On November 14th, Patch Notes 7.10 were released for Valorant and we were especially eager to see the Deadlock buffs. But how impactful are they really?
Deadlock appeared very strong to all of us upon release, but quickly, it was noticed that she is quite weak compared to other Sentinels in the meta. In fact, her pick rate is the lowest among all agents. We will explain what has been buffed, along with some other adjustments in the current patch notes.
Patch Notes 7.10 - All Changes
Deadlock Buff
Deadlock's GraveNet (C ability) has been reworked, now covering a significantly larger radius. Additionally, the debuff from GraveNets no longer disappears automatically; caught enemies must now press F to remove the debuff, similar to Cypher's Cam.
Many Valorant players, however, were anticipating a buff for Deadlock's Sonic Sensor, as it is often deemed unreliable, activating only on sound cues. We believe that expanding it beyond that could make Deadlock too strong, allowing for too much map control.
Some Sentinels, like Sage and Deadlock, are simply not designed for holding flanks. But Sage hast other unique abilities and remains a popular agent. Let's see if Deadlock's pick rate will increase with this buff. She's at least got more potential to stop pushes now. Maybe she'll receive more buffs in future. Riot seems to be cautious not to overpower agents right now.
Anyone caught by GravNet will now be debuffed indefinitely until they remove itAnyone caught by GravNet will now be affected by increased gravity and a reduction in mobility (example: GravNet now reduces Jett’s Tailwind (E) distance)GravNet removal time increased 0.85s >>> 1.5sGravNet radius increased 6m >>> 8m
Jett's Bladestorm - Animation Adjustment
Others can now more clearly see where Jett throws her knives, thanks to the adjusted animation. As an enemy, it should no longer feel like it came out of nowhere.
Team Deathmatch Changes
Several adjustments have been made to agents, but these changes only apply within the Team Deathmatch mode.
Reyna nerf:
Team Deathmatch only changes: Leer (C) cooldown increased 44s >>> 51sEmpress (X) will charge 14% slower
Fade buff:
Team Deathmatch only changes: Prowler (C) cooldown decreased 44s >>> 36sSeize (Q) cooldown decreased 51s >>> 48s
You can read the official patch notes here.