Fade has insane win rate after launch, are nerfs coming?

William Davis Published 04/05/2022

New Valorant characters usually have a low win rate, but Fade is already showing signs of being overpowered.

According to Valorant stat tracking website Valorbuff, Fade currently sports a win rate of 50.6%. That makes her the fourth-most winning character in the game. Such a high win rate so close to her release indicated that Fade could become a major problem once players get comfortable with her. Will Riot Games respond with a nerf?

Is Fade too OP in Valorant?

50.6% may sound reasonably balanced, but Fade is a fairly complex character with lots of tech to develop. The fact that she’s performing so well just a week after her launch means that her win rate will most likely rise over time.

For reference, Chamber had a launch win rate of under 48% and is now deemed overpowered enough for a massive nerf. Fade also performs better in immortal and up compared to silver and gold, which indicates that top players are very interested in her unique kit.

Fade’s strengths lie in her incredibly powerful initiation and information tools. Her terror system reveals enemy positions for a very long time, and clever setups make them difficult to avoid. She’s also incredibly good at applying status effects.

By combining abilities, Fade can apply nearsight, terror, and deafness all on top of 75 health decay. Those terror trails last 12 seconds, which is plenty of time to storm a site. All of those effects help Fade boast such a high win rate right after launch.

High win rate could end with a nerf for Fade

Fade could get hit with the nerf bat soon if her win rate doesn’t mellow out, and Riot left plenty of knobs to turn in her design.

Fade’s status effects are the most likely part of her kit to get nerfed. The duration of Terror Trails could get reduced from 12 seconds down to a more reasonable duration. Haunt and Nightfall currently have the same trail duration, so making the Haunt easier to destroy could work as well. There’s also always the straightforward nerf of reducing Fade’s Prowler charges, but the current 3.5second nearsight could also take a hit.

Even with a high win rate, Riot Games will probably leave Fade alone for a patch or two to settle. Complex characters require time to develop, but that also buys time to figure out counterplay. Fade’s win rate could even out over time after more testing from both sides.

Read Also

Valorant

Vitality vs LOUD: Best predictions and picks for VCT Champions 2026 Owen Harsono Our recommended VCT Champions 2026 match to watch for September 30 has to be the clash between Team Vitality and LOUD for a spot in the playoffs. This is the first time the two orgs are set to face off, and both are going to give it their all. Here are our VCT Champions 2026 Team Vitality vs LOUD predictions. Tournament: VCT Champions 2026 Stage: Group Stage Game: Valorant Format: ...

Valorant

100 Thieves vs T1: Best predictions for VCT Champions 2026 Owen Harsono Two massive esports organizations are set to clash in VCT Champions 2026, as 100 Thieves will take on T1 in the Group A opening match. One of these teams is widely considered the current favorite to win the entire tournament, so here are out 100 Thieves vs T1 predictions. Tournament: VCT Champions 2026 Stage: Group Stage Game: Valorant Format: Best of 3 Betting tip: 100 Thieves are currently considered the ...

Valorant

Global Esports vs Team Vitality: Best predictions for VCT Champions 2026 Owen Harsono The Valorant action doesn’t stop, as we’re getting a spicy matchup between Global Esports and Team Vitality in the group stage. This is the first time these lineups are going to play against each other, so it’ll be exciting to see which one comes out on top. Here are our VCT Champions 2026 Global Esports vs Team Vitality predictions. Tournament: VCT Champions 2026 Stage: Group Stage Game: Valorant Format: Best ...

Valorant

Complexity Gaming shuts down after 23 years – Here’s what we know Khizar Mundia Esports organization Complexity Gaming is ending its 23-year run, as its founder announces its shutdown. Complexity is an organization that has been around since the early days of esports. The organization had rosters in multiple games, including Counter-Strike and Valorant. Despite this, Complexity’s CS roster was the most famous, as it won several major events. This is why it was a surprise for fans to hear that Complexity is shutting ...

Valorant

NRG vs Nongshim RedForce: Best picks for VCT Champions 2026 Owen Harsono Two tournament favorites face off in the first round of the VCT Champions 2026 group stage, as NRG will take on Nongshim RedForce in their opening match. There is no room for slow starts at this event, making it an incredibly important match for both teams. Here are our NRG vs Nongshim RedForce predictions. Tournament: VCT Champions 2026 Stage: Group Stage Game: Valorant Format: Best of 3 Betting tip: These ...

Valorant

Who Will Win VCT Champions 2026? These Are The Top Four Candidates Owen Harsono VCT Champions 2026 is the biggest Valorant tournament of the year. 16 of the best teams in the world will gather in Shanghai, but only one can fly back home with the title. With so many good teams at the event, it’s pretty hard to pinpoint which one is going to win, but Kalshi traders think they have a good idea of what will happen at the tournament, which ends ...

Valorant

VCT Champions 2026 Power Ranking [Best Valorant Teams Ranked] Owen Harsono The biggest Valorant tournament of the year is right around the corner, as VCT Champions 2026 in Shanghai kicks off on September 24. If you’re looking to follow and bet on this esports event, let’s make sure you know which teams to look out for. Here are our VCT Champions 2026 power rankings. These rankings are based on recent results and international experience. Favorites can always fall victim to upsets, ...