3 reasons why Chrono got nerfed in Free Fire in 2021

Since characters form an essential element of Free Fire, the developer regularly attempts to balance abilities and ensure fair gameplay. Chrono was released in December 2020 via the game's collaboration with Cristiano Ronaldo.

Since then, Time Turner, his ability, has undergone multiple nerfs, especially with the OB31 update. The shield now provides two-way protection, with durability increased to 800. Furthermore, the cooldown has been lowered while the impact duration has improved.

Exploring why Chrono was reworked in Free Fire

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1) Overpowering ability

Before any nerfs, Chrono's ability created a force that had a durability of 600 and provided a buff in movement speed by 30% to users and 15% to allies. Moreover, the effects lasted for a massive 9 seconds, and the cooldown was a scant 40 seconds at the highest level.

This implied that in a squad of four, users could continuously spam Time Turner to create a force field. The gameplay had become monotonous as gamers would continue to rush at enemies in the open and utilize the shield to net kills.

The Free Fire OB27 patch gave the character a much-needed nerf, with a significantly more extended cooldown period as well as a drop in speed and duration, although the ability remained powerful. Only after the OB30 and OB31 updates did users shift to other characters.

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2) Difficult to counter

Upon Chrono's release, no character within the game could counter or match Chrono's ability by any means. Even the fan-favorite, Alok, turned pale in contrast to the in-game persona of Cristiano Ronaldo.

Xayne was released after the O27 update, which boosted the damage to shields by 100% for 10 seconds. However, this was insufficient to stop Chrono. Users could quickly use it while fighting with shotguns in close range and get easy kills.

In open places, players could utilize Time Turner while engaging with opponents. At the same time, foes had no cover, making them easy targets. It was because it took a few shots to break down the force field, but within a few seconds, enemies could quickly be taken down.

A substantial reduction in the ability's duration provided a leveled gunfight.

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3) Community's demand

Gamers were unhappy with Chrono's ability since its release in Free Fire. They called for a substantial change due to the imbalance it brought into the game. The users expected Garena to provide a nerf in the OB26 update.

However, when this did not happen, they began demanding that the developers tweak Time Turner on various social media platforms. Garena finally relented, leaving fans with the Chrono they know today.

Note: This article reflects the author's views.