Valorant patch 8.11 buffs Neon's run and gun, nerfs Reyna's heal

Fariha Bhatti Published 05/06/2024

Valorant patch 8.11 has revealed heavy buffs for Neon and much-needed balance changes for Reyna.

Earlier, Riot Games hinted at major changes for Valorant duelists, a move to diversify agent picks from the popular Raze, Reyna, and Jett. Now, leakers have discovered the entire Valorant patch notes 8.11, revealing major buffs for Neon and some balances for Reyna.

The upcoming update will balance all duelists, safe for Jett. Iso is also getting some upgrades to his toolkit, whereas Clove and Raze will see some downgrades. However, all eyes are on Reyna, who is now a weaker self-healer, and Neon, who’ll be faster than ever.

Related: Patch 8.11 to make all Valorant maps playable, with a catch

Reyna balances in next Valorant patch

Starting patch 8.11, Valorant’s Devour will be reduced from the previous 100 to 50. This is paired with healing time reduction. This means less healing in even less time than before.

While this is a major nerf for Reyna, since self-healing is her forte, other parts have been buffed. Here are all Reyna changes coming in the next patch:

Healing decreased 100 >>> 50
Full heal time reduced from 3s >>> 2s
Overheal of armor no longer decays after a timer
The top speed in her Dismiss (E) increased by 9.1 meters/second >>> 12 meters/second
Total duration of Dismiss reduced from 2s >>> 1.5s
Empress no longer has a timer and is permanent until Reyna is killed or the round ends.

Neon buffs in Valorant patch 8.11

Riot is unleashing Neon on Valorant by boosting her movement tactics and speed. This will allow her to compete with niche agents like Raze and Jett, who are known for their signature tactics. In patch 8.11, Neon will be more potent than ever with boosted speed.

While strafing mid-run, her speed will remain unchanged. With increased slide charges and a boosted speed of 9.11 meters/second, Neon will be unstoppable. She will also refill her fuel tank a whopping 40 seconds quicker.

“You’re supposed to kind of being breaking people’s ankles and outplaying people with your movement, so any kind of restriction around that felt out of place,” Valorant developer Dan Hardison about Neon.

Related: Get a first look at Valorant replay system that’s coming soon

Here are all Neon changes:

Fast Lane (C)

Dissipates from behind to minimize visual noise in combat space while giving cover for Neon.
Audio has been updated to travel with the fade out of the wall.
Wall Duration 6s >>> 4s
Wall Dissolve Duration 1s >>> 2s

High Gear (E)

Neon no longer has her strafe speed reduced while sprinting.

Max Sprint Speed while moving sideways 6.73 meters/second >>> 9.11 meters/second

Time until Full Fuel Regen 60s >>> 20s

Misc

Slide charges 1 >>> 2
Neon now removes all weapon movement errors when sliding
Second Slide Cost: 150
Equips out of slide: Fast >>> Instant
Relay Bolt (Q) – Charges 2 >>> 1
Concuss Duration 3.0s >>> 3.5s

This could be a game-changer, so players should prepare to counter Neon’s run-and-gun tactics, especially now that she has improved accuracy while sliding.

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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