Valorant patch 5.03 will soon arrive and introduce a massive shift in overall gameplay. The most prominent news surrounding the update focuses on Chamber getting nerfed to become a better fit with other agents.
As a Sentinel class agent, Chamber has been predominantly present in almost every competitive lobby and even in international tournaments. With his aggressive abilities, the agent has mostly been used as a Duelist.
However, after the latest Valorant patch, this meta will soon disappear as Riot Games is nerfing Chamber. This article will discuss how the latest modifications will affect the agent and his viability.
How Chamber is affected in Valorant's 5.03 patch
Chamber is among the very few agents who are ideal for players with great mechanical skills. After the massive Jett nerf in the past, the agent came as a blessing to many.
The agent's ability set is perfect for holding sites with ease, as well as hurting the enemy. Due to his self-sufficient nature, Chamber has received a few nerfs in the past, but this time around, the situation looks even more dire.
In patch 5.03 of Valorant, Chamber is receiving nerfs to his entire set of abilities, making him less powerful than before. Here's a detailed view after the 5.03 patch:
Rendezvous (Signature Ability - E)
- Base cooldown for signature ability is 30 seconds (Earlier used to be 20 seconds)
- Recalling placeholders cooldown increased to 30 seconds (Eariler used to be 20 seconds)
- Cooldown after Rendezvous anchor is destroyed set to 45 seconds
- Rendezvous effective radius size decreased to 15 meters (Earlier used to be 21 meters)
The changes to Chamber's Rendezvous ability will affect him massively as it was his standout feature. Making the cooldown longer means players won't be able to use the ability as often, creating pressure situations.
Trademark (Basic Ability 1 - C)
- Slow duration decreased to six seconds (earlier used to be 9.5 seconds) after being triggered
Before this nerf, Chamber's Trademark traps decreased from two to one and drastically diminished his prowess as a holding agent. Now, as the slow duration also gets reduced with patch 5.03, the trap will only feel as good as Killjoy's alarmbot.
Headhunter (Basic Ability 2 - Q)
- Bullet cost increased to 150 Credits (Earlier used to be 100 Credits)
The Valorant Agent's Headhunter ability functioned as a third weapon to many, however, the bullets are going to cost more. Thus, players will be purchasing less of this ability.
Tour De Force (Ultimate Ability - X)
- Ultimate points required to trigger the ability increased to eight points (Earlier used to seven points in total)
- Slow duration decreased to six seconds (Earlier used to be 9.5 seconds)
- Tour De Force leg shot multiplier reduced to 0.85 (Earlier used to be 1.0)
Chamber's ultimate ability is basically a pocket Operator, which has been shown to be beneficial in many scenarios. However, after 5.03 patch nerfs, players will have to grind a bit more to use this. Coupled with that, they will have to be more accurate with their shots after this patch as leg shots won't be as effective.
With all these changes made to Chamber in Valorant's 5.03 patch, a sheer decline in his pick rate is anticipated. With most of his abilities being nerfed, it seems he will be an even weaker Sentinel agent as his defensive potential looks to be thoroughly compromised.
In turn, there is a high likelihood that Chamber will post a lower winning percentage in the future.