Find out which buffs and nerfs are coming in the next patch so you can prepare in advance!
After the next patch, Gekko mains have something to look forward to, while Skye mains might need some virtual hugs because she's in for another round of nerfs. Find the exact changes and the possible reason for them below.
Upcoming Gekko Buffs and Skye Nerfs
The agent adjustments seem to be motivated by the stagnant meta in professional play. Some agents dominate due to their powerful kits in their respective classes, while others, especially recently introduced agents, struggle to find their footing.
In ranked matches, we see Gekko and also Deadlock being picked more often. Here, Harbor's pick rate is the one suffering the most. But that's just the difference of professional play and ranked. If you're curious, you can find more details about this topic here:
Gekko Buffs
As for Gekko, he will be able to retrieve his creatures more quickly, and his flash ability will now provide significantly more value:
New Gekko Buffs Patch 7.12: - Reclaim for Dizzy (E), Wingman (Q), and Thrash (X)- Reduce reclaim channel time from 2s >>> 1sDizzy (E)- Once Dizzy is ready to shoot and sees a target, they will shoot faster and the projectile will travel faster.- Pre-fire targeting delay... pic.twitter.com/N7tpiKMNdj
— Valorant Updates (@ValorantUpdated) December 1, 2023
We'll have to wait and see if these buffs make Gekko more popular in pro play. I think, he now has more potential, especially with his unique Wingman ability. No other agent has something like it, allowing for defusing or planting the spike, while being able to hold the enemies. Additionally, he can use his ult several times in a single round.
Skye Nerfs
Here, the focus is on Skye's 'dog'. It is getting a significant nerf and won't be able to gather as much information as it could before:
New Skye Changes | Patch 7.12 #VALORANT - Trailblazer (Q)- Camera movement is disabled during the leap.- When the Trailblazer is destroyed during the leap, it no longer causes a concuss explosion.- Trailblazer plays the destruction voice line when destroyed during the leap.... pic.twitter.com/TU32IwKBnd
— Valorant Updates (@ValorantUpdated) December 2, 2023
As Skye is one of my main agents, I'm already saddened by the news, but it's understandable. Being a fan of pro play, I welcome changes that shake up the meta. The fact that Trailblazer now stuns teammates is a logical step, even though it opens up more room for throwing teammates.
We'll have to test how the ability exactly works after the patch is live. Some believe that despite the dog not looking at enemies, you can still detect them on the minimap.
Another way to shorten the skill gap :/Skye players with good dog movement were able to get so much out of it. https://t.co/PnngnFCM52
— EG Ethan (@ethanarnold) December 2, 2023
Ethan complained about a lower skill gap due to the nerf, arguing that players with good "dog movement" would have gained a lot of value from the ability. I believe that this nerf alone doesn't lower the overall skill gap in Valorant at all. I've never heard anyone say they won a game through their 'dog movement'.