Valorant 1.09 patch highlights: Huge Operator and Jett nerfs

The latest set of Valorant patch notes is here and includes a couple of long-awaited changes. The 1.09 update features a major Op nerf as well as a whole host of agent related adjustments.

First up, let’s talk about the Operator. The sniper has been a trending topic amongst competitive players for a while now, with many pros arguing that it is too strong and often impossible to counter.

Riot have been incredibly tactful in their approach to balancing the weapon. They made it clear that their aim with these changes is to “adjust some of its outsized strengths while ensuring it remains the most powerful angle-holding weapon in the arsenal”.

Still, it was a pretty sizeable downgrade, affecting a number of variables:

• Increased price from 4500 >>> 5000
• Decreased scoped movement speed from 76% >>> 72%
• Adjusted weapon deadzone from becoming inaccurate at 30% movement speed >>> 15% (become inaccurate sooner, become accurate later when stopping)
• Firing rate reduced from .75 >>> .6
• Instant equip time adjusted from 0.3 >>> 0.5 (instant equip plays after tapping orb, bomb defuse/plant tap, Jett Cloud Burst, and Phoenix Curveball)
• Leg shot damage decreased from 127 >>> 120

Check out the podcast below to hear Liquid Mendo discuss the thought process behind these Op changes with Riot Games developer Nick Wu.

Elsewhere, Jett also received a nerf, this time not quite so substantial. This is another one that fans have been calling for across the last few patches and is just the first step as the Valorant devs continue to investigate some of her overpowered abilities.

It was only Blade Storm affected this week, with adjustments looking to “rein in its effective range while retaining its close range potency”.

• The time between consecutive Burst Fire use has increased from 0.33 seconds >>> 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 >>> 2x

While Viper grows stronger still, Reyna takes a very slight hit. All weapons have also been updated to make shooting accurately after landing from a jump more challenging. You can read about all these changes in full detail in Riot’s official Valorant 1.09 patch notes article.

COMPETITIVE UPDATES

• During this patch, the chances of being in an hour+ queue should be notably reduced
• This is already a very rare occurrence, but it can happen more often for high rank players—especially in premade groups. We are also doing some tuning behind the scenes to keep high rank matches found after long queue times reasonably balanced and fair.

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
• Some sneaky people were impersonating system messages to troll others into quitting a match. Enough!
• 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 cancelled his ult
• Fixed a bug where Custom Game preferences would be wiped after navigating away from the Custom Game lobby