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 up to now 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 received’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 caused a buff for Harbor. His Cascade (C) capacity now has two expenses as an alternative of 1. What do you assume? Is that this more likely 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 right down to the truth that he’s a controller who can’t actually management areas of the map successfully. Satirically, nearly all of his skills are targeted on blocking imaginative and prescient, and but he doesn’t work in any respect on the defensive half. He’s a lot better suited to attacking when he nearly appears like an initiator. Because of this, Harbor is simply actually serviceable as a secondary controller on most maps when there’s an Omen, Brimstone, or Astra to do the defensive heavy-lifting with standard smokes.
To be honest to Riot Video games, the event staff behind Harbor had defined forward of his launch that the Agent was all the time meant as a brand new possibility on maps the place Viper sees a close to 100% choose fee. And, for positive, Habor does carry out greatest on Breeze, Icebox, and Pearl.
Nonetheless, as his equipment is at present, 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, truthfully, 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 skills that might shake the meta up in an enormous method, 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.
Perhaps that’s too harsh. Maybe if his equipment truly labored extra successfully, I may 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) skills last more, and maybe sluggish enemies extra severely, as that side of the equipment is comically weak.
I’d prefer to see the Cove (Q) bullet-proof smoke buffed, too, ideally conserving the protect as it’s however altering it in order that the smoke lasts even as soon as damaged. It most likely shouldn’t price wherever close to what it does proper now, both.
The one side 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 software for website executes and retakes, and it simply feels enjoyable to make use of, as if, lastly, your skills 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 meanwhile, whereas all the pieces else simply will get run by or destroyed.
In fact, Harbor definitely received’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 skills wanted consideration to make them really aggressive. Harbor simply feels outclassed and largely ineffective. It’s not the debut we wished for under the second new Agent in 2022.
