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 received’t be in any respect stunned if he’s given a buff in fast order.
Replace 10/01: The newest Valorant Patch 5.09 hasn’t issued any adjustments to Harbor. The Agent’s equipment stays unchanged and appears set to proceed to underperform as described on this article. In fact, this replace was most likely just a little too quickly for Riot to begin implementing adjustments; we’re nonetheless in very early days and the workforce doubtless desires to attend and see how he does over an extended time frame. I’m betting it received’t be too lengthy till some type of buff is issued, although.
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. Sarcastically, nearly all of his skills 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 looks like an initiator. Consequently, 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 typical smokes.
To be honest to Riot Video games, the event workforce behind Harbor had defined forward of his launch that the Agent was all the time supposed as a brand new choice on maps the place Viper sees a close to 100% decide fee. And, for certain, Habor does carry out finest on Breeze, Icebox, and Pearl.
Nonetheless, as his equipment is at the moment, I simply don’t see him as a greater decide 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 tougher 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 will shake the meta up in an enormous means, however his launch has been something however spellbinding. And my complaints in regards to 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 really labored extra successfully, I could 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 facet of the equipment is comically weak.
I’d wish 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 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 ideal 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 circulation of a spherical. It’s the one a part of Harbor’s equipment that enemies appear to respect in the intervening time, whereas every thing else simply will get run by way of 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 in a similar way.
It’s simply in these situations, their utility did at the least really feel impactful at launch; they felt helpful and thrilling to play, even when their skills wanted consideration to make them actually aggressive. Harbor simply feels outclassed and largely ineffective. It’s not the debut we needed for less than the second new Agent in 2022.