Sova to get massive nerfs alongside Jett in Valorant patch 4.08

Fariha Bhatti Published 25/04/2022

It’s a sad day for Sova players as word has broken that the ever-popular initiator will be getting significant nerfs in the upcoming Valorant patch 4.08.

Valorant Episode 4, Act 3 is just around the corner, bringing a new face to the protocol. The debut of Fade won’t be the only thing shaking up the meta, as leaked agent nerfs sound even more impactful. Valorant patch 4.08 will likely rebalance the game before Fade finds her footing in the initiator lineup.

A brand new Valorant act is upon us, but Riot Games is tweaking agent kits before that. After a meta-shaking Jett nerf, the developer is now reportedly eyeing Sova’s drone.

Sova drone getting nerfed in Valorant patch 4.08

Sova will likely get significantly nerfed in the upcoming Valorant patch update to balance out the initiator roster and make space for Fade.

According to Alliance’s captain Fealoth, Sova’s Shockdart and drone will be getting nerfed. Both abilities have helped him become a mainstay in professional compositions. Sova is a top pick among casual and competitive players thanks to his ability to deal damage and gain intel on enemy positions. These tweaks may reduce his pick rate.

https://twitter.com/FearothVAL/status/1518347616047800321?t=JRseg_ITeu_wTmRJhFTmnQ&s=19

The professional player demonstrated that darts no longer do the maximum 90 damage. Each arrow will deal 75 and a minimum of 10 damage. The drone will also see some significant changes. According to streamer and content creator Lothar, the drone will only last eight seconds and reveal enemies twice.

https://twitter.com/LotharHS/status/1518353325338632192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1518353325338632192%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fdotesports.com%2Fvalorant%2Fnews%2Fsova-nerfs-to-shock-dart-and-owl-drone-coming-to-valorant-in-patch-4-08

Previously, the drone stayed up for 10 seconds and would expose enemies three times. This will no longer be the case. Sova players would have to be quicker with their drone maneuver and find a target within eight seconds. Once the enemy is spotted, players can tag them twice. The nerfs are massive, but the drone seemed to travel a bit faster after the update.

It will be interesting to see how these nerfs and the introduction of Fade will change things after Valorant patch 4.08. Sova will likely remain impactful due to his drone, which is much easier to use as compared to Fade’s Haunt. However, players may consider using Fade in smaller maps. If anything, players will have more options to pick from after the nerfs.

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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