Jett and Skye hit with massive nerfs in VALORANT Patch 7.04, 9 other agents tweaked

Today isn’t a good day for Jett admirers, as Riot is set to drastically nerf VALORANT’s most adored duelist in the upcoming competitive Act. It’s not just her in the firing line—patch 7.04 also targets Skye and nine other agents, making it the hardest-hitting meta update after last year’s patch 5.12, which came with nerfs to almost the entire roster.

Patch 7.04 is focused on increasing VALORANT’s game clarity, which Riot says will be achieved by “reducing the frequency of large area of effect of ultimates, reducing the amount of time utility is active in the world, and reducing the HP of shootable utility.” The costs of multiple ultimates have also been tweaked to ensure more balance in fights. 

Starting with Jett, here are all the changes she’ll endure in the much-dreaded patch:

“We believe these changes align Jett’s overall power level and place in the Tactical Cycle with our other Agents, while maintaining Jett’s unique role and fantasy on the VALORANT roster,” Riot explained, but we aren’t sure how much of a consolation this is for Jett loyalists. 

Skye is also set to receive major nerfs in this patch, and her popularity in the VALORANT meta, especially in the pro scene, will likely take a hit.

“Skye has become a keystone of the current meta through her blend of recon and space-taking utility. While we like that she can potentially unlock new comps through this combo, we think she has lacked clear weaknesses compared to her peers given the wide range of value she brings,” Riot reasoned. And it sounds good, right?

Unfortunately, Riot hit one of Skye’s “peers” with a subtle yet disturbing nerf too. Sova mains may have a hard time getting over the fact that their beloved Recon Bolt will now “reveal the area” only twice, down from the three scans it did before.   

Breach’s kit has got something cooking as well, but thankfully, it’s a partial buff.

Gekko will be hit with a combination of nerfs and buffs, too.

Lastly, for the initiator class, starting with Episode Seven, Act Two, it’ll take longer for Fade players to equip their weapons after they use her Prowler ability. 

Related: All VALORANT agent pick rates in ranked

The controller class wasn’t left untouched, either. Astra, Viper, Omen, and Brimstone are all getting massive changes. 

Starting with Astra, her Gravity Well (pull) will have an increased startup time and reduced time duration, while her Nova Pulse (concuss) will have a reduced startup time, which is a small buff. If it’s any consolation for those who loved using her pull to stop a defuse, her Cosmic Divide (ultimate) will now block audio completely instead of just muffling it. 

Both Viper and Brimstone’s ultimate costs will be increased by one point, while Omen will no longer be able to reduce or increase his Paranoia’s velocity with the direction of his movement. Well, it’s just another day in the life of a Viper main now.

Last but not least is our beloved sentinel Killjoy, whose ultimate will now cost nine points instead of eight. That’s it for now, thankfully. 

Patch 7.04 will go live next week, on Aug. 29, alongside the new map Sunset, and the usual new cosmetic content an Act brings to VALORANT.

About the author Sharmila Ganguly

Staff Writer at Dot Esports. An enthusiastic gamer who bumped into the intricacies of video game journalism in 2021 and has been hustling ever since. Obsessed with first-person shooter titles, especially Valorant. Contact: [email protected]