Valorant Pros Accuse Riot of ‘Pandering’ to Casual Players with Patch 8.08 Cypher Changes

The recent update for Valorant, patch 8.08, included significant adjustments to Cypher and Viper that have had an impact on both casual and professional gameplay. However, certain professional players have voiced their concerns about a change that seems to be more beneficial for the average player.

In Valorant patch 8.08, a significant alteration has been made to Cypher’s Spycam. A new audio cue has been added, allowing players to be aware when they are being watched by Cypher’s hidden camera. This ability used to be silent, making it a valuable tool for gathering intel on the enemy team’s map rotations.

The Spycam ability is highly valued by professional teams who frequently use it, as it offers valuable information and benefits players who can effectively conceal the camera. In the patch notes, Riot addressed concerns about the lack of counterplay for the enemy team in regards to the Spycam’s usage and implemented an audio cue to address this issue.

Many Valorant professionals and coaches have criticized the change, citing it as an indication of Riot’s attempt to simplify the game and reduce its complexity.

Sentinels Valorant head coach Adam ‘kaplan’ Kaplan expressed disappointment with the recent Cypher cam nerf on social media, as he believed that the hidden cams added an interesting dynamic to the game for both players and opponents. He feels that this change has taken away a significant aspect of the ability’s complexity.

Riot nerfing a sentinel agent every 2 patch might as well just remove this role…Also that camera nerf is the most casual friendly change ever and ruins the whole concept of the ability.

— SEN johnqt 🇲🇦 (@1johnqt) April 30, 2024

“According to Sentinels’ IGL Amine ‘johnqt’ Ouarid, the frequent nerfing of a sentinel agent by Riot every two patches could essentially eliminate this role. He also believes that the recent camera nerf is a change that caters too much to casual players and undermines the entire concept of the ability.”

According to one player, Riot’s recent change to add a visual cue to smoke abilities is part of a larger trend of the developer “making the gameplay easier.”This change was implemented to help players know when a smoke is about to dissipate, a feature that was previously not available. Before this change, professional players had to rely on counting down to determine the duration of a smoke’s obstruction, which varied for each Controller’s ability.

“According to Oxygen Esports Valorant pro Michael ‘dapr’ Gulino, the recent Spycam change in the patch is the most pandering move towards casual players he has ever witnessed.”

Even though the major changes to Cypher and Viper in this patch appear to be just the start, Riot has announced that there are further changes in store after VCT Masters Shanghai. It is uncertain whether these changes will involve more of what dapr referred to as pandering, or significant alterations to the professional meta.