Neon receiving huge changes to ult in Valorant patch 5.03

Fariha Bhatti Published 09/08/2022

Valorant patch 5.03 is a big one, as it brings much-needed agent balances to Neon and Chamber.

Leaks had already revealed that the all-powerful sentinel Chamber was in line to receive some massive nerfs. Alongside dialing him down, Valorant developers are also focusing on Neon’s Overdrive. The duelist is picked for her ultimate, which can be very impactful. The new changes will ideally keep Neon viable but make her tougher to handle.

Riot Games is updating Neon’s Overdrive to follow regional damage rules similar to the weapons where hitting the head and legs of an enemy applies different damage multipliers.

Riot Games deliver crucial Neon balances in Valorant

Riot Games has dished out some significant Neon buffs with a slight nerf on the side. Valorant patch 5.03 perfectly balances out the electrifying duelist, potentially impacting her spot in the meta.

Neon’s total damage dealt per shot in the new patch will take a hit. A single strike of Overdrive will hit the enemy for 18 instead of 22, but it’s negligible compared to the buffs. The developer has expanded the Killzone, boosting up the multiplier for the headshot. These two changes will instantly crank Neon’s play rate to a higher level, filtering out trolls who exploited her “easy” ult.

Damage per shot reduced 22 to 18
Killzone increased 15m to 20m
Leg shot multiplier reduced 1.0 to 0.85
Headshot multiplier increased 1 to 3

Previously, most players picked Neon as it was easy to get a kill by shooting anywhere on the body. However, the new balances will make Neon strictly a choice for those who understand her kit at a deeper level. Players must aim at the head to deal maximum damage and quickly net kills. The developer’s intent behind the balances is to reward precision and create intuitive consistency across damage in Valorant.

Similar regional damage changes have been applied to Chamber and Jett. On their ultimates, both characters will deal 0.85 multiplier damage on leg shots. Previously, a total of 1.0 damage was applied no matter where the shot was made. This joins the other nerfs in Chamber’s kit that were already set to tamp down the agent.

The remix of Neon’s ult will likely be a net gain for her in high-level matchmaking and at the pro level. However, low-level players may now refrain from using her due to the precision required.

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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