Valorant dev hints at nerfs to Frenzy and Stinger in patch 2.03

Fariha Bhatti Published 15/02/2021

Recently, a number of professional Valorant players have come forward, criticizing the pistol round meta. Riot Games heard those complaints.

Valorant developer Nicholas Wu Smith brings glad tidings for Valorant players who are tired of the Frenzy and Stinger meta. The community complained that Valorant weapons’ erratic sprays are making pistol rounds a matter of luck rather than skill. 100 Thieves’ Nicholas “nitr0” Cannella addressed the problem with Frenzy, claiming that the pistol rounds have become more random than ever.

Pistol rounds have been more RNG than I thought was even humanly possible with this Frenzy meta
— 100T nitr0 (@nitr0) February 13, 2021

Fortunately, the perceptive developers have listened, and it seems a nerf is incoming. In a recent stream, Wu Smith spoke on Frenzy and Stinger updates.

The developer emphasized Frenzy’s viability and ensured that the weapon’s prices would increase in the upcoming patch. Currently, the Frenzy costs 400 creds and does almost as much damage at close range as Stinger, which comes for the price of 1,000 creds. All in all, the power and affordability of the Frenzy puts pistol round winners at a major advantage. Though recovering from a first-round loss is not impossible, the economic difference from the outset can seriously swing a team’s chances of winning.

Following the complaints, the developer has confirmed that Frenzy’s price will go up from 400 to 500 creds in next patch update. While that may or may not completely kill the Frenzy’s viability, it will force teams to make more of a choice between an upgraded gun and utility.

Stinger may get nerfed in Valorant’s patch 2.03

watching + playing the first three rounds of the game is just so boring knowing that it’s a coinflip on your running frenzy/stinger’s RNG vs the other team’s
— C9 meL (@mel_anji) February 13, 2021

Pro players also complained about the Stinger being too cheap for a full-buy round. In theory, SMGs should be reserved for half-buy rounds in a pro game. However, with the Stinger’s high damage at close range, most players can use it for four to five rounds, despite spending just 1,000 creds. The SMG is exceptionally viable in close range fights as it allows for running and gunning.

Riot Games drastically decreased the running accuracy for rifles in Valorant but the SMGs avoided this nerf, with most actually going untouched. Wu Smith highlighted that these guns are supposed to be frustrating and technically ideal for running and gunning.

Valorant patch 2.02 nerfs running accuracy, changes ranked

“Generally speaking SMGs and the Frenzy are going to be better on the run than other weapons. It is a level of efficacy that I’m trying to understand and tune back to a point where it still feels good in moments, but it doesn’t feel as frustrating. But it’s going to be frustrating no matter what,” he said.

He did acknowledge the issue and said that Stinger’s range would change in the coming patch. The SMG may become less viable in long-range situations, forcing the players to use rifles in full-buy rounds.

It seems that “run-and-gun” will remain a part of the game’s meta, but a few changes will keep it from being the standard. There’s no news as to when the next patch will arrive

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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