Valorant patch 1.07 nerfs Killjoy’s Nanoswarm, Viper buffed

When Killjoy debuted in Valorant, her name proved remarkably fitting for an agent who quickly dominated defensive setups. The initial implementation created significant balance concerns that impacted competitive play.

The twelfth agent introduced to Valorant faced temporary removal from tournament rotations due to stability issues. Professional competitors voiced particular frustration about her Nanoswarm ability’s overwhelming damage output. According to 100 Thieves strategic coach Spencer “Hiko” Martin, the incendiary grenade inflicted damage at an unsustainable rate. The core problem involved delayed visual recognition—players often failed to identify they were standing in the damaging area until they’d already sustained critical health reduction.

Hiko accurately predicted that Riot Games developers would address these balance concerns. His assessment proved correct with the comprehensive adjustments introduced in patch 1.07.

The update delivered Killjoy’s first substantial balancing pass, directly targeting the issues Hiko highlighted. Nanoswarm now features a brief activation period before damage begins accumulating. More significantly, the damage per second decreased substantially from 60 to 40. Developers also enhanced the ground-level visual indicators, making the ability’s area of effect more immediately recognizable during intense firefights.

“Killjoy’s Nanoswarm created oppressive defensive scenarios. While designed as a powerful area denial and post-plant tool, the current implementation delivered excessive damage that limited counterplay opportunities,” explained communications lead Jeff Landa.

Despite the significant Nanoswarm reduction, developers compensated with meaningful Turret enhancements. The automated sentry now remains undetectable by Sova’s Recon Bolt, reinforcing Killjoy’s role as a stealth-oriented defensive specialist who punishes careless advances. The targeting system also received optimization for engaging enemies based on their last documented positions.

Valorant 1.07 patch hits Breach and Viper, too

Viper and Breach joined Killjoy as the primary balance targets in this update. Viper received several quality-of-life improvements as developers continue refining her competitive viability. Her Toxic Screen ability can now be deployed during the preparation phase before rounds begin, extending through spawn barriers. The wall also ascends more rapidly across its entire length.

“These adjustments enable Viper to establish defensive setups during pre-round and still reposition with her team before engagement—or generate positional uncertainty when action commences. Accelerating the wall’s rise minimizes the vulnerable period when it’s partially deployed but not providing complete angle coverage,” Landa clarified.

Viper’s corrosive effects no longer impact allied players, removing previous team coordination hurdles. Her ultimate ability, Viper’s Pit, now displays on teammate minimaps upon activation for improved strategic coordination.

According to Landa, the development team has extensive “potential Breach modifications” under consideration. The current patch represents their initial approach to implementing potentially more substantial kit revisions.

Currently, Breach’s Flashpoint capacity increased from two charges to three. The activation delay also decreased from 0.6 to 0.5 seconds. Off-screen flash effects now align with other visual impairment abilities in Valorant, applying baseline disorientation more consistently.

“Breach should emerge as a preferred selection for aggressive entry plays and utility disruption. While the flash’s effectiveness remained solid, limited charges restricted his capacity to deliver consistent value. Given his reliance on teammates to capitalize on created opportunities, additional charges help offset this coordination requirement,” Landa stated.

Rolling Thunder’s detonation interval shortened from 0.3 to 0.255 seconds between explosive waves. His Concussion ability now actively “removes scoped status” from affected opponents and “blocks re-scoping attempts.”

Valorant shotguns tweaked again in patch 1.07

Shotgun balancing became a focus in the previous 1.06 update, and patch 1.07 continues refining these close-quarter weapons. The latest changes implement several technical adjustments developers had planned for this weapon category. Shotguns received comprehensive “aimpunch modifications,” reducing screen disruption when players score headshots with these firearms.

All shotgun variants underwent tagging recalibration for engagements beyond 10 meters. Striking opponents past this distance now applies specialized “range-specific tagging” rather than standard movement impairment. The updated system implements a 30% movement reduction lasting 0.5 seconds with gradual normalization.

“These modifications aim to enhance the combat experience against shotgun users and prevent unexpected behavior. For instance, applying movement penalties or aim disruption at extended ranges where teammates might eliminate debuffed targets, or creating unfair retaliation scenarios against weapons that should dominate close encounters but pose minimal threat at distance,” Landa elaborated.

The Shorty and Judge specifically received performance reductions. Meanwhile, the Vandal earned a fire rate improvement, accelerating from 9.25 to 9.75 rounds per second. Notably, the Operator sniper rifle remained unchanged in this balancing pass.

Valorant patch 1.07 makes hit registration changes

Another substantial Valorant enhancement arrived through visual effects optimization as developers work to improve hit confirmation clarity. The development team indicated they’ll closely monitor these adjustments and their effect on player experience.

The improvements include impact visual effects generating directly where shots connect with character models and maintaining positional attachment. Developers also refined spark effect coloration and geometry to better simulate blood splatter. They reduced headshot visual effect dimensions, “scaling down both blood and spark elements slightly.” This resolves a previous problem where headshot visuals frequently “obscured” player heads, complicating target tracking through the visual disruption.

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