Valorant fans demand nerfs for Chamber after VCT dominance

Fariha Bhatti Published 18/07/2022

The players are rigorously criticizing the suave Sentinel Chamber for being too overpowered. Does Chamber need to get nerfed to fit in the current meta?

Well dressed and well armed, Chamber has shaken the Valorant meta to the core. His heavy- duty weapons put the default Operator and Sherriff to shame, providing him with a competitive edge. According to ranked players, Chamber has become the key to winning free ELO. The sharp Sentinel’s viability knows no bound, but what makes him so powerful?

According to the players, it’s about time Riot Games nerfs Chamber. While it could just be sore losers releasing their frustration, his pick rate during Valorant Masters shows that Chamber may be a bit too OP for his category.

Should Riot add nerfs for Chamber?

Chamber’s sky-high pick rate in Masters hints that something’s not right with his kit. The agent’s outrageous firepower is nudging him towards the territory where Jett stayed for a hot minute before Riot nerfed her.

Chamber was released as an agent meant to watch the backlines while putting pressure on the enemies with his golden guns. His unique teleports put him on par with Jett in escaping risky situations in a beat. However, an 80% pick rate in professional games shows that he no longer plays like a balanced Sentinel. Compared with Killjoy, Sage, and Cypher, Chamber seems to belong to a completely different category.

Firstly, players complain that Chamber’s golden weapons have zero counter. Kay/O, the intended answer for ability-heavy agents, fails to shut down Chamber at important moments. He can TP out of Kay/O’s knife range, saving his utility for later. Meanwhile other Sentinels like Killjoy and Cypher lose viability as soon as Kay/O tosses his Blade, leaving site open for takeover. Conversely, Chamber can bounce back with fully functioning utility, thanks to his Rendezvous.

He provides his team with a massive economic boost as he’s never truly on eco. Even on save rounds, Chamber can invest in Headhunter bullets, helping him win against full-buy enemies. By garnering just seven points, the agent can whip out an overpowered Operator capable of downing a team of five. Both of his “free” weapons allow him to stay loaded on full-save rounds.

Chamber seems like a villain with no weaknesses, falling out of Valorant’s core tactical cycle when you account for these factors. To top it all, his kit is the unique one, with only Jett coming close with her Blade Storm. The developer tried fixing his kit by nerfing Trademark, but Chamber was never favored for his flank defense. Thus, he stays top tier in the current meta.

Chamber could surely use some tweaks here and there to better fit in the Sentinel roster. Or Riot could consider buffing Cypher and Killjoy, agents that fell off after Kay/O’s release. In both cases, some changes are required in order to balance the game meta.

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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