The first big Valorant update of the year is finally here and it comes alongside the launch of Episode 8, which in Valorant terms basically means the new season. Riot Games are starting the year off with a bang with a ton of new content added to the game, including a brand new battle pass, the Kuronami skinline, as well as a ton of map and Agent changes coming to the game. The full patch notes have finally been revealed and in this article we are going to go over all of the Agent changes coming to Episode 8.
This patch is mostly targeting Deadlock and Killjoy, two of the Sentinels from the Valorant roster. Deadlock is receiving some buffs, as she has been underperforming since her release a couple of months ago. Killjoy on the other hand is going to be getting a couple of small nerfs to her turret, making it harder to use.
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Valorant Patch 8.0 All Agent Changes
Here is the full list of Agent changes coming to Valorant with Patch 8.0:
Deadlock
Continuing in the direction of the previous 7.10 GravNet (C) changes, we’re looking to build upon the unique strengths of Deadlock’s two other basic abilities: Sonic Sensor (Q) and Barrier Mesh (E).
For Sonic Sensor (Q), we’re increasing the reliability of the concuss once triggered by shortening its windup time, while also increasing flexibility by allowing you to recall and redeploy it in round.
Sonic Sensor (Q)
- Sonic Sensors are now recallable in round.
- Sonic Sensor’s pickup distance increased 12m >>> 27m
- Decreased time for enemies to destroy Sonic Sensor once triggered 0.65s >>> 0.5s
- Deadlock and her allies can now hear Sonic Sensor’s audio lightly when they are in its area of effect.
For Barrier Mesh (E), we increased the max length of the barrier walls to allow it to divide much larger spaces than is possible with comparable utility and make it more reliable at fully blocking chokes when deployed quickly.
Barrier Mesh (E)
- Increased the max length Barrier Mesh walls 6m >>> 10m
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Killjoy
The amount of coverage on Killjoy’s Turret (E) outshines other defensive recon tools when paired with the Turret’s other strengths, such as its autonomous detection and long range vision.
Reducing its vision cone should push Killjoy to make clearer choices about what area of the map her Turret will cover, while the Turret’s updated visuals should aid you in quickly understanding what areas it will protect.
Turret (E)
- Vision radius reduced 180 degrees >>> 100 degrees
- Added a representation of the Turret’s vision cone on Killjoy’s minimap when she is placing the Turret.
- Added VFX and updated the Turret’s animations to communicate the Turret’s
new vision radius
That was the full list of Agent changes coming to Valorant with Patch 8.0. While this isn't the biggest patch Riot Games have released, these Deadlock and Killjoy adjustments are surely going to impact the game in more ways than one. Hopefully some more Agents are going to be looked at in the coming weeks, so the game can continue to feel fresh and engaging for all of the fans of this tactical shooter.
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