Astra is bad for Valorant, according to top pro players

Fariha Bhatti Published 29/04/2021

Players are eventually figuring out Astra’s kit, and they’re not sure if it’s actually good for the game.

New agent Astra is a controller who has one of the most versatile kits in Valorant. Not only can she smoke off crucial points, she can also pull enemies into her crosshair. Her stars are enough of a threat to pause enemy pushes on the defender’s site. On the attacker side, her post-plant setups are lethal. All in all, playing against an Astra is no easy feat. Professional Valorant players agree.

Valorant pro James “hazed” Cobb triggered a conversation among top players, tweeting out his frustration regarding the new agent. In a thread, TSM’s pro player explained how Astra is sabotaging the true spirit of shooters like Valorant.

Since people are asking why:

1) Shes too versatile. She has too many options with no counter play other than to bait it out. She can single handedly stall for 30+ seconds.

2) She takes away the essence of an FPS. Half of Astra’s round in Astral Form playing a mini game.
— TSM hazed (@hazedCS) April 28, 2021

Controller agents are intended to block enemies’ line of sight and help Sentinels lock down a bomb point. However, Astra’s kit is taking the job too far. The agent can single-handedly delay pushes long enough that duels become secondary. Players rarely get a chance to utilize their aim and weaken the enemy’s defences when Astra’s on the opposite team.

Is Astra balanced?

The pro player said he doesn’t know how exactly Astra can be balanced to be playable in a game like Valorant. But he had some suggestions. In the current patch, Astra can repeteadly use her stars and deploy them elsewhere. This ability, combined with her general map control, makes her a potent and sometimes uncontestable agent in Valorant. Hazed suggested that her stars should be available for one-time use only.

As for a solution… i dont think i have one. You COULD make her orbs permanent so you cant recall them. You COULD make them removable in a way similar to defusing the bomb or capturing an Ult Orb, but it would be silent instead and only take a second to disarm.
— TSM hazed (@hazedCS) April 28, 2021

Hazed is not the only player who thinks Astra is bad for ranked. After the recent update that buffed her Gravity well, many players complained about the irritating post-plant meta. CSGO pro Jonathan “EliGE” Jablonowski, who’s active in the Valorant community, also agreed with Hazed.

worst character ever that has 0 counter play
— Jonathan Jablonowski (@EliGE) April 28, 2021

Despite her being overly powerful, fewer players use Astra in ranked games. The new agent has quickly gained a spot at the top of the pick rates in professional matches. Her kit shines the most in full lobby games, where team communication and coordination is of utmost importance. The agent may get more playtime in ranked games after the release of Breeze, a much larger map that is ideal for controllers.

Fariha Bhatti

About Fariha Bhatti

Fariha Bhatti is a long-time gaming writer who loves competitive FPS games and slots with particularly fun themes. She got her start playing classic games developed by SNK, from legendary fighting game series The King of Fighters to challenging platform franchise Metal Slug. She now spends most of her time playing Valorant and Counter-Strike 2 while working her way through new slot releases to find her next favorite. Fariha has been published at PCGamesN, TalkEsport and ONE Esports.

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