Valorant intel broker Cypher is one of the original agents released in beta version. The sentinel’s ability to gather information has made him a vital part of the game, but nerfs in patch 1.11 might take some of Cypher’s prowess away.
Though the nerfs to Cypher were overshadowed by the launch of new agent Skye and new map Icebox, Cypher’s tripwire and camera took a big hit in patch 1.11.
The agent has been powerful due to his ability to cover two sites at once with his tripwires and spy camera. However, the Moroccan spy won’t be able to do so without spreading himself thin after these latest changes.
Previously, Cyphers were effectively a bank for their teams. Two tripwires cost 400 points and by reusing them, Cypher was able to stack up enough points to buy weapons for teammates. Four hundred saved per round throughout just four rounds allowed a Cypher main to drop a Spectre to a teammate or upgrade existing SMGs to rifles. With the latest updates, the agent will have to think twice before placing his tripwire as he can’t take a used tripwire to the next round, forcing Cyphers to invest much more into utility.
Cypher’s cash supported the team to a considerable extent and patch 1.11 will change that significantly. In pro play, Cyphers even had their team delay defuses in order to scoop up unused wires across the map. This helped save some cash that could be invested into weapons for teammates.
This isn’t the only change to Cypher in patch 1.11. Tripwires will become useless once Cypher dies, forcing the agent to play more passively to be viable for the team. Previously, the agent played more like a controller, pushing sites when required as the crew could rely on his ability post-death. However, Cypher post-update may have to do his true job as a sentinel and support the team from afar.
Cypher is the most-picked sentinel, but patch 1.11 is likely to make Cypher less popular in solo queue. This could result in distinct metas forming at the casual and professional levels.
Killjoy will also see the same nerfs, leaving Viper as the only agent with reusable abilities. Cypher’s nerfs might drive more players to pick Viper and Sage in order to stall enemy pushes.
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