Valorant reveals Viper was nerfed unintentionally, more updates coming to the Agent in patch 8.08

Valorant's resident poison expert, Viper, seems to have become a little less venomous in a recent patch, much to the dismay of Controller mains. In an unexpected turn of events, Riot Games has revealed that the Agent's nerf in patch 7.09 was entirely unintentional. Viper, one of the first characters to become available to players, has been a formidable presence right from the start of the closed beta. Over time, she has dominated the meta, especially in double-Controller lineups.

Riot Games has also confirmed that the Agent will receive more balancing updates in the upcoming patch 8.08. This can spell excitement or woe for Viper mains, who are already somewhat unhappy with the unintentional nerf.

---

Viper nerf was shipped unintentionally in Valorant patch 7.09

Ardent fans had already noticed the shortened uptime of Viper's wall and smoke and labeled it a "silent nerf." In the post on X, Riot assured that it would never intentionally make balance changes without communicating them to players:

"We’d never intentionally make balance changes without messaging."

The Controller's Toxic Screen and Poison Cloud abilities, both of which had an uptime of 15 seconds prior to the update, now have a new uptime of 13 seconds. While this might not seem like a huge difference, veterans of the game immediately noticed the change as it messed with their push timings.

---

Viper nerfs may not be reverted, more updates coming to the Agent in Valorant patch 8.08

The toxic Controller as seen in the game (Image via Riot Games)

In the same post on X, Riot Games added:

"But since Viper has proven such a dominant force in the meta even with her smoke duration reduction, we will not be reverting the change before the next update."

Despite the "silent nerf," the Controller remains a dominant pick in most Valorant scenarios. Viper's strength lies in her versatility. Her toxic concoctions can create one-way smoke to block vision, deploy damaging poison clouds for area denial, and even act as a makeshift wall. Consequently, she is excellent as a solo Controller on maps with tight spaces, like Breeze or Icebox.

In pro play, she thrives in the "double Controller" meta, where teams stack smoke abilities for maximum site lockdown. Her ability to cut off pushes and force enemies through specific chokepoints makes her a strategic nightmare for attackers.

However, some argue that this very strength can be stifling during a match. Her toxins can create stagnant gameplay, forcing teams into slow, methodical pushes. Balancing this control with the opportunity for counterplay should be a key consideration when evaluating potential nerfs. User @KangaRogue commented on X:

"Hopefully the changes in 8.08 target more than just the smoke duration, as these changes alone must make viper a worse solo controller for ranked, without much impact on her role in double controller / pro play."

---

The unintentional nerf may have gone unnoticed by some, but it does showcase the developer's desire to restore balance in the Valorant meta. The upcoming patch 8.08 promises further adjustments for Viper. Whether these will address the frustrations of solo queue players or target a broader strategic shift remains to be seen.

---

For more articles and guides on Valorant, check out these:

All Clove abilities || How to unlock Clove || How will Clove change Valorant's meta || How to use Pick Me Up effectively || How to Clove's ultimate Not Dead Yet effectively || Gun skins that Clove players would want to have