With the release of VALORANT patch 10.09 on May 13th, Tejo is getting massively nerfed. Along with this, Riot Games is also making minor adjustments to Breach’s Fault Line, while tweaking the starting ultimate points for three agents in Swiftplay.
Moreover, the daily limit for the recently introduced Gifting feature is increasing from five to ten. Here’s a rundown of the new patch notes, and how these changes could affect the esports ecosystem.
Tejo Is Dead!
Tejo disrupted the meta with his debut in VALORANT patch 10.00, and ever since then, players have consistently raised concerns about the ultimate abuse with his kit. Riot developers previously told Esports Insider during Masters Bangkok that there were no immediate plans to nerf the agent. However, they have since listened to the community.
Tejo’s abilities costs will also be rebalanced, and the ult points required for Armageddon will go up. Here’s a breakdown of the changes:
Guided Salvo
- Cost: 150
- Grants a free charge on round start
- Each individual rocket used will consume 1 charge.
- The cooldown has been removed.
- Map Targeting Range decreased from 55m to 45m.
Stealth Drone
- Cost: 300 >>> 400
Special Delivery
- Cost: 300 >>> 200
Armageddon
- Ult points increased from 8 to 9
Breach and Swiftplay Changes
Breach’s Fault Line (stun) will be slightly nerfed, with its detonation time increasing from 1 second to 1.2 seconds, giving players more time to escape.
Also, to counter the rising ult point costs, Riot is increasing the starting ultimate points for three agents in Swiftplay. Additionally, Riot has also announced that this change is part of a broader Swiftplay update planned for the future.
Breach
- Rolling Thunder starting points 2 >>> 3
Killjoy
- Lockdown starting points 2 >>> 3
Viper
- Viper’s Pit starting points 2 >>> 3
When Will VALORANT Patch 10.09 Go Live In VCT?
The latest balance changes will take effect with the start of VALORANT Masters Toronto on June 7th. Along with this, Fracture will be removed from the map pool, with Sunset taking its place.
Impact On The Esports Scene
As discussed in a separate piece, the Tejo meta is over and the one map where he could have been a viable option, Fracture, is being removed from the map pool.
Fans can expect a return of initiators like Sova and KAY/O in team comps, a shift we have already started seeing in VCT Stage 1. Breach’s changes, on the other hand, are unlikely to impact his pick rate at all.
