All Weapon Changes In Valorant Patch 4.0

Riot Games recently revealed all the upcoming changes in Valorant Patch 4.0, and there are major weapon balances incoming in Episode 4 Act 1. Patch 4.0 is scheduled to go live on Jan. 11, 2022, introducing a new Agent to the roster, along with some much-needed map changes and competitive updates. We have highlighted the weapon balances to help players understand how these changes will work in-game.

Spectre

Riot developers mentioned in the Patch 4.0 blog that the Spectre SMG was over-performing at long-range combat, and was too powerful at close range. The Spectre became infamous in Episode 3 for its run-gun capabilities, and it was consistent with this feature even after getting nerfed. The devs tweaked the accuracy error for the weapon and highlighted the following changes:

• Firing error kicks in at earlier bullet stages. Essentially it means the error previously felt at bullet four, seven and 10 will now kick in at bullet three, six and eight.
• Vertical and horizontal recoil multipliers increased from 1.25 to 1.5 for shooting while running, jumping, and on ascenders.
• The time to correct horizontal movement while spraying the weapon is lowered from 0.24 to 0.18. This means that the shift can happen more often.
• Protected bullet count from horizontal switching is further decreased from eight to five.

Ares

The Ares received a slight buff to raise it from the shadows of low-cost high-value spray weapons in the game. The Spin up mechanic was also removed from the gun, and it now has an increased fire rate.

• Fire rate changed from 10 to 13.
• Spin Up removed.

Related: What is Error Code Val 46 in Valorant?

Guardian

The developers mentioned that the fire rate penalty previously added to the Guardian made it weaker compared to full-auto weapons. Besides removing that, they have added an extra bullet before the recoil starts veering off to make the weapon feel more precise.

• Fire rate penalty removed while aiming down sight (ADS).
• One bullet added before the weapon enters its recovery curve.

Bulldog

The Bulldog received a buff which would make it a better choice in eco rounds where a versatile rifle would do the job.

• HIP fire rate increased from 9.5 to 10.
• Burst fire recovery improved from 0.4 to 0.35.

Melee

Aiming with the Melee weapon can be a disaster in Valorant, and Riot Games has addressed that in the patch notes. The latest changes improve aiming with the knife on both sides to make it more accurate.

• Opponents closest to the center of the melee attacks will get damaged first.
• Hitboxs for right clicking will now be 1.5 times larger than before. Whereas left click hitbox are now larger than a right click with a longer range.
• Bonus: Knifing walls now have instant feedback when slicing up walls (predicted on the client side).

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