Omen to receive harsh nerfs in upcoming Valorant patch 2.00

Fariha Bhatti Published 10/01/2021

Riot Games has decided to temper down Omen in an effort to balance out Valorant. A leak suggests that Riot’s shadow hunter will see heavy nerfs in patch 2.00. 

Since the game’s release, the Valorant developers have nerfed plenty of agents in response to players’ complaints. Omen’s stats and pick rate show that the shadow agent has quietly excelled with his cryptic abilities. 

An early look at patch 2.00 suggests that Omen will finally get hit with the nerf hammer thanks to some heavy downgrades. The leak has revealed that Omen’s smokes would become slower and Paranoia’s price will be increased. The price increase is particularly notable as it will force players to be more choosy with what they purchase in pistol rounds. A 30% decrease in Dark Cover’s speed won’t let Omen instantly use his ability during duels, forcing him to use his smokes behind cover. 

Valorant developer reveals why Omen needs a nerf

Valorant currently has three controllers in Omen, Brimstone, and Viper. There is a high disparity between the popularity of the trio, as Omen is the most-used agent in Valorant while Brimstone and Viper are among the least-picked. Developer Coleman Palm has said the nerf’s real purpose is to tune the agent’s performance in-game. 

“Omen’s entire kit was not very economically demanding and his Q has proven to be incredibly strong on both offense and defense. In making balance changes, we also want to be future-facing and aim to carve out design space for what each controller is meant to provide,” Palm said.

With a 98% pick rate in Valorant First Strike: North America and a high pick rate in radiant lobbies, the mystic agent has dominated the charts. His abilities may be tricky to use, but the efficacy of his kit increases the chances of winning by 49.2%, according to blitz.gg. It’s no secret why players like to pick Omen as his bag of tricks has all the supplies you need to win a match in Valorant. Omen is the only agent that has both a flash and smoke in his kit, two utilities that can facilitate a quick site takeover. 

A nerf to the top-picked agent is likely to change the game’s meta as more players may experiment with other controllers. However, Omen’s ability to teleport remains a unique advantage. That alone could be enough to keep him as one of the game’s top picks.  

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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