The Shift in Balance in VALORANT
When VALORANT was initially launched, the focus was on providing precise gunplay while incorporating agent abilities to enhance strategic gameplay. However, as new agents and abilities were introduced, the balance shifted towards utilities overpowering aiming skills.
This shift has not only made the game more challenging for newcomers but has also led to situations where players feel overwhelmed by utility spam, contributing to the emergence of the retake meta, particularly with the introduction of agents like Tejo and Waylay.
Several players and streamers, including Tyson ‘TenZ’ Ngo, a prominent figure in the VALORANT community, have voiced their frustrations over the utility-heavy nature of the game.
TenZ’s Critique of VALORANT’s Current State
During a recent stream, TenZ reacted strongly to clips showing the excessive utility dumps defenders were facing, ranging from flashes and recon abilities to ultimates, all in quick succession.
“Look at this f—ing shit, what’s going on? Red, green, blue, dead, dead,” he expressed in frustration.
“This is f—ing Power Rangers, bro. Do you see that? They used all their special moves on the same player!”
When asked about countering utility-heavy rushes, TenZ suggested, “If they want the site, they’re gonna take the site. There’s nothing you can do to stop them. So, you might as well fall back, play retake, and rely on numbers. That’s the only way to counter it.”
A few days ago, TenZ humorously mentioned on Twitter that he sometimes feels his color blindness is momentarily cured due to the abundance of colors on his screen.
“VALORANT wasn’t like this before. Obviously, moving shots, jump kills, and spam kills happen. But my issue is the sheer dominance of utilities. I feel like utilities should complement precise gunplay, rather than just giving you trauma,” he added.
Addressing TenZ’s concerns on Twitter, Alex Wheeler, Principal UX Designer at Riot Games, assured that the team is actively monitoring the situation and working towards improvements. However, no specific timeline has been provided for potential changes.