Valorant patch 1.07: Killjoy and Sage nerf completely changes the competitive meta

Riot seems to have gone all out with their balance changes in Valorant patch 1.07 and appear to have solved much of the issues that have been plaguing the game for some time.

Valorant players have been complaining a lot about Sage and Killjoy and ever since their release, ‘overpowered’ has been the word that was most associated with them.

With patch 1.07, Riot has pretty much gutted Sage, and it doesn’t feel like her pick rate in pro play will be as commanding as it used to be.

With a heal, revive, slow and a ‘big nope’ wall button, Sage has equal amounts of 'carry' and 'support' potential, making her one of the most oppressive agents in Valorant. Killjoy soon joined Sage’s ranks after her release, and her Nanoswarm and Turrets have been a hot topic of controversy in the community for some time.

Riot has brought a variety of nerfs to both Agents in patch 1.07, and these changes are expected to completely change the competitive meta.

Sage will not be a must-pick option in competitive Valorant

Sage will be getting a nerf to both her heal and CC in valorant Patch 1.07 (Image credits Riot Games)

Here is an overview of the nerfs that Sage received in 1.07:

1. Heal Orb

• Heal reduced from 100 over five seconds to 60 over five seconds.
• Self heal reduced from 100 over five seconds to 60 over 10 seconds.

2. Slow Orb

• Size reduced by 30 per cent.

3. Barrier Orb

• Cost reduced from 400 to 300.
• Fortifying Barrier: Wall forms at 400 HP. After a three-second delay, the wall becomes fortified to 800 HP.

Sage’s pick rate in Valorant’s pro play was utterly ridiculous because of the simple fact that her healing kit came with a truck full of CC abilities.

From completely reviving an ally to creating choke points with her walls and slows that delay enemy pushes, Sage has been an integral part of any team composition.

With the nerfs to her Heal Orb as well as her Slow and Barrier Orb, we don’t think that players will be picking her as readily as they used to in both casual and competitive play.

Riot settles much of the “community Killjoy outrage”

Killjoy's Nanoswarm gets some much-needed nerfs in Valorant Patch 1.07 (Image credits: Riot Games)

Ever since her release, Killjoy has been one of the most controversial Agents in Valorant. Her turrets were often accused of compromising the competitive integrity of the game, and now the community has targeted her Nanoswarm as the most overpowered ability in Valorant.

Bugs and Turret exploits aside, Killjoy did seem to have a kit that had next to zero counterplay options. Once she was able to successfully plant her feet in a plant site, it would then become an incredibly difficult task for the attacking team to breach through her various abilities.

Here is a look into how Riot tried to balance her in Valorant patch 1.07:

1. Nanoswarm

• Added a brief windup before damage begins.
• DPS reduced from 60 to 40.
• Visual effects have been added to make it easier to spot the grenade on the ground.
• Stealth audio range has been slightly increased.

2. Turret

• No longer revealed by Sova’s Recon Bolt.
• More effectively shoots at an enemy’s last known location.

By adding a brief windup period and reducing the per-second damage from 60 to 40, Riot provides a lot of counterplay to her abilities and takes away much of her Agency when solo defending sites or spike plants.

However, the patch update doesn't necessarily prove that the Killjoy Turret and Alarmbot bugs are completely gone, and we might be getting a lot of exploit strats surrounding her kit very soon.