Valorant players want Riot to nerf broken "better than Phantom" Ares

Merely two days after the Valorant v4.00 patch update went live, it seems players have already identified that the Ares is one of the strongest guns in the game.

That's right, on top of some substantial changes to fan-favourites like the Spectre or Guardian, the Ares received significant buffs that are perhaps a bit overpowered, with players at varying skills levels branding the Ares as "broken."

The Ares got its spin up (or charge time) removed, which means that the machine gun now instantly reaches its fastest firing rate, a feature that also got buffed, increasing from 10 to 13 bullets per second.

Why is the Ares broken in Valorant?

Considering these changes and the fact that there are currently no nerfs to balance it, the Ares feels like an absolute wrecking machine at all levels, from casual lobbies to sweaty Radiant ones.

Followingly, it didn't take long before players flooded social media channels, like Twitter and Reddit, with complaints about the gun. Among the slew of complaints, players have been begging Riot to release a hotfix in a bid to tone down the Ares.

To give you an idea of what the Ares can do, look at Sentinels' Tyson "TenZ" Ngo's gameplay in the video embedded below.

"What is this gun? What the f*ck is this? This needs to be hotfixed," the pro player said. Indeed, this sentiment is arguably shared by nearly the entire player base. The former Cloud9 pro later remarked, "This is better than a Phantom."

It has become immediately apparent in the pro circuit that the Ares is a must-pick on eco rounds. Several players recently demonstrated this during a NerdStreetGamers third-party tournament, played on the latest Valorant v4.00 gameplay patch.

One thing that also makes the Ares gun a top pick is that its direct competitor, the Spectre, received significant nerfs. The SMG was previously beloved by players for its ability to run and gun enemies with ease. Now, bullet error kicks in faster, and the gun boasts more recoil.

Beyond this, the Ares is 50 credits cheaper, coming in at 1,550; meanwhile, the Spectre still costs 1,600.

Riot Games has yet to address the community complaints surrounding the Ares, and it remains to be seen if they'll push a hotfix to revert some of the changes made to the weapon. 

• Read more: Riot delays massive Valorant v4.0 melee changes
  

Featured image courtesy of Riot Games.