"Might As Well Remove Sentinel Role" Cypher Nerfs Leave Pros Disappointed

Valorant patch 8.08 is out, but the new meta-shaking Viper and Cypher nerfs have ignited strong reactions within the community. Speaking specifically about the Cypher nerfs, while changes related to Tripwire make sense given his dominance in the current meta, the update to his Spycam has faced massive criticism from fans and professionals as well.

Now, when Cypher's Spycam is active, players will hear a looping audio, a change that many argue destroys the utility's purpose to "spy." This update feels redundant, especially when you can hear a sound cue when the camera is activated.

Johnqt, the IGL of Sentinels, who plays both Sentinel and Controller roles, commented, " Riot nerfing a sentinel agent every 2 patch might as well just remove this role… Also that camera nerf is the most casual friendly change ever and ruins the whole concept of the ability."

Riot's intention may have been to prevent the abuse of unnoticeable spots where spotting the Spycam was challenging; however, this new change significantly reduces the skill requirement. Pynappel shared her thoughts, stating, "When you become better at the game, you will find out about the most stupid spots for Cypher cam. There could be some bugs here and there, but overall, you will know about the spots."

ZE1SH, the coach of Karmine Corp, raised an interesting point about how these nerfs, combined with the current format, impact the competitive scene. He labeled patching maps or agents mid-competition as the "worst thing," especially given the "shitty" format, citing it as a reason for Masters Madrid teams' struggles in Stage 1 as, according to him, such changes provide no time for teams to reset and prepare for new strategies.

The point is pretty valid especially if we consider the situation of Masters Madrid champions, Sentinels. They are on the verge of not qualifying for Stage 1 playoffs, let alone Masters Shanghai. 

This argument gains validity, especially if we consider the situation of Masters Madrid champions, Sentinels, who are on the verge of not qualifying for Stage 1 playoffs, let alone Masters Shanghai. ZE1SH further explains that this issue will persist for teams qualifying for Shanghai as well.

He further continued, "On top of that, you add the nerf of the actual meta on a lot of maps, when actually teams that will qualify to Shanghai will have time to work for Stage 2 with these major changes ??? Actually, it's better not to qualify for Shanghai and just work for Stage 2 if you want to have higher chances to make Champions. You don’t get champions points unless you win the event, and you lose prep time, so what’s the point? Look at LOUD's situation."

There are high chances of seeing a drop in Cypher's pickrate in pro play; however, it will be interesting to see whether Riot will reverse the Spycam changes based on the current feedback.