically after the match has ended. If their name is flagged as inappropriate, they will be forced to change their Riot ID the next time they log in to the Riot Client.
- Removed Multi-line Breaks in Chat.
- Changes to party push to talk settings will now take effect immediately.
- The chat window can now be pinned to stay open across menus.
- Social Panel Sorting Logic.
- Sorting algorithm for the social panel has been updated to make it more intuitive for players as they interact with it.
Bug fixes
-
- Fixed issue where Sova’s hitbox was incorrect while using his Owl Drone.
- Fixed bug where Omen’s glowing eyes weren’t properly removed when he canceled his ult.
- Fixed a bug where Custom Game preferences would be wiped after navigating away from the Custom Game lobby.
Image Credits: Riot Games
