Riot Games has enhanced two agents in Valorant patch 9.05: Astra and Chamber, much to the excitement of players who are thrilled to see the Controller re-enter the meta.
Astra has struggled for over two years since Riot reduced her star placements for abilities from five to four. This nerf, along with other significant adjustments in March 2022’s patch 4.04, left Astra almost entirely out of the meta.
She consistently ranked as one of the least-picked agents and suffered from a poor win rate following her nerf. In professional play, Astra was mainly picked as a secondary Controller on only a few maps.
With the 9.05 patch, Riot has revitalized Astra by restoring her star count to five, in addition to several minor buffs she received in preceding patches.
Valorant players are ecstatic that Astra has returned to the meta following these updates, with even some professional players celebrating the agent’s renewed viability.
Astra buff pic.twitter.com/RZFU4UTbHV
— Anthony (@Vanityxz) September 10, 2024
“Astra meta is back!! I am so hyped for this,” remarked HEROIC Valkyries player Lola ‘fluxxy’ Ainslie on social media.
“WAS ASKING FOR IT FOR AGES. Playing Astra on every single map from now on, let’s go,” said Valorant coach Daniel ‘ʏʌᴏᴛᴢɪN.’ Roczniak in a post.
Before her nerfs, Valorant gameplay heavily relied on Astra’s abilities. She could effectively stun, displace, and smoke enemies from a secure distance, turning post-plant scenarios into a robust strategy, even in ranked matches.
“Astra mains we are so back,” a Valorant player expressed on social media.
Players will need to observe if Astra can once again stand among the top agents in the game. However, it’s clear that the Controller is re-entering the meta rotation, and players can expect an increase in Astra’s presence in their matches.
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