Valorant’s New Agent Harbor Sucks at Launch [UPDATED]

It’s been every week or so since Riot Video games launched Valorant’s latest Agent, the water-bending controller named Habor, and I believe it’s secure to say his impression on the meta has to date been underwhelming. Really, I’d go as far as to say he’s maybe the worst-performing Agent at launch the sport has seen but, and I gained’t be in any respect shocked if he’s given a buff in fast order.

Replace 11/15: The newest Valorant Patch 5.10 has led to a buff for Harbor. His Cascade (C) means now has two expenses as an alternative of 1. What do you suppose? Is that this prone to change Harbor’s place within the meta? We’re unsure, however at a look, the buff doesn’t appear sufficient. We’ll revisit this matter once more quickly as soon as we’ve had an opportunity to play with him.

The issue with Harbor’s equipment is multifaceted however primarily boils all the way down to the truth that he’s a controller who can’t actually management areas of the map successfully. Satirically, nearly all of his talents are centered on blocking imaginative and prescient, and but he doesn’t work in any respect on the defensive half. He’s significantly better suited to attacking when he nearly seems like an initiator. Because of this, Harbor is just actually serviceable as a secondary controller on most maps when there’s an Omen, Brimstone, or Astra to do the defensive heavy-lifting with typical smokes.

To be honest to Riot Video games, the event group behind Harbor had defined forward of his launch that the Agent was all the time supposed as a brand new possibility on maps the place Viper sees a close to 100% choose price. And, for positive, Habor does carry out greatest on Breeze, Icebox, and Pearl.

Nonetheless, as his equipment is presently, I simply don’t see him as a greater choose than Viper, and certainly, my expertise in Immortal elo ranked video games over the previous week means that’s the case. To not point out, too, he’s additionally a lot much less enjoyable to play than Viper and far more durable to make use of successfully.

It’s all a bit disappointing, actually, as we’ve waited so lengthy for a brand new controller in Valorant, and Harbor held a lot promise. He was at one level codenamed Mage and had us all dreaming up cool arcane talents that might shake the meta up in a giant approach, however his launch has been something however spellbinding. And my complaints concerning the effectiveness of his equipment apart, I can’t say I’m all that excited for his inevitable buff, both. He’s only a bit boring.

Possibly that’s too harsh. Maybe if his equipment really labored extra successfully, I is likely to be extra enthusiastic, and I’m anticipating the inevitable buff to come back quickly. I believe we’ll see each his Excessive Tide (E) and Cascade (C) talents last more, and maybe gradual enemies extra severely, as that facet of the equipment is comically weak.

I’d wish to see the Cove (Q) bullet-proof smoke buffed, too, ideally preserving the defend as it’s however altering it in order that the smoke lasts even as soon as damaged. It most likely shouldn’t value anyplace close to what it does proper now, both.

The one facet of Harbor’s equipment that I believe is efficient, distinctive, and thrilling to make use of is Reckoning (X), his final. It’s an incredible device for web site executes and retakes, and it simply feels enjoyable to make use of, as if, lastly, your talents are literally having a tangible impact on the ebb and move of a spherical. It’s the one a part of Harbor’s equipment that enemies appear to respect in the mean time, whereas every little thing else simply will get run by means of or destroyed.

In reality, Harbor actually gained’t be the primary Agent who limps into the meta and requires a buff earlier than discovering his place on the roster. We’ve seen Brokers like Skye, Kayo, Phoenix, Yoru, and Neon all require buffs similarly.

It’s simply in these cases, their utility did at the very least really feel impactful at launch; they felt helpful and thrilling to play, even when their talents wanted consideration to make them actually aggressive. Harbor simply feels outclassed and largely ineffective. It’s not the debut we needed for under the second new Agent in 2022.