With the start of numerous tournaments around the world, the competitive VALORANT scene is finally heating up, but some players and fans have voiced their displeasure over the advent of a certain sub-machine gun that has assumed the role of a deadly eco-round solution.
Following Patch 5.06, the weapon became popular thanks to developers' efforts to reduce the firing error rate for both its primary and secondary fire, while remaining one of the most economical weapons to purchase due to its low price.
Riot will make some significant changes to the weapon's price, as well as its damage fall-off at certain distances in response. “We believe the Stinger is over-performing at its price point, especially in the early rounds, and lacks the appropriate economic tradeoffs,” Riot said on social media.
Why do professional VALORANT players use the Stinger so much?
The popular SMG is being upgraded from 950 credits to 1100 credits, which should make it more difficult for a team to lose money if they fail a round. The weapon's damage will also decrease at a shorter distance, with the gun dealing 27 damage per bullet from 0-15 meters and 23 damage per bullet beyond that distance.
The Stinger will be less effective in many instances, resulting in a decrease in its usage in professional play and solo queue alike. According to VALORANT statistics aggregate THESPIKE.gg.
When Patch 6.02 goes live on Tuesday, February 7, these changes will be available on live servers in a few days.