Valorant’s Update 2.03 is now live, its patch notes revealing a set of Stinger nerfs, changes to Reyna and newcomer Yoru, alongside slightly harsher penalties for AFK-ing during Ranked matches.
Reyna’s Devour and Dismiss abilities have been hit with nerfs to both their charges, which are now reduced to 2 from 4. The cost of each charge has also doubled to 200. On the flipside, enemies who die within 3 seconds of being damaged by her now drop Soul Orbs even if Reyna herself didn’t land the killing shot, which should soften the blow of the above nerfs.
Newcomer Yoru’s E ability, Gatecrash, informs the player of the range at which its tether can be spotted by enemies on the minimap, allowing for better planning of your teleports. On a similar note, the ability’s audio range is also displayed on the minimap, which should let you more easily sneak up on opponents, after a bit of practice.
He can also see the minimap while using the Dimensional Drift ultimate. Although the ability no longer body blocks enemies, the ones that Yoru can see while using his ultimate also appear on allied minimaps, allowing for some additional coordination with your team.
The fire zones dropped by Brimstone’s Incendiary and Phoenix’s Hot Hands will now have their sounds prioritized when movement and explosions also happen nearby, making it easier to scope them out amidst the chaos.
Over on the weapons front, the Marshal’s zoom is now increased to 3.5x from the previous 2.5x, so there’s no excuse to not score those satisfying headshots. It also costs slightly less (1000), while having its zoomed movement speed changed to be only 10% slower than your regular moving speed while wielding it.
The Stinger’s full auto fire rate has also seen a slight reduction and will reach max spread earlier. Recoil is also more aggressive if you keep the finger down for too long, so you may need to pace your shots differently in order to squeeze the same performance out of the gun.
AFK-ing in competitive mode isn’t something you should be doing to begin with, and players who spend 6 or more rounds without aiding their team will now earn themselves an 8 rank rating points penalty. Act Rank Badges are also now based on your highest rank win.
If you’re looking to break away from competitive for a while, the Escalation limited-time mode is also live.
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