win.gg
Win.gg Valorant Riot Games finally nerfs Ares after player backlash

Riot Games finally nerfs Ares after player backlash

Fariha Bhatti
Fariha Bhatti Published 19/01/2022
Cypher Valorant

Riot Games has heard the Ares-related woes of Valorant players. The new patch balances the weapon by increasing price and nerfing recoil. 

The new Episode’s first patch was a crazy one. With Neon dashing crazy fast and players abusing the cheap but mighty Ares, the game meta had become erratic. The new patch proves that Riot Games has been listening. Ares will no longer have absurd accuracy and will cost 50 creds more. 

“The adjustments below should make the weapon more difficult to control and bring back some of the weapon’s character by including a more prominent inverse accuracy,” comms Associate Jeff Landa said

Previous Valorant patch had buffed Ares by removing the spin-up and improved the fire rate. For a low price of 1,550 creds, Valorant players jumped to abuse the weapon in the game. Instead of primary rifles, five stacks were seen running around with the Machine gun. The damage rate was much higher due to the large magazine and boosted fire rate. The unbearable meta has finally come to the developer’s notice. 

Riot Games nerfs Ares in patch 4.01

Here are all the Ares changes in patch 4.01: 

After these tweaks, players won’t be able to spam Ares and land accurate headshots like before. The recoil will be much harder to control when you spray bullets. Just like Odin, players must crouch to achieve maximum accuracy on Ares’ spam. This will limit Ares users running rampant in competitive Valorant, removing the “run and gun” issues.  

These changes come as a result of player backlash instantly after patch 4.01. However, Riot Games has quickly fixed the issue, so the meta should return to normal. Many players might still prefer Ares over Spectre for its magazine, but accuracy remains an issue.

Is Ares better than Spectre? 

In the current meta, Ares might be a better weapon than Spectre. Both the eco-round guns cost 1,600 creds, but Ares has a larger magazine to render more damage. Spectre is comparatively more accurate, but Ares’ spray control can be mastered with some practice. For 1600, some players might prefer Ares over the Spectre. 

Fariha Bhatti 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.

View full profile
Read Also
Nongshim RedForce vs Global Esports at VCT Pacific Stage 2: Best Betting Predictions Valorant
Nongshim RedForce vs Global Esports at VCT Pacific Stage 2: Best Betting Predictions Owen Harsono The regular season of VCT Pacific is nearing its end, as Nongshim RedForce take on Global Esports in the upper bracket final of Stage 2. This Valorant match is an incredibly important one for Global Esports, as a win here will secure them a spot at VCT Champions 2026 — the final event of the year. Here are my Nongshim RedForce vs Global Esports VCT Pacific predictions. Tournament: VCT Pacific ...
All the VCT Champions and winners so far Valorant
All the VCT Champions and winners so far Fariha Bhatti Valorant Champions Tour is one of the biggest esports events, which takes place every tail end of the year. With the 2024 season approaching, it's worth looking back at the winners of all VCT finals so far. Valorant Champions Tour filters out the best teams worldwide and then pits them against each other on the grand stage at the end of every year. Since 2021, this event's trophy has been ...
Leviatán vs MIBR at VCT Americas Stage 2: Betting Predictions and Picks Valorant
Leviatán vs MIBR at VCT Americas Stage 2: Betting Predictions and Picks Owen Harsono The top two South American organizations are set to clash in the VCT Americas Stage 2 playoffs, as LEVIATAN take on MIBR for a spot in the Upper Bracket Semifinals in São Paulo. We will look closely at leading Valorant betting sites, and with that in mind, here are our LEVIATAN vs MIBR VCT Americas predictions. Tournament: VCT Americas Stage 2 Playoffs Stage: Playoffs Game: Valorant Format: Best of 3 ...
MIBR vs Leviatán Esports Match Preview & Predictions – Saturday 8 August Valorant
MIBR vs Leviatán Esports Match Preview & Predictions – Saturday 8 August Owen Harsono Two of the top VCT Americas squads are set to clash in Stage 2, as the star-studded roster of MIBR will take on the reigning international champions LEVIATAN in a Best of 3 series. Here are our MIBR vs LEVIATAN VCT Americas Stage 2 predictions. If you’re planning to make a trade on this match, be sure to use our Kalshi promo code WINGGPREMAR for up to $500 in bonus ...
Kalshi Promo Code for T1 vs DRX – VCT Pacific Stage 2: Get Up to $500 Bonus with “WINGGPREMAR” Valorant
Kalshi Promo Code for T1 vs DRX – VCT Pacific Stage 2: Get Up to $500 Bonus with “WINGGPREMAR” Owen Harsono This Saturday at VCT Pacific Stage 2 will see a highly anticipated South Korean derby between flagship squads T1 and KIWOOM DRX, with both teams desperately needing this win if they want to top their group. We have looked at the prediction market Kalshi app to try and make sense of what could happen — if you're planning to trade for yourself then be sure to use our Kalshi promo ...
MLBB is the most-watched game from the EWC, and it’s hard to see another game beating it Esports Betting
MLBB is the most-watched game from the EWC, and it’s hard to see another game beating it Michael Hassall The Esports World Cup 2026 has officially passed its midway point and viewership figures for the tournament have surpassed many expectations so far, as per Esports Charts. The viewership tracking site revealed new statistics for the event on Aug. 6, showcasing just how many games had set new records in viewership, including one name leading the way in views: Mobile Legends: Bang Bang. MLBB leads the viewership charts with the ...
Top 10 Best Valorant Players to Have Never Won an International Event Valorant
Top 10 Best Valorant Players to Have Never Won an International Event Owen Harsono We’ve seen countless talented Valorant players, but the reality is that not everyone can win an international trophy. Some are world-class players who have cracked aim and insane utility usage, but are still missing that one big win in their careers. Below, we take a look at the top 10 Valorant players who have never won a VCT Masters or Champions title. Cryocells has been one of North America’s best ...