Latest Brimstone buff in Valorant patch 8.09 is too good

Valorant’s latest update brings crucial improvements for controller mains, specifically addressing long-standing issues with Brimstone’s smoke placement accuracy. Patch 8.09 resolves the frustrating mismatch between what players saw on their interface versus what actually deployed on the battlefield.

While this patch includes various quality-of-life enhancements like preserving crosshair profiles, the spotlight firmly lands on Brimstone’s much-needed smoke adjustments. These changes represent Riot’s commitment to refining agent balance and improving gameplay consistency across all controller types.

In tactical shooters, smoke placement separates mediocre controllers from game-changers. Precise visual obstruction determines whether your team executes sites successfully or gets picked apart by defenders holding angles. Even minor coverage gaps can compromise entire rounds by revealing attacker positions.

• Related: Learn how to play Brimstone, the top shot-caller in Valorant

Brimstone’s Sky Smokes offered substantial duration but suffered from two critical flaws: smaller coverage area compared to other controllers and, more importantly, inaccurate radar representation. The targeting interface displayed coverage that didn’t materialize when smokes actually deployed.

The core issue wasn’t merely smoke size—it was the deceptive UI that showed complete choke point coverage while leaving critical angles exposed. This visual misrepresentation caused players to believe they’d secured areas that remained vulnerable to enemy vision.

Common mistakes included placing smokes that appeared to cover entire corridors but left pixel gaps perfect for defenders to exploit. These small openings often resulted in teammates getting picked off during executes, undermining the controller’s fundamental purpose.

Advanced players particularly suffered since high-level play punishes even the smallest positioning errors. The inconsistency between Brimstone’s arm radar display and actual smoke behavior created an unnecessary skill barrier for mastering the agent.

Riot’s solution addresses both the visual and functional aspects of Brimstone’s smokes. The radius increase from 410 to 415 units ensures that what players see on their targeting UI now matches the actual deployed smoke coverage.

According to developer notes: “We’ve implemented precision updates to Brimstone’s Sky Smoke (E) to guarantee complete coverage of areas indicated during placement. This ensures that when the targeting UI’s outer edge covers a choke point, the spawned smoke will fully obscure that territory without exceptions.

Sky Smoke (E): Radius increased 410 >>> 415

The technical improvement means smoke boundaries now align perfectly with UI indicators, eliminating those frustrating uncovered corners that previously compromised defensive setups. This brings Brimstone’s smoke size in line with other major controllers like Omen, creating more consistent expectations across the agent roster.

Post-update, Brimstone players can trust their radar displays completely when planning executes. The increased radius, while seemingly minor at 5 units, makes substantial practical differences at key choke points like Ascent’s mid lane or Haven’s A long.

Optimization tips: Use the updated UI to place smokes that fully cover common defender positions without guesswork. The elimination of coverage gaps means you can now reliably block sightlines that previously required additional utility or risky positioning to secure.

The changes elevate Brimstone’s viability in coordinated play where precise smoke placement dictates round success. Teams can now execute sites with confidence that their visual cover will perform exactly as planned.

With these adjustments, Brimstone becomes a more reliable anchor for site executions, comparable to other controllers in terms of smoke consistency. This patch represents a significant step toward perfecting Valorant’s controller balance and ensuring fair competition between agent choices.

No reproduction without permission：Games Guides Website » Latest Brimstone buff in Valorant patch 8.09 is too good Valorant patch 8.09 fixes Brimstone's smoke UI mismatch and improves controller gameplay accuracy