Riot finally buffs Astra in Valorant patch 7.05

After months of underperformance, Astra receives a transformative adjustment that fundamentally alters her competitive viability in Valorant’s controller meta.

Riot Games has implemented a crucial quality-of-life enhancement for one of Valorant’s most strategically complex agents. The cosmic controller now maintains complete environmental awareness during her dimensional excursions, dramatically reducing her susceptibility to flanking maneuvers and positional threats.

Previously, mastering Astra demanded exceptional game sense and risk assessment skills from dedicated controller specialists. Even experienced players faced significant disadvantages due to the inherent sensory deprivation of her Astral Form ability.

When activating her cosmic powers, Astra would phase into an alternate dimension to position gravitational stars across the battlefield. This transition naturally muted environmental audio cues, creating dangerous blind spots during critical engagements. The lack of sound information became particularly problematic during mid-round scenarios where Astra needed to deploy utility in contested territory.

Astra significantly buffed in patch 7.05

Valorant’s latest update delivers a targeted solution to Astra’s most glaring weakness. The patch focuses specifically on enhancing her situational awareness during dimensional travel.

“Transitioning between physical and astral states presented complex mechanical challenges that left Astra dangerously uninformed about immediate threats. Our adjustment to Astral Form (X) restores critical decision-making information and agency,” explained Riot’s development team.

• Astral Form (X)
  • Astra will now be able to hear everything happening around her physical body while in Astral form.

This fundamental change addresses the core frustration experienced by Astra enthusiasts: the complete audio blackout during utility placement. Now players can detect approaching enemies, ability activations, and positional audio cues while strategically positioning stars.

The audio restoration mechanic fundamentally shifts how Astra interacts with the battlefield. Previously, deploying stars in contested areas represented a calculated gamble—now it becomes a informed tactical decision.

Critical Strategic Improvements:

• Mid-round star placement no longer creates team vulnerabilities

• Players can now react to audio information while in astral state

• Enhanced ability to coordinate with teammates during dimensional phases

• Reduced punishment for aggressive utility positioning in clutch situations

This enhancement may not immediately attract novice players to Astra’s complex playstyle, but it unquestionably makes her a compelling option for controller specialists seeking expanded strategic options.

Beyond Astra’s significant quality-of-life improvement, patch 7.05 introduces additional content and adjustments. The newest Valorant map, Sunset, becomes available across both competitive and casual matchmaking queues.

Additional balance changes include adjustments to Gekko’s Moshpit ability, which now inflicts 10 damage per second during its initial activation phase before detonation.

Common Astra Mistakes to Avoid Post-Buff:

• Overextending star placement despite audio awareness

• Neglecting physical positioning while in astral form

• Failing to utilize new audio information for defensive positioning

Advanced players should focus on integrating audio cues into their star placement decisions, using the new information to make safer aggressive plays rather than becoming overconfident.

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