Players are mad, but Valorant devs don't think Operator is OP

Olivia Richman Published 01/09/2020

Valorant developers do not think the Operator is OP.

At 4,500 credits, the Operator is the most expensive weapon in the game. That’s probably because the sniper rifle is also the weapon with the highest damage per bullet. The scope has a dual zoom mode, allowing agents to switch between 2.5x and 5x depending on their location and needs.

The competitive Valorant community has been quite vocal about the Operator being overpowered. Michael “shroud” Grzesiek, Oscar “mixwell” Cañellas Colocho, and Spencer “Hiko” Martin have all recently spoken up about how the Operator has no real counters in the game.

Most high-level players have opted for smoke-pass attempts to get a better angle against the weapon. Others peek with a teammate, looking to trade. No matter what, it seems that these techniques are not efficient against the Operator. When it comes to agent abilities, there’s not any strong enough flash utilities to stop an agent rushing in with an Operator. With no techniques or abilities to counter the Operator, it’s left many players frustrated with its addition to the game.

Valorant operator OP

Valorant responds to Operator being OP

The Operator has seemed to shape the current Valorant meta by strengthening the defending team’s ability to hold an angle. Attacking held choke points or corners has also become extremely dangerous. In response, many Valorant players have expressed that the Operator is too powerful for the game.

As complaints continued, Valorant developers decided to address the issue in a recent blog post. In short, Valorant developers don’t believe that the Operator is OP.

Ask VALORANT, and we shall respond! This week we’re answering whether the Operator is OP, what’s up with footsteps, and why we’re choosing timed rollouts vs all at once. Click to read all about it: https://t.co/qELyxBSSVN pic.twitter.com/dH3TrhokuO
— VALORANT (@PlayVALORANT) August 27, 2020

“We think the Operator isn’t ‘too OP’ but do believe that the feeling sometimes comes from a lack of personal agency against the weapon (for agents that don’t have tools to break line of sight for themselves), coupled with an overwhelming amount of team coordination to effectively counter an Operator,” Valorant game designer Nicholas “Nickwu” Smith explained.

In fact, Nickwu told players that the Operator should be powerful enough to “encourage a team to thoughtfully enter a space” where they believe an Operator may be present. This avoids teams just competing to be the fastest at rushing into a point.

Even though Valorant developers believe the Operator should be powerful, they are still looking at ways to “help smooth out the experience.” They also noted that they’ll make changes in the future if they “feel it’s needed.”

While Valorant developers believe the Operator helps shake up the meta in a positive way, many players are still not convinced. Some say it’s not just powerful at a long distance while waiting for an ambush. Players have noticed that the Operator can be unstoppable in close combat, too. Wall-banging has become common while agents have the Operator equipped, thanks to the weapon’s extreme bullet penetration.

It’s possible that Valorant developers will address this in a future update. This could be in the form of adding counter utilities or reducing the gun’s bullet penetration. Or, as Nickwu stated, they could do nothing until they feel a change is truly needed. Developers have yet to reveal what changes could potentially be coming to the Operator, or when those changes might happen, if at all.

Olivia Richman

About Olivia Richman

Olivia has worked in media ever since graduating from college, with her coverage ranging from traditional newspaper reporting to digital coverage of all things gaming, online betting, and nerd culture. She has traveled around the world pursuing that coverage, from the far coasts of the United States to the busy downtown core of Tokyo, Japan. Olivia’s favorite games include Overwatch and Super Smash Smash Bros, and she has been published at Esports Illustrated, Inven Global, EsportsInsider, Upcomer, and elsewhere.

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