Patch 1.05 recently went live in Valorant, bringing with it the launch of Act II and the addition of Killjoy as a new playable character. However, the patch also features changes to one of the existing Valorant Agents; namely, Raze, whose Showstopper and Blast Pack abilities have both been nerfed.
Patch 1.05: Raze Gets Nerfed and More
Of course, Valorant Patch 1.05 introduced Killjoy to the game for the first time, giving players a totally new character to try out. However, the patch also includes a significant rebalancing for Raze as well. “With the lethality of Raze’s Showstopper,” explains Riot; “we wanted to make some changes that will provide enemies more time to plan and acquire Raze when hearing ‘Fire in the Hole!’ Additionally, we have adjusted her VFX so that players are able to notice Raze as she fires, increasing their ability to shoot a Raze that takes riskier plays.”
Overall, this rebalancing is a nerf for Blaze, focusing on her Showstopper and Blast Pack abilities. For the former, the equip time of the Showstopper is now 1.4 seconds instead of just 1. (Quick equip time is also up to 0.7 from 0.5.) Additionally, the VFX when firing the rocket and on its trail have been slightly reduced, making her more noticeable. When it comes to the Blast Pack, this ability has been hit more heavily with a direct nerf.
“Raze’s Blast Pack has been hitting players a bit too hard,” explains Riot; “able to kill a fully armoured enemy in certain situations. We want to reduce this ability’s efficacy at damaging players while sharpening its ability at clearing enemy utility and obstacles.” What this means is that the Blast Pack now does 50 damage instead of 75. However, it now consistently does 600 damage to objects. This should make it more effective in that role rather than as an anti-player weapon, which may have been the developers’ original intention for the ability’s use.