Kayo mains are rejoicing over buffs after Valorant patch 10.06

Valorant patch 10.06 is proving to be an important update for Kayo mains in the game thanks to some significant buffs being delivered to the agent.

In contrast to sister Riot Games title League of Legends, Valorant is relatively young. With only four years in the competitive scene, the game naturally has a smaller roster and a meta prone to more drastic changes. Among its agents is Kayo (stylized as KAY/0 in-game), an initiator currently struggling to be relevant.

Kayo’s abilities are hard to master as players climb in the game’s ranks. As a result, Kayo has one of the worst pick rates in Valorant. With its recent update, Riot has changed many aspects of Kayo’s core gameplay to make him more accessible for players in the title’s latest patch.

Kayo buffs in Valorant patch 10.06 explained

Kayo’s flash and ultimate have been significantly reworked in a way that works out as a strong buff for the Valorant agent. One of the aspects of Flash/Drive that made Kayo difficult to play previously was its precise timing requirements. The ability had very specific durations depending on how far it was thrown. Many newbies trying out Kayo for the first time felt his flash was ineffective, especially if they initiated it from a longer distance.

Riot has now changed Kayo’s flash to automatically explode after 0.8 seconds upon bouncing. The windup will not trigger if the bounce is less than 0.8 seconds from popping anyway.

Other notable buffs include a bigger callout range, a longer flash duration for underhand throws, and a quicker unequip animation. Teammates will also see where Kayo’s flash was thrown on the minimap, making it easier to play around the ability.

All these buffs mean Kayo mains now have far greater control over their initiation tactics, potentially giving the agent greater reliability in team fights. One of the complaints about Kayo before was his unreliability as an initiator compared to other Agents, and these changes mean that Kayo should compete far better in ranked play while maintaining his viability in pro play.

The resurrection time for Kayo while his ult (NULL/cmd) is active has also been improved by being halved to 1.5 seconds. In the middle of an intense firefight, the ability to bring back a teammate quickly can change the tide of battle. Players praised these changes, as while Kayo was never a hated agent, his skill floor and underwhelming effectiveness made him unpopular. These buffs could make Kayo more competitive in the current meta.

Vyse and Yoru also received nerfs in Valorant patch 10.06

The duration of Vyse’s Razorvvine and Shear abilities have been reduced, while Yoru’s Fakeout skill saw a price increase with Valorant’s latest patch. Vyse’s Razorvine and Shear are powerful trapping tools. Buffs from recent patches have helped raise Vyse’s viability, reflecting an above-average win rate.

Riot opted to make her skills less oppressive by reducing their durations. While still effective, they are no longer arguably broken. The other nerf is to Yoru’s Fakeout ability, which spawns an echo that also acts as a flash.

Instead of the cheap 100 credits, it now costs 200 credits. Riot hopes this will make the ability more balanced and encourage a more cautious playstyle for Yoru players.

Although the patch only focused on three agents, they were all significant changes. The community praised these changes and generally had few if any issues.