Here’s how Neon’s getting nerfed in Valorant patch 9.11

Jaxon Published December 6, 2024

Fans have been asking Riot Games to fix the unfair advantage Neon mains have enjoyed and it looks like Valorant patch 9.11 will resolve the issue by nerfing the agent.

Ever since Neon was introduced in Valorant many fans have been saying that the agent is too powerful. The enhanced speed and recoil-free ultimate allow players to quickly deal with enemies after catching them by surprise. Everything came to a head when Riot reworked Neon to make it so she could accurately shoot enemies while sliding. Couple this with nerfs to Jett that weakened her ability to lock down areas with an Operator and Neon wound up being the definitive best agent in Valorant.

This caused many players to ask Riot Games to do something about Neon’s disproportionately high strength. Riot has addressed the issue by nerfing Neon in the Valorant patch 9.11, ensuring the agent won’t necessarily be a must-pick anymore.

Valorant patch 9.11 nerfs Neon’s slides

Riot Games will nerf Neon in the upcoming Valorant patch 9.11 by reducing the number of slides she has while increasing her ultimate cost.

On December 6, 2024, details were leaked on the patch before it shipped, including the confirmation of major nerfs to Neon. Neon now only has one slide and the full accuracy buff during the slide is getting nerfed. The recoil will now be similar to when players crouch.

Neon’s Overdrive ultimate now costs eight ult points instead of the previous seven. This ensures players can’t use her ultimate ability as often and have to use it a bit more strategically. The increased speed given to her in her initial buff will remain, though, as that’s an integral part of the agent’s kit.

The changes to the slide are a big hit for Neon, and will make it much harder for her to instantly wipe out opponents after she gets the jump on them.

One developer tweeted on X informing players that they also think Neon is too strong. However, they also claimed that they wanted to maintain the agent’s movement-based kit. It’s possible that Neon could still be the best duelist in Valorant, but these nerfs should bring her more in-line with alternative options.

When will Valorant patch 9.11 come out?

Valorant patch 9.11 is expected to come out on December 10 or 11, 2024.

While Riot Games hasn’t revealed the official release date of Valorant patch 9.11, it’ll likely come out around that time. In addition to the much-awaited Neon nerfs the patch will also likely add the Araxys bundle 2.0 to the game.