When it comes to flashes and intel, Skye ranks among the best agents in Valorant – at least before her latest nerf. Pro Valorant players have since voiced their dismay over the major change a few days before Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) 2024.
Icebox, Split, Ascent – you name it; Skye has always been part of the meta and a usual pick in ranked and pro matches. In the 2023 VCT Season, Skye had a 63% pick rate, making her only second to Killjoy in appearances. However, the recent changes on Patch 8.01 shocked the Valorant player community after it “nerfed Skye to the ground.”
One of the main reasons for Skye’s high pick rate was her signature skill, Guiding Light. Out of all initiators and duelists, Skye is the only agent with unlimited blind recharge. Making her ideal for clutch plays and a deadly 1v1 opponent.
For Skye’s agent updates on the recent patch, Guiding Light no longer regenerates in each round. This means Skye mains and initiators now need to be frugal and pay close attention to when and where they’re using their blinds.
Valorant pros react to Skye nerfs
One of the most decorated teams in the Valorant pro scene is Fnatic, and Skye rarely leaves their comp. That is why their in-game leader, Boaster, took to X to express his thoughts over Skye’s nerfs right when the 2024 season was approaching.
Surely, even the slightest changes to the most versatile agents can wreak havoc on the game’s meta. But pro players aren’t amused to see such major changes when they’ve cooked up most of their strategies for the upcoming season.
Meanwhile, other Valorant content creators and analysts disagree with the “unnecessary” agent changes.
Another figure in the Valorant pro scene who expressed his dismay is the head coach of NRG, Chet.
NRG Chet also expresses his dismay over the drastic changes near the start of the season. He expressed that meta changes and nerfs should be carried on during the “four-month wait” for the game changes to be properly tested.
It is worth noting that the VCT 2023 season ended on August 26, 2023, and VCT 2024 starts in the third week of February. This means the league has one of the longest rest periods and off-seasons in first-person shooter esports.
With less than four weeks left before the new season, most VCT teams are left scrambling for new strategies and ways to utilize Skye despite her nerfs.