Riot Games regularly releases patches and fixes that impact the game's balance. One notable change came with patch 8.11 for Valorant. It affected several Duelist role agents, and today we're discussing one of them. Neon, the electric Duelist known for her lightning-fast speed and aggressive playstyle, received significant improvements in patch 8.11. These changes aim to make her a smoother and more effective fighter, potentially altering the Duelist meta-game.

Neon Overview

Hailing from the Philippines, Neon possesses a unique set of abilities focused on speed and electricity. Her arsenal allows her to swiftly navigate the battlefield, making her one of the most mobile agents in Valorant. Despite her potential, Neon's selection rate has been relatively low, prompting Riot to make changes to make her more competitive.

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Key Enhancements and Changes

Developers aimed to increase Neon's effectiveness as an agent capable of engaging in dynamic face-to-face battles with opponents, enhancing the unique value she brings to the game. Changes have made her slide more effective when encountering enemies, bolstering her combat prowess and eliminating all weapon movement errors while sliding, among several other adjustments. Changes to her ability "Defensive Tunnel" (C) aim to make battles around its walls safer for Neon's allies and reduce the visual noise the tunnel creates in the game.

"Jumping Projectile" (Q) will be enhanced to become a more efficient and reliable single-use ability, allowing Neon to achieve greater success when deciding to engage in combat using sliding, as well as freeing up space for a second slide charge.

Adjustments to the ability "Increased Speed" (E):

Running mode

• Neon will no longer have her sideways movement speed reduced while running.
• The maximum running speed while moving sideways has been increased from 6.73 m/s to 9.11 m/s.
• The time to fully recharge energy is reduced from 60 to 20 seconds.

Sliding

• The number of charges has been increased from 1 to 2.
• All weapon movement errors while sliding with Neon have been eliminated.
• This means her movements while sliding will now be more accurate.
• The cost of the second slide is 150.
• Weapon selection speed after sliding increased from high to instant.
• It will be in Neon's hands in just moments: within 0.2 seconds after sliding.

One of the most significant buffs is Neon's movement. Previously, her direction change speed decreased while sprinting. Patch 8.11 removes this limitation, allowing her to maintain maximum speed when changing directions. Additionally, her base sprint speed has been increased to 9.11 meters per second.

Neon's fuel, which powers her abilities, now recharges three times faster, fully replenishing in just 20 seconds. This means she can stay in combat longer without waiting for her abilities to recharge. Additionally, Neon now starts with two slide charges instead of one, and the second charge can be purchased for 150 credits. This allows for more aggressive actions and quicker escapes.

Quality improvements for Neon's sliding are significant. She no longer experiences weapon movement errors while sliding, meaning her accuracy remains consistent. Additionally, the time required to equip a weapon after sliding has been reduced, allowing her to transition from movement to shooting more quickly.

Enhancements to the "Jumping Charge" ability (Q):

• The number of charges was reduced from 2 to 1.
• Delay before action reduced from 1.1 to 0.8 seconds.
• The stun duration increased from 3 to 3.5 seconds.

Reduced cooldown time for "Jumping Charge" allows for faster use. This helps Neon disrupt enemy positions more effectively, providing her team with an advantage in battles. The stun duration of "Jumping Charge" has been slightly increased, making it a more powerful crowd control tool. This allows Neon to better control narrow passages and slow down enemy movements.

Enhancement of the ability Defensive Tunnel (C):

• Defensive Tunnel (C) will dissipate behind to minimize visual clutter in the combat zone, while simultaneously providing cover for Neon.
• The sound effect of the Defensive Tunnel ability (C) has been updated: now it will move along with the disappearing wall.
• The ability duration has been reduced from 6 to 4 seconds.
• The wall dissipation time has been increased from 1 to 2 seconds.

This change reduces the amount of visual clutter, which is particularly important for team interactions. Decreasing visual clutter allows players to orient themselves better and aim more accurately, making the game more comfortable for the entire team. Simultaneously, it maintains the defensive function of the wall for Neon, enhancing her survivability and mobility.

The sound effect helps players better orient themselves in space and time of the ability's action. The sound update increases the informativeness of the ability, allowing Neon's team and her opponents to assess the situation on the battlefield more accurately. This is advantageous for both your team and opponents.

Reducing the duration makes the ability less prolonged, reducing its defensive potential. However, it also forces Neon and her team to act faster and more decisively, encouraging dynamism and aggression in the game. This change increases the risk of using the ability, requiring players to make more thoughtful decisions.

Overall Impact

These enhancements and changes make Neon a more attractive choice for players looking to play more actively and aggressively. Increased movement speed and reduced costs for the Increased Speed abilities encourage aggressive maneuvers and swift movements, making it difficult for opponents to predict and counter her movements. Improvements to Jumping Charge and Defensive Tunnel enhance her control and attack abilities, strengthening her role as a high-impact Duelist.

Teams can now rely on Neon to create chaos among the enemy ranks, opening up opportunities for coordinated attacks and various maneuvers. Her ability to quickly move around the map and disrupt enemy positions makes her an excellent choice for both offense and defense.

These buffs paint a picture of a more nimble and aggressive Neon. The combination of increased speed, faster fuel regeneration, and improved sliding mechanics should make her a more dominant force in close combat. While it's still early to judge, Neon may challenge Jett and Raze for the title of the best Duelist in patch 8.11.

Community Reaction

The community's reaction to Neon's enhancements is mostly positive. Many players appreciated the boost to her abilities in patch 8.11, which is evident from the increase in her pick rate, almost doubled since the update. While it's still early to tell, as players on Neon have just started adapting to the updated playstyle, her pick rate has not yet exceeded 48%.

Conclusion

The enhancements and changes to Neon in update 8.11 demonstrate Riot Games' continuous efforts to maintain balance in Valorant's agent roster and provide diverse and dynamic gameplay. By strengthening Neon's core strengths and addressing her weaknesses, Riot has refreshed her role in the game.

With these changes, Neon is poised to have a significant impact on the competitive scene, offering players an exciting and dynamic alternative to other Duelists in Valorant. As the meta develops, it will be interesting to see how Neon's presence influences team compositions and strategies in the coming months.