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Valorant patch 4.03 is around the corner, as Riot Games has released their official patch notes, mentioning updates for Brimstone among several changes.
According to the patch notes, Riot have enhanced Brimstone's Orbital Strike (X) ability, denying the enemies visibility while the ability is active. As a result, the enemies will not show up on the radar either.
Brimstone, or Agent 01 of the Valorant Protocol, is among the 10 Agents who were featured in the game during its beta release.
Over the years, the American soldier has witnessed several changes to his ability toolkit. Similarly, patch 4.03 will introduce a minor update that might affect Brimstone's position in the ongoing meta of Valorant.
Can Patch 4.03 help Brimstone return to Valorant's current meta ?
The changes Riot has promised for Brimstone in patch 4.03 are expected to improve his efficacy in competitive Valorant. Currently, the abilities of a few Agents can bypass Brimstone's Orbital Strike.
Pulses from Sova's Recon Dart and the flash abilities of several Agents like Skye, Yoru, Phoenix and so on, can detect and affect enemies through the Orbital Strike.
However, with the changes that will arrive in the coming hours, Brimstone's Orbital Strike will be safe from the aforementioned scenarios.
Enemies will no longer be able to gather recon or blind enemies through the ultimate, granting Brimstone an additional window of three seconds to complete his objective without being hindered. Additionally, enemies will not be shown on the mini-map (radar).
Players can expect a positive impact on Brimstone's performance as a result of the upcoming changes. However, its effectiveness in professional scenarios is still questionable.
Unlike an Agent's basic and signature abilities, ultimate abilities require time to activate. Given the situational nature of Brimstone's Orbital Strike, this change is likely to have only a minor impact on his pick-rate. However, since the update is yet to be released, the best we can do is speculate.
Brimstone was a dominant presence in Valorant's meta during the game's initial days. With a toolkit that provides smokes, a molotov and combat stimulation utility, players were satisfied with Brimstone as their primary choice for a Controller.
On top of that, Brimstone's ultimate allows him to unleash an orbital strike onto a desired area within the range of his tactical map. This allowed the Agent to be ideal for post-plant situations as well, having the ability to single-handedly annihilate the enemy team with his ultimate.
However, as more patch updates and Agent releases came into the equation, Brimstone's position in the game's meta started to dwindle. Buffs to Viper and the release of Astra had a considerable impact on Brimstone's pick-rate in games, rendering his presence ineffective in Valorant esports.
With the upcoming patch 4.03 update, players hope to see Brimstone return to the meta as one of the most effective Controllers in the game.
