What are the Sova nerfs in Valorant patch 4.08?

Valorant patch 4.08 is set to change Riot's tactical shooter in a way very few updates have done so far. The introduction of a new Agent, Fade, massive balance changes to the most used character, Jett, a new battle pass, and more are good enough reasons to jump back on if you've been absent for a while.

Sova mains will also have to deal with some tuning for their favourite Russian scout, as the initiator is due for some nerfs, according to Riot themselves.

As the developers are looking to keep players more engaged in how teams enter or defend sites, Sova will see a few of his abilities tweaked, forcing him to be more proactive rather than to stay back and look for arrow lineups.

Valorant Sova patch 4.08 - All nerfs

The two massive changes users have reported online are to Sova's shock dart and OWL drone. The first one will see its max damage reduced from 90 to 75, however. While we don't have specifics, the overall impact of Shock Dart's area of effect has also been toned down.

His OWL drone has also been massively nerfed. For starters, the duration has been decreased from 10 to 8 seconds, forcing Sova to use it in more aggressive positions. On top of this, it'll only ping tagged enemies twice instead of three times.

As mentioned, these nerfs are in response to the somewhat passive playstyle certain Agents, like Sova, encourage, which is why Fade is a more direct initiator, capable of flushing out enemies in more aggressive and proactive ways.

• Valorant RGX 11z Pro bundle - Release date, price, and skins
• Valorant Episode 4 Act 3 battle pass - Release date, rewards list, and more
  
• Jett to receive a major nerf in Valorant patch 4.08
  
• Valorant Agent Fade - Abilities and release date
  

It'll remain to be seen if the current cost of both shock dart and the OWL drone will stay the same or if Riot has adjustments in mind to compensate for the nerfs.

Players will need some time to adjust to all the changes coming to Valorant with patch 4.08, so it'll be hard to theory craft how big will these Sova nerfs end up being.

One thing's for sure, the Sova post-plant lineups are the ones that are hit more directly, making them less effective in terms of damage. If Fade ends up being a superior initiator, it might be time for Sova one-tricks to reconsider learning a new Agent.

Be sure to check out and follow our section dedicated to Valorant to stay updated with the latest news, guides, leaks, update announcements, and more related to the game.

Featured image courtesy of Riot Games.