Total Shorty Kills
The Reyna Nerf Might Actually be a Buff
Gabriel Ionica
09/30/2020
It’s not often that a character nerf can be interpreted as a buff but this might just be one of those times. The nerf in question in the Reyna nerf from Patch 1.09.
For those unaware, the newest patch reduced the fire rate bonus Reyna received from her Empress ultimate from 25% to 15%. Some might interpret this as a weakness but others are on the opposite side of the fence. They’re saying that the 25% fire rate bonus made guns and their spray patterns way too hard to control. Now that the bonus is down to 15%, the guns are much more manageable while still giving Reyna an edge over others. A big voice for this group is Liquid’s Adil “ScreaM” Benrlitom.
Reyna Nerf + Math = Logic?
Let’s take the Vandal, one of the most popular rifles in-game. Its base fire rate is 9.75 rounds/sec according to the Valorant Liquipedia. 25% of that is 2.4375. Slap that on top of the base fire rate and you get around 12 rounds/sec. For reference, the Odin machine gun has a fire rate of 15.6 rounds/sec. That high fire rate is fine on a machine gun, its entire purpose is to suppress an area. The Vandal, on the other hand, is supposed to be used as a precision gun to get kills at any range. Having a fire rate that’s almost as high as the Odin is not great for that purpose.
The new 15% fire bonus brings the fire rate down to around 11 rounds/sec which might be more manageable than before. This all points towards the nerf being more like a buff, at least for Vandal Reynas. Odin Reynas definitely got a nerf but that’s a good thing since it makes that combo more balanced and fair for the other players in the game. Reddit users seem to be on the same page as well.
What do you think of the new fire rate bonus? Do you agree with ScreaM and the others? As usual, remember to follow us at Run it Back and join our Discord for all your latest news, extensive guides, and exclusive interviews in the world of Valorant.
