Riot Games’ commitment to keeping Valorant fresh with regular updates is well-known among players, but the latest patch, Valorant 7.08, has caused quite a stir in the professional gaming community. While Riot typically introduces changes with the entire player base in mind, the alterations to Valorant’s smoke mechanics have left professional players voicing their concerns. Let’s delve into the specifics of these changes and why professional Valorant players are not thrilled with them.
Valorant’s Smoke Visual and Audio Modifications in 7.08
According to the ValorLeaks X (formerly Twitter) account, the forthcoming Valorant 7.08 update brings a quality-of-life adjustment related to smokes. This tweak affects the duration and timing of smokes deployed by agents like Brimstone, Astra, and Omen. As a smoke nears its expiration (1.5 seconds before dissipating), it will trigger a sound cue and introduce a sparkling visual effect within the smoke cloud. This alteration serves the purpose of indicating the impending conclusion of the smoke, assisting players in adapting to friendly or enemy smokes, especially for those who do not engage in in-game communication.
Professional Players’ Feedback on the New Smoke Change
While Riot Games’ intentions for this subtle quality-of-life change were likely to facilitate a better understanding of the game’s mechanics for all players, Valorant’s professional players have expressed their dissatisfaction with the alteration. Some of these players accuse the developers of narrowing the skill gap between professional and new players.
Notably, EG Boostio, the winner of Valorant 2023 Champions, offered a critique, stating, “Bad change tbh. People need to learn the game to this level at least.” This comment was made in response to a supportive post by G2 JoshRT, who believed that the change would improve new players’ comprehension of the game’s mechanics, making lower-ranked games more enjoyable.
Žygimantas “nukkye” Chmieliauskas, a professional player for Giants, took to Twitter to voice his opinion on the changes, suggesting that lowering the skill gap for infrequent players could be detrimental to the game. He even humorously proposed the idea of granting aimbots to those who play only a few games per month.
Many players have raised concerns that the alterations may lead to an aim-centric game, potentially diminishing the importance of players who specialize in smoke tactics, timing, and callouts. The community appears to be divided on this issue, and only time will reveal Riot Games’ course of action. Nevertheless, this change is poised to have a noticeable impact on Valorant and potentially make the game more accessible to a wider audience.
Share Your Perspective
What is your take on these new smoke changes in Valorant? Do you support these changes, or do you stand against them? Share your thoughts and join the discussion in the comments below. In addition to the smoke changes, Riot Games has also introduced the October Night Market in Valorant, which is worth exploring.
