All Stinger changes coming in Valorant patch 6.02

The recent changes to the Spectre in patch 5.12 of Valorant have sparked renewed interest in the Stinger, a low-cost SMG in the game. With its ability to deal more damage at a faster rate in close ranges and an alternative burst fire mode for medium range, the Stinger has become a popular choice in the second round of each half. However, Riot Games noticed its growing popularity and announced nerfs for the Stinger in the upcoming patch 6.02. Here's everything you need to know about it.

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Stinger nerfs are coming in Valorant's patch 6.02

The official Valorant Twitter handle announced earlier today that they would be adjusting the price and the damage fall-off of the Stinger to better position the weapon within the current Valorant meta.

The Stinger, which previously cost 950 credits will now be priced at 1100 credits. The damage fall-off for the Stinger will be as follows:

• Before the change: 27 damage per bullet (0 - 20m) 25 damage per bullet (20m+)
• After the change: 27 damage per bullet (0 - 15m) and 23 damage per bullet (15m+)

These changes will have interesting implications for Valorant going forward. Here is a quick summary of how the economy in Valorant works for the first two rounds of each half.

Teams start with 800 credits per player in the pistol round. The winning team earns 3000 credits, and the losing team earns 1900 credits. Players on the attacking side receive 300 extra credits for planting the Spike, and each kill grants 200 credits.

In the past, the team that won the pistol round would buy the best weapons and abilities they could afford, while the losing team would play with pistols (usually the Classic) or attempt a force-buy with limited resources.

Before the Stinger re-entered the meta, force-buys were rare and only occurred when the attacking team had access to extra 300 credits. With the Stinger's reemergence in the meta, the second round became more contested, as both attacking and defending teams could purchase the Stinger with a half shield for 1350 credits.

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How will the Stinger nerfs affect the meta going forward?

The price of the Stinger going up to 1100 credits means that defenders losing the pistol round will have a much more difficult time pulling together a force buy. They could get a Stinger and a half shield, but they would have to sacrifice most abilities, which is not a good idea.

Attackers, who could previously get full shields with their stinger along with most abilities, will have to come down to a half shield to afford abilities. This is not an entirely bad idea, but it will leave them more vulnerable than before.

With the damage fall-off being increased, the overall damage output of the Stinger will be affected, but it will continue to wreak havoc at short range. The burst fire mode and spray pattern remain unchanged, allowing it to still be effective at long distances, but players will need to have precise aim and a bit of luck to be able to land headshots and get kills.

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Overall, the adjustments to the Stinger aim to balance its effectiveness and bring back the advantage to the team that wins the pistol round. However, whether it reduces the rate of force-buys remains to be seen.