Valorant 8.08 Patch Notes Brings MAJOR Viper Nerfs

Published: Apr 30, 2024, 1:00 pm Updated: Apr 30, 2024, 3:22 pm

As Episode 8 Act 3 arrives and the highly anticipated Mystbloom Bundle drops, Patch 8.08 ensures the last Act starts with a bang, introducing significant balance changes to iconic agents Viper and Cypher.

Viper's strength has grown as players have mastered her abilities, making her a dominant force with a constant presence in pro play. This update aims to solidify Viper's weaknesses compared to other Controllers. Now, players will need to commit more strategically to smoke placements while managing shorter smoke durations.

With that said, let's dive right into what we can expect from Valorant Patch 8.08!

Valorant Patch 8.08 Release Date

After adjustments to PBE testing, Patch 8.08 is set to launch on April 30, 2024 at around 7:00 pm EDT | 1:00 am BST, with specific times varying by region.

A screenshot of Viper from the "SNAKEBITE: A VIPER’S TALE" Valorant cinematic.

Viper and Cypher Receive Nerfs in Patch 8.08

The dev team acknowledges that Viper has become too powerful in both ranked and professional play. Patch 8.08 aims to bring her in line without compromising her unique role as a Controller and Sentinel hybrid.

Encouraging better fuel management, players can expect less overall smoke uptime, but the ability to reactivate them sooner. Additionally, you can no longer re-position her Poison Cloud after the buy phase, forcing more strategic placement. Her Snake Bite only has one charge, but is now guaranteed to kill enemies who stay in it.

On the other hand, Cypher's buffs in Patch 7.09 made him the go-to Sentinel on specific maps due to his exceptional stalling power. To address this, Patch 8.08 increases the reset time for triggered tripwires and reduces the slow duration they inflict. Moreover, enemies will now hear an audio cue when Cypher's camera is watching them, making it easier to avoid getting caught off guard.

Valorant 8.08 Full Patch Notes

Here’s a rundown of everything you need to know about Valorant Patch 8.08.

Agent Updates

Chamber

Voice lines and interaction lines were added with Reyna, Astra, and Omen

Cypher

Trapwire (C)
- Re-arm time increased from 1 to 2 seconds
- Slow on Trapwire reduced from 2 to 1.25 seconds
Spycam (E)
- Enemies now hear looping audio when Cypher is actively watching them from within the Spycam (E)

Viper

Toxic Screen (E) and Poison Cloud (Q)
- Max uptime on each individual smoke source reduced from 15 to 12 seconds
- The minimum fuel needed to activate smoke increased from 20% to 30%
- The cooldown on re-activating smokes after putting them down is reduced from 8 to 5 seconds
Poison Cloud (Q)
- Can now only be picked up during the Buy Phase
Snake Bite (C)
- Charges reduced from 2 to 1
- Price increased from 200 to 300
- Duration increased from 5.5 to 6.5 seconds

Premier Updates

A new Stage of Premier starts! With this one, Riot is adding promotion.

See your division's promotion requirements on the standings page
Meet those requirements to be placed at least one division higher in Stage E9A1
The Premier Score playoff qualification threshold is 600for all divisions

Bug Fixes

Agent

Fixed issues related to inaccurate line-of-sight checks near certain abilities (e.g., Phoenix’s Blaze (C))
- This could manifest in flashes not working appropriately when the detonation was on the other side of a wall that was in the process of raising or lowering
- This fix applies to Phoenix’s Blaze (C), Neon’s Fast Lane (C), Harbor’s Tide (E), and Viper’s Toxic Screen (E) and Viper’s Pit (X)
Fixed an issue where AI-controlled abilities (e.g., Killjoy’s Turret (E)) could detect you through Harbor’s High Tide (E)
Fixed Clove’s icons being incorrect when Ruse (E) was equipped
Fixed a bug where Cypher’s Trapwire (C) showed on the map even when disabled

Maps

Fixed an exploit on Split that allowed Agents to stand a sign on A Site

Gameplay Systems

Fixed an issue where footsteps were not produced when in ADS and when running while slowed by Sage’s Slow Orb (Q) ability

Premier

Fixed a bug where practice matches did not lock your division in

That's everything you need to know about Valorant Patch 8.08! If you’re interested in learning more about Valorant, find out about the floral-themed Mystbloom skin bundle, and the upcoming underground map, here.