Is the Classic still overpowered after its nerf? Pros say yes

Fariha Bhatti Published 04/11/2021

Valorant’s Classic recently got nerfed, but professional players still think it’s overpowered.

Riot Games has continued to rework Valorant weapons after considering community feedback. Recently, players started complaining about the starting pistol being overpowered when compared to the game’s pricier sidearms. The developer nerfed the Classic right-click to better suit the current meta, but it doesn’t seem to do much.

The firing error for Classic was changed from .05 to .6, and running and jumping errors also saw a significant decrease. These changes were expected to resolve running and gunning issues that can be hard to tackle with a one-tap Ghost. Shooting down enemies mid-air was a tall task for players who pay the high price of 500 creds for a pistol. Even after the nerf to the Classic, Valorant pros believe nothing much has changed.

Pro players say Classic still overpowered after nerf

The nerf was supposed to balance the pistol rounds that favor agents with cheap abilities and flashes. However, pro players believe that they don’t see any significant changes in the updated Classic and that it’s still overpowered.

“I’m not going to lie, I played two games [after the nerf], and I feel like it didn’t get nerfed. I still can jump right-click, and three shots hit, I don’t know. Even from far, it still works,” Ayman “Tuna” Mosaad said during a press conference for Red Bull Home Ground.

Tuna said that the weapon still hits the previous three-shot upon alt-clicking, which is too powerful. With its high damage in close and mid-range combat, the Classic can outperform heavier sidearms when used appropriately. Paired with the Classic’s insane accuracy while moving, it’s near to impossible to effectively counter the free weapon.

When asked about weapon nerfs and buffs, Acend’s Santeri “BONECOLD” Sassi said that while he’s grateful for the Classic changes, he doesn’t think they’re enough either. Riot might want to work on the damage of Classic to make it less overpowered, he offered.

“It feels like the nerf doesn’t work. So, [nerfing] the damage I think of right-clicking would make more sense,” Bonecold said.

The nerf is still new, so it’s too early to say how it’d impact the game’s meta. Currently, players combine Ghosts and Classics based on agent abilities to win opening rounds, but it’s the free weapon that mostly shines through as the stronger gun. Due to Valorant’s small maps, players end up finding easy wins without spending a penny.

Pro matches can affect Ghost and Classic’s pick rate and popularity, which might change how pistol rounds are played in ranked matches. Whatever the case, pros have established that the free gun requires more work to set it right. Currently, first rounds can seem tilted in favor of the weapon.

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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