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The new Valorant 3.06 patch notes are out, and we’re treated to some balancing changes, Jett nerfs, and map updates. The five changed maps will now have several sturdier crates placed at key strategic locations, offering added protection and safer positioning.
There’s also a few minor changes such as Coaches defaulting into all-chat instead of team chat, and also some Public Beta Environment (PBE) settings changes. Nothing groundbreaking, but welcome nonetheless.
Jett is getting nerfed, but is it enough?
One of the biggest aspects of the Valorant patch 3.06 is a slight nerf to Jett’s Cloudburst ability and her ultimate Blade Storm. The Cloudburst charges were reduced from 3 to 2, effectively limiting the use of the ability. The idea was to make the choice of using the ability at the correct time more impactful, instead of simply spamming it.
The Blade Storm’s right-click/alternate fire was also changed, bringing the damage on par with the left-click. Also, the right-click will no longer recharge Jett’s kunai.
Although this is a clear nerf to one of the most popular agents in the game, the question still remains whether this is enough, or if it was even needed. Many consider Jett’s dash to be the ability that enables this agent to outperform, and yet it remains untouched. In any case, these changes will have a considerable impact on Jett, but it should still remain one of the top duelist picks.
KAY/O and Skye Balance Changes
Skye has been one of the top picks in the recent VCT Masters in Berlin, so Riot Games set their sight on the agent and decided to tone down her flash and reduce the frequency her ultimate Seekers could be used.
The Guiding Light ability now has slightly longer unequip time and has increased activation time, giving enemies a bit more room to react appropriately. The Seekers ability’s cost was bumped from 6 to 7, reducing the frequency of its usage in battle.
KAY/O is an excellent agent, but he is still not being picked as much as some other agents in Valorant. Riots has decided to buff KAY/O’s FLASH/drive ability, reducing the windup telegraph and removing the audio attached to the in-flight projectile. This should make KAY/O’s flashes a bit more deadly, and the lack of audio cues should help KAY/O land his flashes more reliably.
Crates, Crates Everywhere!
The new map updates in Valorant patch 3.06 bring a whole host of new and sturdier crates which will offer better protection for attackers and positioning for defenders.
Fracture, Icebox, Haven, Ascent, and Bind received crates in key sites. This should allow safer spike planting on these spots and/or prevent certain crates from being bullet penned. These maps have been around for a while, with the exception of Fracture, and it’s great to see them being updated and adjusted to provide more options for everyone.
How will this impact the game?
The new Valorant 3.06 patch is quite small in comparison to certain previous patches. But don’t be mistaken about the impact of it. The Jett nerf alone might make half the player base rage quit. All jokes aside, the nerf won’t make that much of an impact, but it might become a problem if Riot decides to go a step further and nerf Jett’s dash as well.
KAY/O should hopefully see more play with these changes and Skye will most likely still remain top-tier in the current competitive Valorant Champions Tour scene.
The map changes alone will bring a whole host of new tactics and ways players approach each map. It’s almost impossible to predict all the ripple effects. But in any case, this is a great step in the right direction and we hope the Valorant team introduces more similar changes that will make the game healthier.
