Riot responds to demands to buff Viper in Valorant
Riot GamesDespite being the face of Valorant, Viper has been deemed the game’s weakest agent by far. When asked whether or not this is going to change, Riot devs have confirmed that she will not be buffed anytime soon.
[jwplayer calVk2Ae]
Viper is on every poster that you see of Valorant. Her neon green, cybergoth exterior has somewhat become the face of the game, with even the North American First Strike NSG posters featuring her as their agent of choice.
Attracting a wealth of cosplayers, most notably Valkyrae, Riot have successfully created a character that people immediately associate with Valorant, and one that most people would absolutely want to try out. Yet, Viper has become one of the game’s least played champions and never appears in professional play. The reason is simple: she’s too weak.
A recent statement from one of the game’s developers has confirmed that, despite Viper mains asking for buffs to the infamous American scientist, no changes are on the cards anytime soon.
Riot GamesNo Viper buffs are coming
In response to a fan asking what future patches held for Viper, Riot dev Altombre stated that there were no plans to enhance Viper’s kit in the upcoming patches.
Citing First Strike as the main reason, Altombre explains that a buff to the Agent midway through the competitive months would throw the meta into a completely new state mid-competition.
Noting that Riot know that Valorant’s leading lady needs “a bit of help,” the devs have agreed that it will be “a few patches” before there are any relevant changes.
So, while Viper mains will continue to struggle in the game’s current meta, hopefully there will be some light at the end of the tunnel. While we’ll be waiting for First Strike to end, maybe the new year will gift us a Viper whose bite is as venomous as it should be.