VALORANT Closed Beta Patch 0.47 – Nerfs for Raze and Sage

VALORANT’s first patch since launching it’s Closed Beta tackles the most obvious frustrations players are experiencing in the game’s opening two weeks.

The first patch for VALORANT since launching its Closed Beta takes aim at two of the agents that players have expressed the most frustration with over the past two weeks. If you’ve been following the game or have played some of the Closed Beta for yourself, you’ll understand the general distaste for Raze and Sage, two agents that you’re almost guaranteed to find in every match.

Unquestionably, Raze has been the most scrutinized agent in-game at the moment. She’s a noob-friendly, low-skilled, rocket launching irritation that erases a player without them even realizing what happened. Seriously though, Raze has seemed OP in the opening weeks, which is understandable considering that we’re still playing in a Closed Beta. Thankfully, the overpowered agent’s balancing has received some needed attention in Patch 0.47.

More from App and Gaming News

• Cyberpunk 2077 Update 2.1: Last major update released
• GTA 6: Who is Lucia and what is her role?
• Sonic Dream Team review: A welcome surprise to Apple Arcade
• Is GTA 6 coming to PC at launch in 2025?
• GTA 6 trailer arrives early, confirming 2025 release: Watch it here!

Raze isn’t available to players at the outset, so it took some time before players began exploiting her lethal abilities. Nerfs to her high-damage abilities have been made, including the sound and audio cues to provide opposing players with valuable information.

• Reduced Paint Shells from 2 to 1
• Paint Shells now have a kill reset, requiring players to get 2 kills to refresh cooldown
• Tuned and adjusted audio for Paint Shells, Blast Pack, and Showstopper so that they’ll be easier to hear in hectic scenarios
• Fixed an edge case where the second cluster of Paint Shells would explode quicker than intended. They now have a minimum duration before exploding.

I was surprised to hear players become more and more aggravated with the abilities and map control from Sage, though, it makes sense as to why VALORANT would roll out a few minor nerfs to her as well.

• Players can now walk through the Slow Orb without making noise
• Melee attacks now inflict double the damage per hit to destructible, including
  • Sage’s Barrier
  • Haven’s metal double doors

It’s unclear whether these changes will be enough to subdue the anti-Sage crowd, but at least its a start. The biggest issues with Sage at the moment are best summed up by one of Twitch’s most notorious streamers, Summit1G.

Thankfully, player’s concerns are being addressed in Patch 0.47, but ability balance is never a finished task, and it’s unclear how these changes will affect matches down the road. Its reassuring to see Riot Games and the VALORANT team jump on these issues quickly, and the entire community appreciates the transparency week-to-week updates will provide.