Cypher buffs in upcoming Valorant patch point to the Sentinel's return to the meta, here's how

In the upcoming patch 7.09 of Valorant, the spotlight is on Cypher, the renowned Sentinel who has long grappled with finding his place in the Valorant meta. However, the winds of change are blowing in his favor as Riot Games introduces a series of substantial buffs and adjustments to Cypher's toolkit.

These changes are not merely tweaks; they are a calculated effort to elevate Cypher's role and impact on the battlefield.

Cypher, the master of traps and surveillance, has long been a formidable agent, but he often found himself overshadowed by others in the Sentinel class. In this new patch, the developers are taking a holistic approach to address his vulnerabilities, especially his iconic Trapwires.

This article delves into how the new buffs to Cypher are poised to bring him back into the Valorant meta.

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Valorant Patch 7.09 Preview: Cypher buffs

In the upcoming changes to Cypher's abilities in Valorant, several significant adjustments are set to enhance his trapping capabilities.

The time it takes for a trapped enemy to become concussed has been reduced from 3 seconds to a swift 1.5 seconds, making it more challenging for opponents to escape once ensnared.

A significant improvement is that Cypher's Trapwire no longer self-destructs after concussing an enemy or when an ensnared opponent is eliminated. Instead, it rapidly re-arms in just 0.5 seconds, empowering Cypher to maintain control over an area and potentially ensnare multiple adversaries in quick succession, as long as they don't destroy the wire.

Additionally, the duration of the slowing effect caused by the trap when triggered has been extended from 0.75 seconds to a more impactful 2 seconds, further solidifying Cypher's role as a Sentinel in the game.

These changes not only improve Cypher's traps but also underscore his role as a defensive force in Valorant.

The faster concussive effect and trap re-arming make him an even stronger choice for choke point control and effective defense.

The extended slowing effect further challenges opponents, solidifying Cypher's importance in the ever-evolving Valorant meta.

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Status of Cypher in Episode 7 Act 2 (Patch 7.08)

In patch 5.10, Cypher received several buffs. This particular patch increased the length of the Trapwire by 50% and became impervious to ally kit AOE (area of effect) damage.

His ultimate ability, Neural Theft, revealed enemy positions two times instead of one. This ability received a buff again in patch 7.07, where the Neural Theft now completes even if Cypher dies after casting.

Yet, despite these buffs bringing quality-of-life upgrades for Cypher players, the agent has struggled to find his place in team compositions. Even after a considerable nerf to Chamber, an agent who completely eclipsed Cypher in the Sentinel class in the past, Killjoy is reigning the meta with a close to 70% pick rate as of this writing.

Riot Games has been determined to fine-tune Valorant's meta. They have closely monitored the playstyles of different Agent categories and the interaction of abilities of various Agents.

With the upcoming buffs for Cypher in patch 7.09, it is pretty clear the developers feel that Cypher's Trapwire is the weakest link in his kit. Therefore, they have taken a holistic approach to improve Cypher ahead of the 2024 season of VCT.

Valorant developers not only made the trip wire more effective, but they are implementing a slew of changes to the abilities of other agents and how they interact with Cypher's kit.

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Valorant Patch 7.09 teases Cypher's revival with buffs and adjustments to countering abilities

Up until now, Cypher trip wires are very fragile and easy to counter. It's because Cypher was one of the first Agents in Valorant back when it launched in 2020; most of the defense setup is well-known among the playerbase. So, Agents with area clearing utilities like Fade, Skye, Raze, Yoru, and Sova countered the Trapwires.

In 7.09, Agent abilities like Fade's prowlers, Skye's Trailblazer, and Raze's Blast Packs are being adjusted in a way that improves the quality-of-life of Cypher anchoring a site.

The collision dynamics of Fade's Prowler and Skye's Trailblazer have been adjusted to allow them to pass over and under the Cypher's Trapwires placed at mid-height, respectively.

This is a substantial buff for Cypher as it prevents these abilities from inadvertently triggering the Trapwires, preserving the integrity of his setups.

Even when Trapwires are triggered by abilities like Yoru's Clone or Sova's Owl Drone, they will promptly re-arm in just 0.5 seconds, ensuring they remain functional.

These changes are set to bolster Cypher's defensive capabilities. The only way to destroy the Tapwires completely is by dealing damage to them.

Therefore, out of the ones mentioned above, only Agents like Sova with his Shock Dart and Raze with her Blast Packs can counter Cypher's Trapwires.