Viper soars high in the VCT Americas Kickoff 2024, with a pick rate higher than the 2022 prime-era Chamber.
Seasoned Valorant players know only Chamber can accrue the might and unstoppable frags during his heydays. Not even the most popular duelists like Jett or Reyna cause fear to enemies as much as a Chamber ult did back in his pre-nerf status.
After multiple Chamber nerfs that not only “balanced” his kit but also diminished his pick rate in ranked and pro games, other agents barely scraped his “irreplaceable” status in all maps. Some noteworthy mentions include Killjoy and Jett – who also suffered from meta-changing nerfs shortly afterward.
However, it seems like a Valorant agent was silently working her way into beating Chamber’s must-pick status after the recent VCT 2024 opener event. Viper reportedly surpassed the Sentinel’s record of pick rate in a pro event in VCT Americas Kickoff 2024.
Viper rises to top of pro pick rate at 83% in VCT Americas Kickoff
The feisty Controller proved irreplaceable in the current Valorant meta, as Viper rakes in an 83% pick rate in the Group Stage of VCT Americas Kickoff 2024. This rating towers over Chamber’s peak presence in the pro scene, previously recording a 77% pick rate in VCT Masters Copenhagen in 2022.
Viper’s rise in popularity is a sign of the new meta composition in the first-person shooter game, as “double controller” comps are now the most-favored teams in ranked and the pro scene.
The S-tier agent may owe her in-demand status to the return of “Viper dedicated” maps, Breeze and Split. These two maps are a match made in Riot Games’ heaven with Viper’s Toxic Screen and Vipers’ Pit.
Beyond being an effective “smoker,” pro players also love using Viper’s molly, Snake Bite, which synergizes well with the decaying ability of her smoke orbs and screens. Some Valorant players and fans even remark that with her build, Viper functions as a “Sentinel” role better than other agents dedicated to defense.
The trend of Viper’s growing popularity is not exclusive to the Western pro stages. The agent also recorded a 77% pick rating in VCT Pacific, 74% in EMEA, and 64% in China’s debut tournament.
While Viper mains can rejoice in the validation caused by her rising reputation, these players should also prepare for an imminent heartbreak. As Riot Games is always on the tip of its toes in balancing “overpowered” agents with high pick rates, a Viper nerf may be expected anytime soon.
However, Valorant players can also hope for another way that Riot Games can tackle the current meta and tier rankings. Viper’s popularity can also result in buffing other agents to turn the tides in their favor.
For now, we can only expect more combo plays and clip-worthy clutches in Viper’s pit, as most VCT Kickoff tournaments are still underway.