Valorant agents are all unique but share similar traits within their class. For example, all sentinels have different powers, but the objective remains the same: flushing enemies out of hiding spots in order to charge into the site. So, when Riot tweaks an agent, it tries to refrain from shifting the power balance in each class. For this reason, the recent Cypher buffs may seem underwhelming compared to Chamber, but the FPS developer has a good reason.
Riot has lifted the curtain on its brand new podcast series dubbed Valorant Off Patch, and the first episode bears glad tidings for players who are sick of Chamber’s toolkit. Lead agent designer Jay Watford touched on the recent Cypher buffs and explained why the Moroccan spy may still feel slightly underpowered compared to the swanky Frenchman.
It turns out the developer is clocking all sentinels, including Chamber, into the same power cycle. For this reason, Riot has refrained from buffing Cypher too much as Chamber nerfs are on the horizon.
“If we buffed Cypher to the point that he could compete with Chamber right now, the second that we got Chamber in the place we wanted, we will have a Cypher problem. Then, suddenly, he’d be the dominant one,” He said.
So, Cypher’s recent buffs may not feel as big because Riot is already working on nerfing Chamber. The goal is to readjust the entire class to Valorant’s power cycle instead of buffing all agents to match Chamber’s skill level. In the following few patches, the developer is seeking to “get Chamber down to the right spot,” and that’s when Cypher buffs will start to make more sense.
It’s currently unknown what Chamber nerfs are on the cards, but players weren’t happy when Riot overlooked his problem areas to nerf the Rendezvous. Whatever the case, the upcoming nerfs may be massive and game-changing, so Chamber players may want to prepare themselves in advance.
Players should expect a Chamber rework in Valorant episode 6 act 1, slated for January, and may even bring a brand new Valorant map, dubbed teased as “City of Flowers,” that connects Valorant lore with Harbor’s home.