Changes to Cypher & Viper in Valorant Patch 8.08

In ranked games and VCT matches, it is common for players to pick Cypher and Viper as Agents for the Sentinel and Controller roles. The unique abilities of these two Agents have the potential to greatly impact the outcome of a round.

Despite Valorant patch 8.08, major nerfs have been applied to Cypher and Viper, which will have a significant impact on gameplay and may result in significant changes to the meta in Episode 8 Act 3.

Understanding the changes to Cypher in Valorant patch 8.08

The main modifications to Cypher’s equipment in Valorant’s 8.08 patch include:

Trapwire (C)
- Reactivation time increased to 2s from 1s
- Slow time on Trapwire reduced from 2s to 1.25s
Spycam (E)
- Enemies now hear looping audio when they are actively being watched by Cypher from within the Spycam.

The changes to Cypher’s Trawire will increase the amount of time players have to respond to its slowing ability, allowing for more opportunities to use movement to escape or potentially eliminate enemies within his Cyber Cage.

As a result of his Spycam providing a continuous audio cue to opponents while they are being observed, it can be used as a strategic tactic against the opposing team.

Viper’s Changes in Valorant Patch 8.08

Cypher’s nerfs are less significant than those of Viper:

Snake Bite (C)
- Charges reduced from 2 to 1
- Price increased from 200 to 300
- Duration increased from 5.5 to 6.5s
Toxic Screen (E) and Poison Cloud (Q)
- Max uptime on each individual smoke source reduced to 12s
- Minimum fuel needed to activate smoke increased from 20% to 30%
- Cooldown on re-activating smokes after putting them down reduced to 5s
Poison Cloud (Q)
- Can now only be picked up during the Buy Phase

Thanks to the recent Valorant patch 8.08, Viper mains will now have the ability to use a single Snake Bite that has an extended duration of 6.5 seconds. It will be interesting to see how players strategically utilize this in crucial post-plant scenarios, as it is a crucial tool for preventing opponents from defusing the Spike.

Viper’s Toxic Screen and Poison Cloud will now have a duration of 12 seconds, but the minimum fuel required to reactivate them has been raised to 30%. As a result, players will experience a longer wait time before being able to utilize Viper’s smokes.

In addition, the Poison Cloud can only be purchased during the Buy Phase of patch 8.08. This implies that once a round has begun, its placement cannot be altered from its initial position.