Riot Games has released VALORANT patch 12.09 with major changes for the competitive scene. The update reduces the efficiency of the agent Neon and applies nerfs to all shotguns in the game.
The goal is to reduce strategies based on extreme mobility and aggressive close-range fights. Neon had become one of the most used agents in VALORANT competitive play, especially in compositions focused on fast entries.
According to Riot, the character had already been on the balance team’s radar for several months. Among the changes, High Gear lost part of its aerial mobility.
Now, jumps performed during the ability no longer provide an additional speed bonus. In addition, fuel regeneration will now only work during the ultimate after eliminations.
Shotguns also received significant adjustments. Riot reduced movement accuracy, increased spread, and lowered the effectiveness of weapons such as Judge, Bucky, and Shorty during aggressive plays.
With these changes arriving in competitive play before Masters London, VALORANT players are also looking for more stable matches and reduced connection fluctuations.
In this scenario, NoPing appears as an alternative to optimize routes between the computer and the game servers, reducing ping, lag, and packet loss. The platform offers a free trial for new users interested in testing stability improvements during matches.
Patch 12.09 marks one of the most significant VALORANT updates in recent months. With the nerfs to Neon and the shotgun adjustments, Riot aims to slow down the aggressive pace of matches and create room for new strategies in the competitive scene. The focus now shifts to how teams will adapt before Masters London and the impact these changes will have on the professional meta.
