Brimstone finally gets a much-needed buff in Valorant Patch 4.03

Fariha Bhatti Published 15/02/2022

Riot Games is finally showing some love to the most overlooked controller, Brimstone. The pack leader will get significant buffs in patch 4.03.

Brimstone doesn’t have the most viable kit for a smoker agent in Valorant. Especially after the release of Astra, the agent silently slipped into the background with his obsolete computer and single incendiary. In the end, it was a Viper buff and the Astra release that sent Brimstone to join Omen at the bottom of the agent picklist.

Valorant Patch 4.03 is looking to shake things up for Brimstone fans who still have faith in his large smokes and earth-shattering ultimate. The powerlifter will finally see some buffs and tweaks that may help his pick rate in Valorant.

When Riot initially teased buffs for him, players had plenty of ideas. However, the devs have introduced something new and unexpected.

Brimstone’s ultimate becomes a solid barrier

The new patch will turn Brimstone’s orbital laser into a concrete wall, blocking vision from both sides. Previously, his ultimate worked more like a laser. Even if enemies couldn’t directly see through it, they could still pass their utility. The agent himself could also view the opponent’s location on the radar. A change in his ultimate element will have a massive impact on gameplay.

Riot shared Valorant patch 4.03 announcing that Brimstone’s ultimate will now completely block gameplay visibility while active. This drastically changes how radar works. Brimstone will no longer be able to spot enemies through the minimap when they’re outside of the ult. However, this is a minor inconvenience that comes with a helpful buff. Ult blocking vision also means enemies can’t toss utility through it either.

When Brimstone is activating his ult, he goes into a vulnerable animation. Enemies can shoot darts, nades, and other damage-dealing utility through the orbital strike. This will no longer be the case as abilities that require line of sight (flashes, Sova recon pulses) will not go through the ult. Enemies will not only be forced back but they’ll be restrained from tossing utility as well.

Is Brimstone a good controller?

In Episode 4, Brimstone isn’t the best controller, but the recent tweaks should help him see some more playtime. However, he’s still viable on maps like Bind, where his smokes can block narrow entries effectively.

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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